Smooth & Soulful
Barry Danielian Is All That Jazz

Barry and Linda

"Barry is my Zen Man. Besides being a remarkable musician whom I am proud to sing with, he is a very special human being. His intelligence and dignity are innate. I also admire his very real desire for a kinder, better world. I'm glad that I know that side of him because when I stand on the stage and watch and listen to him play, I hear it in his music. He is a true artist, inside and out."

Linda's fans know him as a gifted musician, most notably for his spine-tingling opening notes of Linda's "Man of La Mancha." But beyond the work we've all come to appreciate him for, Trumpeter/Producer-Arranger Barry Danielian boasts a very impressive resume! He has performed with many of the biggest names in the music industry.

Trained from an early age in his first love, Jazz, some of Barry's most memorable performances have been with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Paquito DeRivera and Branford Marsalis. Some of his first New York gigs were with Latin giants Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente. Starting in 1984, he toured widely with these bands over a number of years and began an impressive series of Latin recordings with such artists as Marc Anthony and Ricky Martin. Barry's mileage on the road increased in 1985 with the first of several tours with Rock Fusion giants Blood, Sweat and Tears, and subsequently with Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band, Queen Latifah and Jon Bon Jovi. The early 1990s saw Barry on world tours with Latin-pop star Emmanuel and Funk legends Tower of Power.

Barry on stage

Barry is one of New York City's most in-demand session players and arrangers, racking up more than 200 recordings with such Pop notables as Celine Dion, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Natalie Cole and James Taylor, as well as with touring partners Queen Latifah and Tower of Power. His Jingle/TV and Motion-picture credits (for Touchstone, Columbia, and others) are too numerous to mention!

As a New York-based freelancer, Barry performs regularly on Broadway and in clubs, and has served on the musical performance faculties at three universities in the New York City area. He still travels occasionally, both for performances and to give master classes and lectures on brass playing and improvisation for such hosts as Carnegie Mellon University and the International Association of Jazz Educators. Barry holds a degree in Jazz Performance from the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with the 1982 Faculty Performance Award. In 1984 he was honored with the University of Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Competition's Outstanding Jazz Soloist Award, and in 2000 and 2001 he became the only unsigned artist nominated for the OASIS Smooth Jazz Awards.

So as you can see, Barry Danielian is a man on the move in the music industry! THE VOICE had an opportunity to catch up with Barry and chat about life, music and the pursuit of happiness…

VOICE: Please tell us a little about your personal background.

BD: I was born in 1962 in Massachusetts. Mom is Italian and Dad is Armenian. Both my parents are from working class immigrant families. I grew up hearing Italian and Armenian being spoken along with all the cultural expressions as well. Lots of good food!

VOICE: Were your parents musical?

BD: My parents were not musical but they both had a great appreciation for it. There was always music in the house... mostly Classical and Big Band music. I became interested in music at a very young age, six years old! I knew immediately that was what I wanted to do.

VOICE: Was trumpet your first instrument?

Barry hangs out backsatge with fellow band member and friend David Mann and two young adoring fans Kelly Monaghan (back) and Allison Whitehouse

BD: My first instrument was guitar. My uncle played guitar. Some told me that the girls loved trumpet players so I switched. Ah… beautiful lies! My first music teacher encouraged me to learn different instruments so I learned all the brass and later in high school played bass for awhile. I also loved to sing so I was in chorus, sang in rock bands, etc.

VOICE: What or who influenced you to pursue a career in music?

BD: What influenced me to pursue music was MUSIC!! The love of it and seeing the effect it has on people. Most of my family, at least at first, were warning me to pursue something more "tangible."

VOICE: We know you graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1982 with a degree in Jazz Performance and received the Faculty Performance Award. Would you tell us more about it?

BD: The Faculty Award at Berklee College actually didn't exist until that year. Myself along with the great sax player Walter Beasley played in so many concerts at the performance center that they gave us this award.

VOICE: Very nice! Have you won other awards?

BD: I won an outstanding Jazz soloist award at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival. David Mann was there and I think he won the same award. I was also nominated twice in the Brass category for the OASIS Smooth Jazz Awards. I was the only unsigned artist to be nominated.

VOICE: What was your first professional performance?

BD: My very first paying gig was in junior high playing "Taps" for military funerals at $5 a pop… my price has gone up! I was working in my chorus director's top-40 band while in high school and my band director had a big band that played six nights a week during the summer. That's where I really developed my sight-reading ability and the ability to play in different styles.

VOICE: What has been your most exciting performance so far?

