From banjo to bass, Daniel Kimbro finds peace in the process of learning
When you talk to Daniel Kimbro, one thing becomes clear pretty quickly—this guy doesn’t just play music; he lives it. “My parents were super musical folks… always listening to everything from bluegrass to classical to Van Halen,” he says of his Morristown upbringing. His mom had a deep love for jazz and would cue up everything from the Marsalis family to Peter Gabriel. His dad, a guitar player, leaned into bluegrass and classic rock. Their first date? A Van Halen concert.
Daniel grew up surrounded by sound— folk, funk, world music among them. He even remembers skipping church to catch a Janet Jackson concert with his mom. “It was just kind of an eclectic upbringing, musically speaking,” he says. And that open-mindedness stuck. While he started on recorder like many kids, he quickly moved through trombone, guitar, and bass guitar before finding his way to upright bass in high school. He studied under Rusty Holloway at the University of Tennessee, joined jazz bands, and eventually double-majored in classical and jazz music. Today, he plays a variety of instruments, including the banjo. Daniel has spent time in community bands, honed his chops at All-State jazz festivals, and says those early experiences taught him to listen—to really listen.
What’s interesting is where all that led him—not to the spotlight, but right next to it. Daniel has built a career as a professional accompanist, elevating the music of others with humility and heart. “My parents were always pointing out the people behind the music,” he says. “They’d ask, ‘Who played bass on this?’ or ‘Listen to what the drummer’s doing here.’ That definitely influenced me.”
That mindset—focused, observant, always listening— made him a natural fit for the role. “Whether you yourself are putting your own name out there or you’re being an accompanist, you have to find a way to stay connected to the sounds that mean something to you and provide you with an emotional charge,” he says. It’s about connecting to the music and always being open to learning, and with this mindset, Daniel’s remained not only a player in the game, but a student of it. “You have to hold on to that beginner’s mindset,” he says. “Observe rather than judge.”
Daniel’s played with legends—James Taylor, Béla Fleck, John Hiatt, Eric Clapton—but now he’s carving his own path. His debut solo album, Carpet in the Kitchen, dropped April 15. “My dream now is to get my songs into a few hands and hearts around Knoxville and the South,” he says. To learn more, head to danielkimbro.com.
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