Dan Patlansky

Dan Patlansky is a South African blues and blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He builds his reputation on a strong live profile, extensive touring and an approach centred on electric guitar, particularly a Fender Stratocaster. He becomes known as one of the busiest blues artists to emerge from South Africa and spends much of his career performing across small towns, major cities, clubs and festivals.

Career

Patlansky starts performing live as a teenager and quickly develops a following among blues listeners. His independent debut album, Standing at the Station, appears in 2001 and finds unexpected success. After he is voted Best Blues Guitarist in Southern Africa in a readers’ poll, he releases a second album, True Blues, in 2004. That record is produced and issued by EMI on the Blue Note label, making him one of the few South African artists to achieve Blue Note status.

He later records Real, his third album, which is presented as a more earthy, live-sounding blues record and draws strong reviews. The album highlights his songwriting as well as his guitar work, and it receives airplay in South Africa, Australia and on WWOZ in New Orleans, where he has already been played since 2005.

New Orleans performances and collaborations

Patlansky travels to New Orleans in 2005 and again in 2006 after being brought there by manager Selwyn Miller. While based there, he performs at venues including Maple Leaf, Rock & Bowl and Checkpoint Charlie, sharing stages with blues musicians such as Henry Gray, Snooks Eaglin, the Batiste family and Rockin Dopsie Jr. He also appears on television and WWOZ radio. Touring there is interrupted by Hurricane Katrina, which forces him to leave the city and abandon equipment. During his first trip, he also works for two days with Grammy-winning producer David Z on writing and arranging material, and remains in contact with him afterwards. A planned performance with slide guitarist Sonny Landreth does not take place because of the evacuation.

He also collaborates with South African R&B artist RJ Benjamin on a track from Swimming in the Soul of Music. Other artists he shares stages with over the years include Larry Amos, Julian Laxton, Steve Fataar, Cedric Sampson, Valiant Swart, Jack, Alistair Coakley, Vicki Sampson, Albert Frost, Phillip Walker, Pat Savage, Jan Blohm and Mel Botes.

Festivals, venues and recognition

Patlansky performs at many major South African festivals and venues, often as a headliner. These include Oppikoppi, Aardklop, the Durban International Blues Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town, Southern Cross, Walking the Blues, White Mountain Festival, Up the Creek Festival, Cape Town Blues Summit, Splashy Fen, the Catalina Theatre in Durban, Sand du Plessis Theatre in Bloemfontein, BMW Pavilion, Green Dolphin, Die Boer, Blues Room and Tanz Café. He also appears at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz concert, the One World Music Festival in Durban, the Coca-Cola company celebration in Dubai, the Cape Town International Jazz Fest, the Bushfire Concert in Swaziland, the Johannesburg Guitar Festival, the Old Mutual Jazz and Blues Roots concert in Emmerentia Botanical Gardens, the STRAB Festival in Mozambique and a Jimi Hendrix tribute show in Pretoria.

His performance at STRAB is voted the best in audience polling. At the One World Music Festival he appears alongside Julian Marley and Ruben Studdard, and at the Cape Town International Jazz Fest he shares top billing with José Feliciano, Miriam Makeba, Lou Vega and Freddie Coleman. He is also invited to perform at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz concert but declines because of other touring commitments.

Endorsement and broadcasting

Fender recognises Patlansky’s playing and offers him an endorsement deal for Fender guitars and amplifiers. He is described as one of only six Fender-endorsed guitarists in South Africa. His music also receives support from South African radio, including 5FM, East Coast Radio, SAFM, Radio 2000, OFM, Bush Radio, student stations and Radio Today.