Danny Shafer One Morning Independent 3.5 out of 5 stars
With some of the most genuine sincerity in today’s local scene, a voice way older than he is, and a smooth presentation and style, Danny Shafer is truly the epitome of a modern troubador — he may never end up as a household name, but Shafer’s not gunning for that. He’s content with entertaining a few folks at a time, and he does that more than 100 nights a year.
This latest release from the Boulder boy, One Morning, gives hearty nods to Shafer’s influences, including, of course, John Prine, whom he mentions in the opening track. But while embracing his heroes and contemporaries, Shafer also blazes his own path. A staple in the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival scene, Shafer has had the opportunity to play among, and be instructed by some of his biggest influences over the years, and the education has paid itself off one hundred fold.
Shafer is seasoned enough to avoid the pitfalls of singer/songwriters, but original and skilled enough to take chances which, most of the time, pay great dividends.
One of the greatest treats of Shafer’s playing, however, is his quick little fills between chords, some done subtly enough that even an intent lisener might lose it amongst the backdrop of a song. That skill, coupled with his songwriting prowess, delivers a powerful CD with One Morning.
