Big man Danny B does his crunching thing on the harmonica and vocals with chugging beat anchored by Doug Riley on piano and organ, plus guitarist Bernie Labarge, bass Phil Woodward, and drummer Pentti Glan.

The leader, born Danny Balaka, is a Toronto fixture; he roams the blues waterfront with covers of big songs, jump blues, and four originals – “I Like,” “Danny’s Boogie,” the excellent “When You Live With The Lame, You Learn To Limp,” and “It’s About Time.” The sound’s strong and clean, and the no-frills, straight-ahead approach is just right from the Sarnia born veteran. You’ll feel at home whatever he does, and with seasoned sideman, he kicks serious butt.

“The Danny B Blues Band – Much Too Late”
Geoff Chapman, The Toronto Star

I recently traveled down to the Reservoir Lounge to sample the sweet sounds of Danny B, who has been performing for over twenty-five years. The man functions as a conduit, summoning the souls of such artists as Louie Armstrong, Louie Prima and Louie Jordan.

Danny B performs an eclectic mix of music consisting of the blues, swing and jazz with a side dish of Honky Tonk. The music was impeccable and Danny B sports an old blues mans voice, rich with substance and range. The crowd, which included guitarists Jeff Healy, applauded with appreciation for the experience.

In an industry saturated with bubble gum boys and girls bands, Danny B is something special. The music may be well traveled, but it's message and meaning is as contemporary as it's legacy; the blues and Jazz gave birth to rock and roll, hip-hop, rap and popular music.

The Danny B. Blues Band has released a CD entitled "Much Too Late". It is comprised of six original tunes and eight renditions of classic blues songs. Band member Doug Riley produced the album; other members include guitarists Bernie LaBarge and Phil Woodard.

The album was engineered by Grammy award winning Phil Sheridan, known for his work with such great artists as Oscar Peterson and The Boss Brass.

DANNY B. DELIVERS THE BLUES
By Aaron Weiss – www.heartandfire.com