Dana (wearing cap & playing guitar) as the featured artist at a Songwriter Showcase at Jazz Central, Syracuse, New York, 6/19/08. That's Joe Cleveland on banjo and John Dancks on acoustic upright bass. Photo by Larry Hoyt.
Dana "Short Order" Cooke is one of the very best singer/songwriters anywhwere.
I compare Dana's best songs with the best songs of such well-known singer/songwriters as Loudon Wainwright III, Christine Lavin, and Richard Shindell.
I compare Dana's best songs with the best songs of such well-known singer/songwriters as Loudon Wainwright III, Christine Lavin, and Richard Shindell.
Among knowledgable fans of folk and acoustic music here in Central New York, Dana is widely acknowledged as one of the very best singer/songwriters, based primarily on his extraordinary original songs that can be found on his three CDs ("Wildman," "County Fair," and "Snowball's Chance"), plus a few old and new demos that can be found on Dana's impressive website
http://www.danacooke.com/
But Dana's well-earned local reputation seems to have traveled not far beyond Central New York State.
There is an obvious reason for this -- Dana (as far as I know) has never toured.
He has never signed on to play the game of the touring singer/songwriter, traveling from gig to gig, often living out of his car, competing with other talented singer/songwriters for those coveted showcase slots at Folk Alliance conferences.
Instead, Dana has opted for something much closer to a "normal" life, with a wife, two kids, and a rather normal upper-middle-class job that allows him and his family to lead comfortable, connected upper-middle-class lives.
But maybe because of his lifestyle choice, Dana actually has the inside track when it comes to writing brilliant songs about what goes on in the everyday lives of normal people -- their loves ("The Way You Look"), their struggles and frustrations ("My Father's Bald"), their joys ("Kiss for Daddy"), and their sometimes oddball cultural pursuits ("The Demo Derby").
Dana has also written about the level of suffering he has not yet endured to be a truly successful artist ("Artist's Heart") and his relative lack of fame ("Famous").
One of my goals in writing these blogs is to spread far and wide the good news that there are many incredibly talented folks, such as Dana, living and working in the art and music scenes here in Central New York.
http://www.danacooke.com/
But Dana's well-earned local reputation seems to have traveled not far beyond Central New York State.
There is an obvious reason for this -- Dana (as far as I know) has never toured.
He has never signed on to play the game of the touring singer/songwriter, traveling from gig to gig, often living out of his car, competing with other talented singer/songwriters for those coveted showcase slots at Folk Alliance conferences.
Instead, Dana has opted for something much closer to a "normal" life, with a wife, two kids, and a rather normal upper-middle-class job that allows him and his family to lead comfortable, connected upper-middle-class lives.
But maybe because of his lifestyle choice, Dana actually has the inside track when it comes to writing brilliant songs about what goes on in the everyday lives of normal people -- their loves ("The Way You Look"), their struggles and frustrations ("My Father's Bald"), their joys ("Kiss for Daddy"), and their sometimes oddball cultural pursuits ("The Demo Derby").
Dana has also written about the level of suffering he has not yet endured to be a truly successful artist ("Artist's Heart") and his relative lack of fame ("Famous").
One of my goals in writing these blogs is to spread far and wide the good news that there are many incredibly talented folks, such as Dana, living and working in the art and music scenes here in Central New York.
Hopefully, someday soon, the rest of the world will pick up on that fact, and then flock to Syracuse ("The Entertainment Capital of Upstate New York"), where they can regularly see and hear such wonderfully talented acts as John Cadley and the Lost Boys, Loren Barrigar, Gary Frenay & Arty Lenin, Karen Savoca & Pete Heitzman, Nancy Kelly, Ronnie Leigh, Isreal Hagan, and so many many more.
And once in a great while, maybe folks will also be able to see and hear Dana "Short Order" Cooke perform live, although lately Dana has been saying that he's ready to retire from performing all together.
He has no use for the pressures of show biz!
He'll become the J.D. Salinger of folk and acoustic music, living a simple, quite life in the suburbs, with his songs only being heard now and again on Common Threads, the folk and acoustic radio show on WAER-FM (88.3, Sundays from 12 noon to 3 pm; http://www.waer.org/) -- a show that is proud to feature Dana's best songs on a regular basis.
I have a feeling I'm going to be writing more about Dana "Short Order" Cooke and his music in the future. That's one of the nice things about blogging -- I can edit this piece, add to it, or do a whole 'nother piece on Dana without having to consult with an editor or publisher! Lucky me!
But for now, all I can suggest is that you check out Dana's website, and via his website, maybe send him an e-mail, suggesting that he keep performing live... I mean, how else will he ever suffer enough to become truly famous?
And once in a great while, maybe folks will also be able to see and hear Dana "Short Order" Cooke perform live, although lately Dana has been saying that he's ready to retire from performing all together.
He has no use for the pressures of show biz!
He'll become the J.D. Salinger of folk and acoustic music, living a simple, quite life in the suburbs, with his songs only being heard now and again on Common Threads, the folk and acoustic radio show on WAER-FM (88.3, Sundays from 12 noon to 3 pm; http://www.waer.org/) -- a show that is proud to feature Dana's best songs on a regular basis.
I have a feeling I'm going to be writing more about Dana "Short Order" Cooke and his music in the future. That's one of the nice things about blogging -- I can edit this piece, add to it, or do a whole 'nother piece on Dana without having to consult with an editor or publisher! Lucky me!
But for now, all I can suggest is that you check out Dana's website, and via his website, maybe send him an e-mail, suggesting that he keep performing live... I mean, how else will he ever suffer enough to become truly famous?
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