Daniel Ward

Artist Information

Biography

Daniel Ward has been an active part of the music industry for over 20 years. He holds a performance degree in classical guitar from the University of New Mexico, and is trained in jazz, flamenco, and most world music. His performance experience with dancers includes national tours with Pablo Rodarte and Eva Encinias, work with Maria Benitez, and most recently, the powerful stage productions "Cabaret Ole" and Fuego Flamenco.

Daniel has also been performing jazz and all types of pop music since 1985. His experience includes the Telluride jazz celebration (with world beat group "Caribe"), national and international corporate entertainment with Celebrity Enterprises, extensive work with local groups and the New Mexico Jazz Workshop, and toured the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia/NZ as a member of Ottmar Liebert's group "Luna Negra" between 1997 and 2000.

Daniel is as comfortable being a soloist as he is playing within a group, and has wide recording experience as well. His guitar work can be heard on many soundtracks, commercials and CDs, including Robbie Robertson's TNT special and CD. Television appearances include a special for the BRAVO! channel with Ottmar Liebert, Sessions on west 54th ST in New York, and the San Remo Music Festival in Italy, to name a few.

When he is not traveling, Daniel spends time performing and recording with local artists, writing music for PBS television in NM, and is currently offering his new CD "After the Storm".
He also played with the Santa Fe Opera orchestra in the 2005 season as the flamenco guitarist for their debut of Osvaldo Golijov's Opera "Ainadamar".

The current Band and music are the result of serious planning for years, and is an effortless mix of world influences, great songs, and years of pro touring experience within every member.

Instrumentation

This group can be booked as the full 5 or 6 members, but also works well as a quartet, trio (guitar, violin or bass, percussion), or as a power Duo (guitar and percussion).
The Duo can also be booked for pro, college and high school level instructive workshops and lecture demonstrations on flamenco and world fusion crossover and hybrid techniques for guitarists and/or percussionists.

Daniel Ward- Flamenco and Electric Guitars
John Bartlit - Cajon, Dumbeck,Tamborine, percussion, drumset
Milo Jaramillo/Justin Bransford- Bass
Matthew Vaughn- Violin
Steve Figueroa-Keyboards
John Truitt- winds and guitar

Discography

Daniel Ward - "After the Storm"

On others CDs:
-Robbie Robertson on the song "ghost dance"
-Jadoo "prarie fire" effigy records
-Jon Gagan "transit 2"
-Composer of the Soundtrack for the TV emmy winning "Route 66 in NM"
-As member of Caribe "El Indio" (Telluride jazz festival)
-As a member of Skumbaag "music is the enemy"
...and many more

Official Website

http://danielward.net

Audio

• Istanbul
  Listen   Download
• Rio Tango
  Listen   Download
• After the Storm
  Listen   Download
• Awakening
  Listen   Download
• Chance Would Have It
  Listen   Download
• Reverence
  Listen   Download

Video

Daniel Ward Duo in Concert

Photo Gallery

Press

• After the Storm CD review by Rob Silverstien [+ Show ]
  

  Daniel Ward After the Storm (DWM) Review by Robert Silverstein-20th Century Guitar Magazine Augus...Daniel Ward
  After the Storm
  (DWM)
  Review by Robert Silverstein-20th Century Guitar Magazine August 2006 issue
  
  Having studied classical and flamenco-and later touring with Nuevo flamenco icon Ottmar Liebert between ’97 and 2000-New Mexico guitarist Daniel Ward stakes out his own musical territory with the 2006 CD release of After The Storm. Much like the scenery around the Santa Fe / Sedona area of the southwest, Daniel Ward’s guitar music is both pastoral and harmonically satisfying. Demonstrating impeccable technique and a knack for composing Nuevo flamenco, World beat jazz and soft samba sounds, Ward excels on nylon string guitar, electric guitar, bass, percussion, and keyboards while receiving support from percussionist John Bartlit, and a number of side players. www.danielward.net
  

• Centerstage interview [+ Show ]
  

  Center Stage questions TCG: Tell us something about your musical background and how long you’ve...Center Stage questions
  
  TCG: Tell us something about your musical background and how long
  you’ve been playing guitar.
  
