Dan Patlansky

What Dan Patlansky can do with a six-string Fender Stratocaster at the age of 26, most critically acclaimed guitarists will never quite achieve in a lifetime.

In only ten years on the music scene, Dan Patlansky is one of the busiest and most respected blues artists to ever come out of South Africa. Constant touring as a teenager, won Dan the hearts of even the most hardened blues critics. In the winter of 2001, Standing at the Station was released, being a completely independent album, many were surprised at its amazing success.

After receiving word that Readers Choice had voted him Best Blues Guitarist in Southern Africa, it was time for a second release. True Blues was produced and released by EMI on the famed Blue Note label in 2004. Dan is one of the only South Africans to ever achieve Blue Note status.

In February 2005 and again in July 2006, Selwyn Miller, New Orleans based manager of David Gates and Bread, Randy Crawford, and Petula Clark amongst others, brought Dan to New Orleans to showcase this amazing talent. In his time living in the city of the Blues, Patlansky performed at legendry venues (Maple Leaf, Rock & Bowl and Checkpoint Charlie) with many Blues giants such as Henry Gray (Howlin Wolfs Pianist), Snooks Eaglin, The Batiste Family, Rockin Dopsie Jr and many more. Whilst abroad, Dan performed live on both television and WWOZ radio.

What this South African boy achieved in a few months, and the following he built up, many thought would have taken years. Touring was cut short due to Hurricane Katrina and he was deprived of the opportunity to play with legendary and world renowned slide guitarist, Sonny Landreth, which performance was scheduled to take place a week after Dan and Selwyn were forced to evacuate New Orleans.

Patlansky moved back to his home country leaving a lot of equipment behind. Dan is still in contact with Grammy award winning producer, David Z, with whom he spent two days writing and arranging on his first trip to New Orleans.

Fender recognised Dans fiery playing and offered him an endorsement deal to promote Fender Guitars and amps. Dan is one of only six Fender endorsed guitarists in South Africa.

Dan has played, and more often than not headlined every major venue and music festival in the South Africa eg Oppikoppi, Aardklop (with Arno Carstens guitarist Albert Frost), The Durban International Blues Festival (where he performed with veteran New York blues guitarist, Phillip Walker and Pat Savage), The North Sea Jazz Festival (CT), Southern Cross, the Walking the Blues Concert, White Mountain Festival, Up the Creek Festival, Cape Town Blues Summit, Splashy Fen, The Catalina Theatre (Durban) and the Sand du Plessis Theatre in Bloemfontein, BMW Pavilion, Green Dolphin, Die Boer (CT), Blues Room and Tanz Caf™ (Jhb) and many more. Dan continues to extensively tour small towns to big cities. Europe, UK and Australia are on the cards for 2008/2009.

In 2004 Dan was invited to perform at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Concert, headlined by Earl Klugh and Lee Ritenoir, but had to decline due to prior tour commitments.

At the One World Music Festival (Durban) in 2005 he performed with the renowned New Orleans Batiste family band and shared the stage with the likes of Bob Marleys son Julian Marley, and past American Idols winner Ruben Studdard. The concert was attended by the President of Parliament of the State of Louisiana. He was so blown away by Patlanskys performance that he promised him the freedom of New Orleans when next he was there. Unfortunately Hurricane Katrina deprived Dan of this honour.

In 2005 Dan performed in Dubai at the annual Coca Cola Company celebration, along with UB40 and Shaggy.

In 2006 Dan Patlansky performed with his New Orleans band at the Cape Town International Jazz Fest sharing top billing with Jose Feliciano, Miriam Makeba, Lou Vega and Freddie Coleman.

Dan collaborated with top R&B artist RJ Benjamin on one of the tracks of RJs recently released and highly acclaimed album Swimming in the soul of music, one critic stating that the collaboration took the album to another level.

Dan was one of the headline acts with Hugh Masakela and Freshlyground at the newly established international Bushfire Concert in Swaziland in 2007. Similarly he performed at the first Johannesburg Guitar Festival with the likes of Greg Georgiades, Jethro Butow, the headline acts being Dan, followed by Mauritz Lotz.

Earlier this year Dan played at the Old Mutual Jazz and Blues Roots concert at Emmerentia Botanical Gardens, with international artist Michelle Shocked and Dan, as the two headline and concluding acts.

Dan has recently returned from Mozambique where he headlined the annual STRAB (Subterranean Rhythm and Blues) Festival. His performance was voted best by far in voting polls. Shortly thereafter, he headlined the Tribute to Jimi Hendrix show at Caf™ Barcelona in Pretoria, which included performances by, amongst others, Jan Blohm, Albert Frost and Mel Botes.

Dan has also been approached by Danny K to collaborate with him on a song to be recorded by top South African performers in the fight against crime.

Dan over the years, has shared the stage many times with legendry blues artists and guitarists such as Larry Amos, Julian Laxton, Steve Fataar (ex Beach Boys / Flames), Cedric Sampson, Valiant Swart, The Late big voice Jack (who performed with Mango Groove and the Dave Mathews Band) and Alistair Coakley. Dan recently performed at The Catalina Theatre in Durban with Vicki Sampson.

Dan has been played and/or play listed by many South African DJs and stations such as 5FM, East Coast radio, SAFM Radio 2000, O FM, Bush Radio, countless student stations and Radio To-day (Benjy Mudie, Rafe Levine, Phil Wright, Chris Prior, David Blood, Leon Economedes).

This young blues guitarist has now released his third album Real which showcases his song-writing abilities using an earthy live blues sound with his own take on it. Real has attracted great reviews and articles in most acclaimed magazines.

His album Real is played in Australia on 101 FM and in America on WWOZ FM New Orleans on which Dan played live and on which he has been play listed since 2005.

Real and Patlansky received a brilliant review in the May / June 2008 edition (Issue 43) of top Blues Magazine, Blues Matters!, which circulates throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia. Out of approximately 150 CD Reviews of Albums by UK, European, Canadian, Australian and American artists, accredited critic, Merv Osborne had this, amongst other things, to say about Real and Patlansky:

I dont think Im going to hear a better album all year. ..... Its gonna have to be a truly superb CD to better this one (full text on Dans web site).

Real is also about to be reviewed by top UK music journalist Rhys Williams for intended publication in other UK magazines and some top American Blues Magazines. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.