Danny Greenspoon
Encyclopedia
Danny Greenspoon is a music producer, music engineer
, guitar player
and film composer mainly in the Canadian music industry. Greenspoon is also the President of "The Audio Truck Inc.", a mobile recording studio recording materials for television, radio, and record. From 1989 to 1996, he was Popular Music recording producer for CBC Radio
in Toronto
producing recordings of jazz
, popular music
, folk music
, country music
and world music
, for broadcast and commercial release.
During the early part of his career, Greenspoon was a performer primarily on the acoustic music scene, and later became a guitarist for many prominent Canadian acts, such as Murray McLauchlan, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Sylvia Tyson and The Great Speckled Bird, and was also a member of the quirky mid 80's act, The Romaniacs. Greenspoon also played guitar for the entire 5 season run of the CBC Radio show Swinging On A Star hosted by Murray McLauchlan.
Greenspoon has produced over 50 albums mainly in Canada for Great Big Sea
, Spirit of the West
, Jane Bunnett
, Ian Tyson
, Joel Kroeker
, Susan Crowe
, The Paperboys
, The Barra MacNeils, The Good Brothers
and Victoria Williams
.
Most notable productions with certified platinum sales were:
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, guitar player
Guitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
and film composer mainly in the Canadian music industry. Greenspoon is also the President of "The Audio Truck Inc.", a mobile recording studio recording materials for television, radio, and record. From 1989 to 1996, he was Popular Music recording producer for CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
producing recordings of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, for broadcast and commercial release.
During the early part of his career, Greenspoon was a performer primarily on the acoustic music scene, and later became a guitarist for many prominent Canadian acts, such as Murray McLauchlan, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Sylvia Tyson and The Great Speckled Bird, and was also a member of the quirky mid 80's act, The Romaniacs. Greenspoon also played guitar for the entire 5 season run of the CBC Radio show Swinging On A Star hosted by Murray McLauchlan.
Greenspoon has produced over 50 albums mainly in Canada for Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea is a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage...
, Spirit of the West
Spirit of the West
Spirit of the West are a Canadian folk rock band, who were popular on the Canadian folk music scene in the 1980s before evolving a blend of hard rock, Britpop, and Celtic folk influences which made them one of Canada's most successful alternative rock acts in the 1990s.-Early years:The band began...
, Jane Bunnett
Jane Bunnett
Jane Bunnett is a Canadian soprano saxophonist, flutist and bandleader known for her Afro-Cuban jazz melodies.In 2004, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada...
, Ian Tyson
Ian Tyson
Ian Tyson CM, AOE is a Canadian singer-songwriter, best known for his song "Four Strong Winds". He was also one half of the duo Ian & Sylvia.-Career:Tyson was born to British immigrants in Victoria in 1933, and grew up in Duncan B.C...
, Joel Kroeker
Joel Kroeker
Joel Kroeker is Winnipeg-born, Vancouver-based Canadian singer/songwriter of Mennonite heritage. He is signed to the True North Records music label....
, Susan Crowe
Susan Crowe
Susan Crowe is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She lived for many years in Toronto and Vancouver but now has returned to her birthplace Halifax....
, The Paperboys
The Paperboys
The Paperboys are a Canadian folk music band from Vancouver that formed in 1991. The Paperboys blend Celtic folk with bluegrass, Mexican, Eastern European, African, zydeco, soul and country influences...
, The Barra MacNeils, The Good Brothers
The Good Brothers
The Good Brothers are a Canadian country, bluegrass and folk music group originating from Richmond Hill, Ontario. The band's core members are Brian Good , his twin brother Bruce Good and younger brother Larry Good ....
and Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams is an American singer-songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. She is noted for her descriptive songwriting talent, which she has used to immerse the listener of her songs into a...
.
Most notable productions with certified platinum sales were:
- Quadruple Platinum sales for Great Big Sea album PlayPlay (Great Big Sea album)-Track listing:#"Ordinary Day" 3:09#"When I'm Up " 3:24#"The Night Pat Murphy Died" 3:02...
- Triple Platinum sales for Great Big Sea album UpUp (Great Big Sea album)Up is an album by Great Big Sea released in September 1995. With at least 100,000 sold in Canada, it is certified 4x platinum in the country.-Track listing:#"Run Runaway" 2:51#"Goin' Up" 3:12...
- Platinum sales for Spirit of the West album Save This House
Nominations / Awards
- Received Gemini AwardGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
for Best Original Music Score for the documentary My Grandparents Had A Hotel (1991). - Received Gemini AwardGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
for Best Sound In a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program The Gospel Challenge (2007) - Albums produced by Danny Greenspoon have been noiminated 16 times for Juno nominations winning 5 Juno Awards.
- Albums produced by him have also won six East Coast Music Awards including:
- Album of the Year for Great Big Sea (1998)
- Single of the Year for Great Big Sea (1998)
- Album of The Year for Bruce Guthro (2002)
- Nominated as Producer of the Year in Maple Blues Awards (2002)
- Nominated as Jazz Producer of the Year at the National Jazz Awards (twice, 2004 and 2005)