Barry and one of his "musical heroes" Dizzy Gillespie

BD: My most thrilling moment was playing with Dizzy Gillespie! He was always one of my musical heroes. Playing the "Millennium Concert" with Billy Joel at MSG was a thrill. They recorded it as "The 2000 Years Concert."

VOICE: Do you have an agent? And how did you become associated with such great performers as mentioned in your bio?

BD: I just got a manager recently to help with my solo career. Most of the credits I have were a result of many years of persistence, word of mouth and mostly from God looking out for me.

VOICE: What's it like to be a "session player" as well as an arranger?

BD: I love playing in the studio! I love the challenge of not knowing what you'll be called upon to do. I also love helping people achieve their musical vision, whether it's playing or arranging.

VOICE: How and when did you meet Linda Eder?

BD: I met Jeremy at David Mann's wedding. Our wives were friends but we had never met, so we spoke of the possibility of me subbing at some point. A few months later I got the call. That's when I met Linda. I liked her immediately because she was down to earth… a rare trait in this business. A few months after that, I was asked to be part of the band.

VOICE: Do you have a favorite Linda song?

BD: I don't really have a favorite song, although I do like to listen to Linda sing standards.

VOICE: In your bio, you say that your Jingle/TV and Motion-picture credits are too numerous to mention. Would you indulge us with a few?

BD: My movie credits include THE MAMBO KINGS, THE MASK, TURNER AND HOOCH and BLADE. I did Jingles for Pizza Hut, Pringles, various Broadway shows, etc… I tend to forget them after I play. Usually you're in and out so quickly that it doesn't leave a lasting impression.

VOICE: Please tell us about your band and latest album.

Barry's latest CD

BD: My latest album is called COMMON GROUND. I guess it was a reflection of my search to find common ground between all the different types of music that I love. These days everything is so much about marketing; you can't make an eclectic CD. I basically tried to combine the groove elements of Funk and R&B with the harmonic and melodic sophistication of Jazz and still keep it accessible. That's why I put some Hip-Hop elements in so as to try to appeal to a younger audience that may not listen to Jazz. I also tried (and I'll do more on the next CD) to incorporate elements of West African and Middle-Eastern music. The band is made up of guys I've known and worked with for years. The Rhythm section is made up of mostly Funk and R&B players-guys who have played with Chaka Khan, D'Angelo, Anita Baker, Kool and the Gang, etc. Andy Ezrin, who has played with Linda, is on Keyboards. He is a masterful Jazz player but also knows R&B music. David Mann is playing Sax and my friend Ozzie Melendez is on 'bone helping me to "fire it up." It's a lot of fun to play and the band definitely "goes for the jugular!"

VOICE: Besides yourself, have you composed music for other artists?

BD: I've co-written some songs with David Mann, one for his CD, TOUCH, as well as one for Tower of Power. I also wrote, with two other friends, a song called "Change" that Tower recorded. I'm working on a few tunes for Guitarist Mike Campbell's upcoming CD. I'm also producing the tracks as well. I'm starting to get busy writing for my next CD.

VOICE: How did you become involved in teaching music?

BD: I got asked to give some clinics and that led to teaching. I am no longer teaching because my schedule is too busy and I had to cut something out to make time to breathe!

VOICE: We know you're very happy with your chosen career, but, if you weren't a musician, what do you think you would do?

BD: Interesting question. I've been practicing Martial Arts for over 20 years and there have been periods of time when I taught. However, I always wanted to study traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, herbs, massage, etc. There's something pure about healing people that appeals to my spirit, especially having been in an impure business for so long. I also, much to the chagrin of my bandmates, am very interested in theology, comparative religion, and spirituality… what people believe in and the inner workings of the human spirit or heart. With all of our technology, our society is spiritually malnourished and I believe that imbalance is at the heart of the "symptoms" we see in our society.

Visit Barry's Web site for information about his recording and touring schedule, and the latest news!

VOICE: What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

BD: My advice is if you don't absolutely love it, don't do it. Do it because in your heart you have no choice.

VOICE: Would you tell us about your family?

BD: I've been happily married for 18 years. My wife puts up with all the aspects of difficulty that go along with being with an artist. I have two daughters; Amani is 13 and Khadijah is 11 years old. They make all the struggles worth it. Kids have such pure hearts. If adults would take council from children, we could solve many problems quite easily.

VOICE: Besides music, what do you do for fun?

BD: For fun… not much time for that anymore but I still love Martial Arts. I also practice Yoga fairly regularly and I'm about to start learning Chi-Kung, which is an internal Martial Art for developing healing power. And, I read a lot. I've been learning Arabic for a year so I can read some of the early Sufi texts in the their original language. I love being a student! When we stop learning, we're doomed!