Dan Zanes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan Zanes
Dan Zanes plays mandolin on stage in 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Edgerly Zanes
Born	(1961-11-08) November 8, 1961 (age 63) Exeter, New Hampshire, United States
Genres	Rock, garage rock, folk, roots rock, children's, sea shanties
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, harmonica, guitar, banjo, mandolin
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Festival Five Records

Daniel Edgerly Zanes (born November 8, 1961) is an American musician. He plays rock, folk, and children's music. In the 1980s, he was part of a band called The Del Fuegos. Later, he led the group Dan Zanes and Friends. Today, he performs with his wife, Claudia Eliaza Zanes, as Dan + Claudia.

Dan Zanes' Early Life and Music

Dan Zanes grew up in New Hampshire. His father was a teacher, poet, and writer. Dan also has a brother, Warren Zanes, who is a musician too.

Dan became interested in music when he was very young. He remembers discovering the music of American folk musician Lead Belly at age seven. Other early inspirations included Woody Guthrie, Ella Jenkins, and Pete Seeger. He went to Phillips Academy for two years. Later, he attended Oberlin College, where he met his future bandmate Tom Lloyd.

The Del Fuegos Band

The Del Fuegos was a band that played in many different places. They performed in lofts, bars, clubs, and college halls.

Rolling Stone magazine called The Del Fuegos the "Best New Band" in 1984. With the band, Dan Zanes made several records. These included The Longest Day (1984) and Boston, Mass (1985). They also had a popular song called Don't Run Wild.

Making Music for Families

After Dan, his wife at the time, Paula Greif, and their young daughter moved to New York City, Dan started playing music with other parents. They met in playgrounds in the West Village. This group became the Wonderland String Band. They played at parks and parties.

Dan realized he loved making music that families could enjoy together. It wasn't just for kids or just for adults. So, he added more musicians to his band. He renamed it the Rocket Ship Revue. He then started making a full album at home. Some famous musicians he knew from his Del Fuegos days helped him. These included Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and Simon Kirke.

The album, Rocket Ship Beach (2000), was a big success. The New York Times Magazine called it "cool." They said Dan's music worked because it was "just music," not only "kids music."

In 2000, Dan started his group, Dan Zanes and Friends. He also launched his own record label, Festival Five Records. Variety magazine noted that Dan and Friends were special because they focused on having fun.

His second album, Family Dance (2001), featured dance songs from many different music styles. It included Loudon Wainwright III and Rosanne Cash. The third album, Night Time! (2002), was more gentle. It had collaborations with Aimee Mann, Lou Reed, and Dar Williams.

In 2003, Dan played himself in a TV film called Dragon Tales Let's Start a Band. His fourth family album was House Party (2003). This album had 20 lively songs. It used many instruments like guitars, banjos, violins, and even a musical saw. House Party was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children. Music videos from House Party were shown on Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney and Nickelodeon's Noggin.

In 2007, Dan Zanes won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children. He won for his album Catch That Train! (2006). He also produced a children's reggae CD with Father Goose.

His seventh album, 76 Trombones (2009), was about Broadway and show tunes. It featured guest singers like Matthew Broderick and Carol Channing.

In 2017, Dan released Lead Belly, Baby!. This album was a collection of Lead Belly's songs. Other artists like Billy Bragg and Chuck D also helped with the album. Later that year, he and Claudia Eliaza presented Night Train 57. This was a special "folk opera" for the Kennedy Center.

Since 2021, Dan Zanes has performed with his wife, Claudia Eliaza Zanes. They perform as Dan + Claudia. They have released two albums together: Let Love Be Your Guide (2021) and Pieces of Home (2024).

Dan Zanes' Personal Life

In 1987, Dan Zanes married Paula Greif. They had one daughter, born in 1994.

In 2016, Dan met Claudia Eliaza. They got married in 2018. In 2019, the couple moved from Brooklyn to Baltimore. They are members of a Black Baptist church in Baltimore.

Discography

With the Del Fuegos

• The Longest Day (1984)
• Boston, Mass. (1985)
• Spin Radio Concert (1985)
• Stand Up (1987)
• Smoking in the Fields (1989)
• Silver Star (2012)

Solo Albums

• Cool Down Time (1995)

Family Music Albums

• Rocket Ship Beach (2000)
• Family Dance (2001)
• Night Time! (2002)
• House Party (2003)
• All Around the Kitchen! (2005)
• Catch That Train! (2006)
• The Welcome Table (2008)
• ¡Nueva York! (2008)
• 76 Trombones (2009)
• The Fine Friends Are Here! (2009)
• Little Nut Tree (2011)
• Turn Turn Turn (2013) with Elizabeth Mitchell
• Get Loose and Get Together!: The Best of Dan Zanes (2014)
• Lead Belly, Baby! (2017), Smithsonian Folkways
• Night Train 57 (2018) with Claudia Eliaza and Yuriana Sobrino

Traditional Music Albums

• Sea Music (2003)
• Parades and Panoramas: 25 Songs Collected by Carl Sandburg for the American Songbag (2004)

With Claudia Eliaza Zanes

• Let Love Be Your Guide (2021), Smithsonian Folkways
• Pieces of Home (2024), Smithsonian Folkways

Singles

• 2001: Hello
• 2002: Smile Smile Smile
• 2003: All Around the Kitchen
• 2006: Catch That Train!

Awards

Filmography

• 2003 — Let's Start a Band: A Dragon Tales Music Special
• 2008 – Revolutionary Road
• 2009 – Wonderful World – Sweeny

Images for kids

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  Dan Zanes