  I’ve been playing since 9th grade, but got serious in college, so that makes 27 years now total. I ended up getting a degree in classical guitar performance from Michael Chapdelaine at the University of New Mexico, and a minor in composition. While there, I played in the percussion and early music ensembles, and accompanied for the flamenco and modern dance programs as well. At night, I played in jazz and world beat bands in the clubs, and eventually did the Telluride Jazz festival with the world music band “Caribe”.
  
  The flamenco and the electric guitars took over more and more after college, and I started to play for dancers and tour as well with Maria Benitez, Eva Encinias, Pablo Rodarte, and others, while studying guitar with Chuscales, John Truitt, and Eric Patterson. I studied jazz guitar with Lewis Winn for years as well. Later on I toured with Ottmar Liebert from 1997-2000.
  
  I guess you could say that I have turned into a “crossover” or hybrid player-
  
  
  TCG: Tell us about your new CD, (for example) the name of it, when and
  where it was recorded, some information on the way the album was
  recorded and how it reflects your overall musicianship and guitar
  style.
  
  The name of the CD is “After the Storm”. We started it in late 2004, and finished mastering in October of 2005. I tracked and mixed all the parts at EME studio in Cedar Crest NM, and mastered in two studios in Santa Fe- Stepbridge, and Rancho Digital. The EME studio is my studio that I use to do background music for PBS here in NM, commercial spots, and other projects. It was the first time I have done a CD of my own music, so we took a different approach, and really spent some time with arrangement, textures, and groove, and listened back for weeks sometimes before making important decisions. John and I started to joke that we were getting as bad as Donald Fagan and Walter Becker with some of our obsession with detail. An automated mix helped to shape the project a little at a time without going backwards.
  John Bartlit and I have worked for years together, and the songs work as a duo with just the two of us as well, so we took what was already working, and added dimension to it. All the other players are the cream of the crop in the Southwest, and great friends as well. Scott Jarrett (Instructor at Music Tech in Minneapolis and brother of Keith Jarrett) was also a huge help in shaping the sound of the CD- He flew out and helped create the delicate balance that keeps the CD both acoustic and electrically layered. We also went on a huge culinary tour of New Mexico with Scott. This helped the mix immensely. Andy Click is a very talented young engineer in Santa Fe who did a phenomenal job on the mastering, so thanx to him too.
  
  I focused on making the songs the center of all the music choices this time. With instrumental music, people will get tired quickly of notes unless the content holds their attention- I hope I did that with this CD.
  
  
  TCG: Tell us something about your favorite electric guitars and/or
  acoustic guitars and the guitars featured on your latest album, adding
  in something about your guitar set ups, amps, strings and pedals.
  
  I play Michael Thames Classical and Flamenco Guitars- He is simply one of the very best luthiers in the world, and a good friend. www.thamesguitars.com . They are balanced, great sounding loud guitars with action like a sports car…Can’t say enough. I use the D’Addario hard tension Composites on my nylon guitars.
  
  On the CD I used my other two favorite guitars as well- My Tom Anderson Hollow Classic- The surf green hollow strat that was actually their 1999 NAMM show guitar, and my 1965 Gibson 335 tobacco sunburst. Two very nice guitars.
  
  For the recording, I used a 1957 Ampeg rocket, and the old Ibanez tube screamer (ah). I also sampled some of my own guitar swells and played them back from a keyboard as pads for chord support, mixed with real guitar swells for texture.
  
  
  TCG: Can you mention some of your musical influences, favorite
  guitarists and most influential albums?
  
