Danna Aliano

By Steven P. Wheeler

The times that a club performance is so electrifing and magical that I'm totally speechless are pretty much non-existent.

However, it recently happened to me when I was treated to the passionate power of Chain of Blues and the band's charismatic vocalist Danna Aliano.

Since their stirring show at the Palomino in July, I have been babbling like an idiot to everybody in the industry who would listen. In short Danna Aliano has the letters "S-T-A-R" written all over her tiny, energetic body.

Located in the Bay Area, Aliano and her band (co-writer Art Thompson, guitar; John Gay, bass; Scott Smith, drums; Andy Widders-Ellis, guitar) secured a European record deal and twice toured Scandinavia.

However, here in America, especially in L.A., they are completely unknown as far as the indusrty is concerned. Yet, that can't last for very long. Aliano's gusty, in your face vocals echo the ballsy integrity of Janis Joplin, and she makes her contemporaries like Melissa Etheridge and Sass Jordan sound like school girls. Throw in some Steven Tyler-like aerobic onstage antics, and you've got Danna Aliano!

The songs are finely written and perfectly reflect the persona of the band and its leader. "This Child" is a boiling, simmering rock at its best with a blistering vocal that reveals a woman's cry for independence.

Elsewhere, the songs grab the listener by the ears and give you a glimpse into one person's soul, like the brilliant tale of self-discovery on "Long Way Down" and the epic "One Love", which perfectly details the struggles of relationships:"I've been walking a long time on my darkest side/Never trusting anyone who said come spend the night/When I thought love betrayed me, you were right before my eyes."

Others, like the blues ballad "Troubled Mind", are refreshing both lyrically and musically, and when Aliano sings: "Started out together/Two people moving separately/Wanting love to conquer/But all it conquered was me", you can't help but feel the pain and angst of its storyteller. That's what puts Chain of Blues above the rest of the pack: They bring a personal reality to their material.

While the songs are top-notch commercially, they also possess an honesty that the band puts across onstage with a frightening intensity. You get the feeling that Aliano's performance is nothing less than a total cathartic experience. This is a must see for all A&R reps and rock fans. - Music Connection Magazine, Los Angeles, CA