Rick Danko: Pithy Words of Wisdom from The Dankster

Rick Danko

This site is all about Rick Danko, the charismatic bass and acoustic guitar player and one of the three lead singers for the legendary rock group, The Band. Rick's iconic plaintive tenor, his ethereal, one-of-a-kind harmonies and his loping, melodic, percussive bass playing were a large part of The Band's signature sound. Equally integral to The Band's mystique--and to their secure and enviable perch high atop the upper crust of rock and roll--was Rick's magnetic, larger-than-life persona--part innocent country boy, part wandering troubadour, part reluctant rock star.

Rick Danko was about music. He was about melody. He was about harmony. He was about authenticity. He was about vulnerability. Rick was--and always will be--the epitome of unadorned, unaffected, unparalleled cool.

I worked with Rick for many years. He was a dear friend and a major influence who "taught me how to seek the path." This site is part of a promise I made to him a long time ago. I hope you enjoy it.

Please note that all content on this site is copyright-protected. All articles, essays, and other written materials (c) Carol Caffin, unless otherwise noted. Do Not Reproduce.

This quote from Rick, which some of you may already be familiar with, appears in the current issue of the New Jersey-based rock rag, The Aquarian Weekly:

Back when The Band was doing their thing in Woodstock out at Big Pink, Rick Danko was once quoted as saying, "When people were stacking up Marshall amps and blowing out their ear drums, The Band was down in the basement at Big Pink trying to get a balance. It wasn’t about one person trying to blow the others away, it was about trying to play together and find an economical common ground.” Asbury Park’s own Montagna And The Mouth To Mouth carry on that ‘60s idealism while mixing their own eclectic brand of communication into the foundation.

The quote was included as an intro to a review of a new CD by the band Montagna and the Mouth to Mouth. I find it interesting--though not surprising--that, though Rick was never a so-called "spokesman" for The Band, he is so often quoted, not just by other musicians, but by members of the music media--the hip ones, anyway.

(Just as an aside, The Aquarian Weekly, for which I wrote a few short pieces many moons ago when it was in its second incarnation as East Coast Rocker, has always been a Danko-friendly publication. And for that, we gotta love it!)

If you'd like to see the full article, here's the link: http://www.theaquarian.com/2009/11/19/shoreworld-montagna-and-the-mouth-to-mouth—l’avenir.
(Photo above (c) Stephanie Chernikowski)