  Wow- Influences. I’ll list some artists, and also some things that have changed my musical awareness- The first things that come to mind randomly…
  Weather Report, Peter Gabriel, Miles Davis, all of Flamenco from Traditional to Modern, Joni Mitchel, Jaco Pastorius, Living in Europe, Travel, Cuban, African, Caribbean music. Reggae music, Earth Wind and Fire, Yes, John Cage, Great Food from all parts of the globe.
  
  
  Guitarists I like in no particular order, and for lots of different reasons- (and I will think of more after this prints of course)- Pat Metheny, Vicente Amigo, Alan Holdsworth, Manolo Sanlucar, Steve Morse, John Scofield, Jeff Beck, Paco de Lucia, Steve Vai, Santana, Van Halen
  
  Some favorite albums (once again, chosen randomly)
  
  Kind of Blue (miles), Black Market (weather report), Close to the Edge (yes),
  Metal Fatigue (alan holdsworth), all of Stevie Wonder, Offramp (Pat Metheny)
  Just to name a few…
  
  TCG: Can you tell us your web site and email contact info?
  
  
  www.danielward.net
  
  
  Thanx TC Guitar!!!
  

• Winner Best song Global Rhythm Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  "ISTANBUL" was chosen as best song from Daniel Ward's "After the Storm" CD in Global Rhythm Magazine..."ISTANBUL" was chosen as best song from Daniel Ward's "After the Storm" CD in Global Rhythm Magazine's March 2007 song contest. This issue features the Cheiftans- The song has been be added to a comp CD along with tracks from the Cheiftans, Gilberto Gil, King Sunny Ade, and other artists that is mailed to all Global Rhythm Magazine subscribers.

• Daniel Ward plays the Sedona Jam Emerging Artists' Music Festival [+ Show ]
  

  Daniel Ward was chosen to perform along with 20+ other artists at the Sedona Jam Emerging Artists' M...Daniel Ward was chosen to perform along with 20+ other artists at the Sedona Jam Emerging Artists' Music Festival February 9th and 10th 2007 in Sedona AZ.
  
  The performance was refered to as "something very unique and special" by festival administrators, and was a favorite among festival goers.

• Daniel Ward CD review by Jack clift [+ Show ]
  

  Review by Jack Clift (effigy records) Daniel (Ward) came to us and played on a track for the rece...Review by Jack Clift (effigy records)
  
  Daniel (Ward) came to us and played on a track for the recently released CD by Jadoo “Prairie Fire”. His playing deeply impressed me, and when I went home to listen to his CD “After the Storm”, I was blown away by the music. The playing is great, but the songs are really good, and manage to fuse several world styles in a clever and very listenable way. The wonderful balance in the recording of acoustic and electric instruments is no easy feat, and the overall sonic quality is up there with the best. Bravo…
  

• Pitch Perfect [+ Show ]
  

  CD review: Daniel Ward, After the Storm (Self-released) Rating: 4.5 out of 5 geetars He’s trai...CD review: Daniel Ward, After the Storm (Self-released)
  
  Rating: 4.5 out of 5 geetars
  
  He’s trained in jazz, Flamenco and a variety of world music styles, and he’s been performing for more than 20 years. Cedar Crest, NM’s, Daniel Ward has worked not only with Flamenco artists such as Pablo Rodarte and Eva Encinias, his playing can also be heard on various soundtracks, television specials, commercials and CDs.
  Not surprising then that his recent release, After the Storm, sounds as expert and professional as it does. Quality, no matter what the genre, is obvious when it’s dished out in such a huge quantity as this. Whether he’s fingering strictly Flamenco, Spanish, Native American, jazz or other, the guitar is seamless - full of power when it needs to stand out and gentle when it wants to voice feeling. Ward is a musician who makes love to his instrument and the connection between him and the strings is undeniable. He is the reason nylon strings were invented.
  
