Danny Strimer
Updated: Nov 21, 2021
Danny's career as a professional musician began at age 15 as a guitarist in West Virginia R&B clubs, backing the likes of The Drifters, Spyder Turner, and Dee Clark. He was lead guitarist, background vocalist, and MC in Brenda Lee’s band, The Casuals. Graduating cum laude from NYU's Steinhardt School (Music/Recording Technology), Danny worked in NYC as an actor under directors Gerald Freedman in GONE WITH HARDY and Alex Dmitriev in Hugh Leonards's ALL THE NICE PEOPLE. He composed a musical score with Walker Steady for the Leon Felder Dance Company that was performed at Lincoln Center's Outdoor Salute to The Dance and other venues. Strimer has written and published songs with Cherry Lane Music and Leiber And Stoller. His Garth Brooks and Lena Arice Lucas co-write, CRAZY OLE MOON, was recorded by Farmer’s Daughter and Patti Page. He charted nationally on Billboard Country with Jill Jordan's cut of CALENDAR BLUES. A Nashville Musician's Association – Local 257 AFM member, he's releasing a new album, DANNY STRIMER - NEW LOVE SONGS - BOSSA NOVA & BEYOND, in 2020, co-written — with Alan Miller — which is original Bossa Nova infused, Great American Songbook inspired, guitar-driven, World-Beat, Jazz-Pop, romantic vocal music with timeless lyrics.
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?! If three words just aren't enough then tell us more!!
Timeless, heartfelt, groovin'
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else?) Tell us why.
Moving people's hearts with a performance. Completing a song I love.
Can you tell us what being in the recording studio is like for you?
The most important thing for me is to feel the life force in the song and do everything I can to sustain it and carry it through to the finish.
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
I have a passion for jogging, not too fast, so that I can hang out with my running buddies at our local coffee shop afterwards.
Who do you admire most in the music scene today and why?
I am loving the Brazilians these days for the sheer joy they bring to the music. I got to meet my hero Sergio Mendes a couple years ago. What an amazing musician and human. I could go on and on. Rosa Passos, Ivan Lins, Dori Caymmi, Bebel Gilberto, Romero Lubambo, Naoufal Montassere...it is the joy they all bring when they play.
Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it?
"Land of Dreams" - I had an assignment to write a lullaby for a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. When I got to watch the full production with Titania and a group of pirouetting, singing fairies around her, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the moment. There is just nothing like musical theater when it works and this Shakespeare production from Summerwind Productions works so well.
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
I am always recording song ideas on my phone. At this moment I am editing a video we shot for my latest single "It Gets Late Early These Days" and after that I will dig into the footage of a documentary about the making of my album New Love Songs | Bossa Nova & Beyond for release later this year. Content is king, right?
Tell us where fans can access your music.