  Pitchperfectreviews.com
  

• Review of Concert and Workshop [+ Show ]
  

  ================= Dear Daniel, I just wanted to take the time to let you know just how appreciat...=================
  Dear Daniel,
  
  I just wanted to take the time to let you know just how appreciated your
  presence was at Glendale College this past semester. The
  combination of flamenco workshop, ensemble collaborations, and performances
  inspired everyone who took part, whether as a player or an audience member.
  As the instructor and coordinating host, let me just thank you for being not
  only an excellent presenter and teacher, but an astounding musician and
  gracious guest artist. The information you conveyed in the workshop was
  perfect for the variety of levels that were attending.
  
  Your explanation and instruction on the rudiments of flamenco was very
  methodically organized with a logical progression. The students enjoyed that
  you covered not only rasgueado, but alzapua, tremelo, arpeggio, and picado.
  I particularly enjoyed your breakdown and delivery of Sevillanas. It really
  seemed as though the class was ready to accompany dancers by the end. Let me
  also say that the addition of John Bartlit on percussion brought a depth to
  the material and enriched the experience for the guitarists in the workshop.
  If only we could all learn this way form the beginning!
  
  Thank you so much for enriching our program, we will feed off of the
  information in the coming year. We hope you will be our guest again in the
  future, we would gladly welcome any opportunity. Your duo concert was amazing. As inspiring and sonically impressive as your CD is it was a real treat for us to see you in person.
  I wish you the best of luck.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Chuck Hulihan
  Director of Guitar Programs
  Glendale College
  6000 W. Olive Avenue
  Glendale AZ 85302
  office: 623.845.3715
  email: charles.hulihan@gcmail.maricopa.edu
  http://www.duozona.com
  http://www.myspace.com/duozona
  =================================
  

• Review by World Rhythm Webzine [+ Show ]
  

  Daniel Ward"After the Storm"http://www.danielward.net/ Daniel Ward's music features Flamenco-styled...Daniel Ward"After the Storm"http://www.danielward.net/
  Daniel Ward's music features Flamenco-styled guitar playing front and center. His over 20 years of professional music-making has led him to the Telluride jazz celebration (with world beat group "Caribe"), national and international corporate entertainment with Celebrity Enterprises, extensive work with local groups and the New Mexico Jazz Workshop, and touring the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia/NZ as a member of Ottmar Liebert's group "Luna Negra" between 1997 and 2000. "After the Storm" is his 1st album under his own name. The instrumental affair is supported by John Bartlit - Cajon, Dumbeck, Tamborine, percussion, drumset, Milo Jaramillo and Justin Bransford - Bass, Matthew Vaughn - Violin, Steve Figueroa - Keyboards, John Truitt- winds and guitar. Songs like "Istanbul" naturally reflect a Mid-Eastern sound and vibe while the Flamenco guitar keeps the roots in Spain. "Rio Tango" show the flow of Spanish influence to the New World via the Tango. The title track, "After the Storm" conjures up a more Native American tempo and feel especially with the woodwind instruments. Perhaps this is reflective of Daniel's experiences living in New Mexico. Daniel Ward also performs his music at workshops on pro, college and high school levels either with his group, or as a duo, even solo. He has a degree in classical guitar from the University of New Mexico. His dedication and appreciation of music is most certainly reflected on this recording.
  

• After the Storm hits top 2500 on Atlantic-Satellite.com [+ Show ]
  

  Daniel Ward's "After the Storm" charted with 5 songs EVERY MONTH in the top 2500 downloads on the wo...Daniel Ward's "After the Storm" charted with 5 songs EVERY MONTH in the top 2500 downloads on the worldwide service "Atlantic-satellite.com" from February of 2006- February 2007
  
  Songs were loaded as EMS and this service is tracked by major labels.

Setlist

Almost all of the Material is our own from the CD and new stuff, mixed with some traditional Flamenco that is turned upside down, and some really messed up jazz and other standards put to different rhythms and different harmonies.

Standard 45-60 min sets or what ever is required for the event... Can do several sets no problem.

Basic Requirements

Calendar