Daniel Kimbro
a grammy-nominated appalachian​
Biography
I live in East Tennessee.
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I have two kids, Ella and Tucker.
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I have a wife, Tiffany. A powerful music educator, a powerful ally.​
​​I play the double bass, the electric bass, the guitar, the clawhammer banjo.
My first stringed instrument was the guitar.
The first cover band I auditioned for said, "we could use a bass player."
I grew up in places called Morristown and White Pine.
My parents gave me the time, space and grace to listen and play along. We enjoyed folks like:
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The Stanley Brothers
Van Halen
Flatt & Scruggs
W.A. Mozart
The Police
New Grass Revival
Jerry Douglas
Guy Clark
Townes Van Zandt
Nanci Griffith
Welch & Rawlings
among many others...
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As my own teenagers grow into musicians I'm reminded of and humbled by my own parents' efforts. ​Mom taught me the recorder, and how to read music, to listen actively, to serve a song. ​Dad taught me the guitar, and stage presence, and songwriting, and how to begin and end a gig.
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​We had a family folk band called "Mountain Soul." Dad drove us all over East Tennessee with our plywood upright bass strapped to the roof of our car. One time we drove into a parking garage and forgot it was up there.
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We played throughout Appalachia - backwoods general stores, swap meets, cake walks, Civil War reenactments, volunteer fire-halls, tanning bed salons, and a Cocke County family reunion to which we were not actually invited.
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I wouldn't trade the times on stage with my parents and brothers for anything.
I began my "formal" music education in 2001, studying the double bass at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
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Too many years later I graduated with a degree in Strings Performance and Studio Music and Jazz.
A month after finishing school I began touring with neo-bluegrass group called The Lovell Sisters.
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I began playing venues and festivals I'd dreamed about since high school. Later I introduced my bandmates Megan and Rebecca Lovell to my Knox music pals Mike Seal and Chad Melton and a new band was formed - Larkin Poe.
In 2010 I began working as Audio Engineer and producer at the WDVX Blue Plate Special, a daily concert series and syndicated radio show recorded and broadcast live from Knoxville.
It was also around this time that I began accompanying Knoxville author, playwright and Knoxville poet-laureate RB Morris.
During a previous tour with the Lovell Sisters Band I was heard by the incomparable resophonic guitarist and personal musical hero Jerry Douglas.
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He asked me to join his band in 2013.
In 2014 or so I was introduced to Martin Harley by our mutual friend Sam Lewis. Martin and I made a couple records together and toured across the UK and Canada.
In 2020 Sam Lewis joined us for a trio recording effort called Harley Kimbro Lewis, despite the challenges posed by the Covid 19 pandemic. HKL toured the UK and Southeastern US.
In 2017 I was asked to handle bass duties on the Transatlantic Sessions 2017 US Tour, subbing for another sonic touchstone - the great Danny Thompson.
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During that tour I found myself accompanying:
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Sir Aly Bain
James Taylor
Alison Krauss
Rodney Crowell
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Roseanne Cash
Sarah Jarosz
Aoife O'Donovan
The Milk Carton Kids
Declan O'Rourke
Karen Matheson
Maura O'Connell
Russ Barenburg
John Doyle
James Mackintosh
John McCukser
Michael McGoldrick
Donald Shaw
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I still perform with the Transatlantic Sessions annually across the UK.
Together we've accompanied musical legends like:
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Loudon Wainwright
Tim O'Brien
Dirk Powell
Amythyst Kiah
Sierra Hull
Cara Dillon
Cathy Jordan
Martha Wainwright
Alison DeGroot & Tatiana Hargreaves
Siobahn Miller
Kim Carnie
Rachel Sermani
and myriad others...​
In 2018 the Jerry Douglas Band recorded "What If," an album evenutally nominated for a Grammy award in the the "Best Contemporary Instrumental" category.
We lost.
In late 2018 I was asked to join the Flatt & Scruggs tribute band The Earls of Leicester. In 2024 The Earls and Jerry hosted the 100th Birthday Tribute to Earl Scruggs at the Ryman Auditorium featuring many bluegrass legends.
In 2021 the Jerry Douglas Band joined master songwriter John Hiatt at Nashville's hallowed RCA Studio B and recorded "Leftover Feelings," an album eventually nominated for multiple Grammy awards.
We lost.
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The JDB toured with John in late 2021 across the United States and Canada.
In 2022 I became the house bassist and eventual Music Director of the Woodshed Guitar Experience, a music retreat led by Andy Wood, focused on small group instruction and featuring performances by guitar greats.
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In my time at the WGE I've accompanied:
Eric Johnson
Steve Morse
Robben Ford
Brent Mason
Greg Koch
Andy Timmons
Mark Lettieri
Tom Quayle
Ariel Posen
Tosin Abasi
Nick Johnston
In early 2023 The Transatlantic Sessions were joined onstage in London by
Eric Clapton to honor his recently passed friend Jeff Beck.
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Later that Spring we recorded a few songs with Eric at Abbey Road Studios in London. We were accompanied by Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones.
In early 2024 I was asked to join Sarah Jarosz as bassist for her nationwide 'Polaroid Lovers' Tour.
In late 2024 the local devastation in Appalachia I witnessed via Hurricane Helene led me to create, program and host "Appalachian Allies," a benefit concert, live stream and arts auction at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, TN, co-hosted by my friend Sam Lewis and featuring performances from many music pals:
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Darrell Scott
Jerry Douglas
Sarah Jarosz
Andy Wood
Adeem The Artists
RB Morris
Larkin Poe
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Appalachian Allies raised over $120,000 that went directly to East Tennesseans wracked by Helene via the East Tennessee Foundation's Neighbor to Neighbor Fund.
In 2025 I released my own album of original songs and compositions titled "Carpet In the Kitchen," featuring Jerry Douglas, Mike Baggetta on electric guitars and Jordan Perlson on drums and percussion instruments.
I continue to tour as a solo singer songwriter across the US and the UK.
I am a passionate advocate for fisheries conservation.
I spend as much time as possible with a fly rod in my hand, pursuing various warm, cool and saltwater species whenever and wherever I can.
I was asked to join Conservation Fisheries board of directors in 2025, and I am an active volunteer with Trout Unlimited, Cand'aid and other fisheries-forward organizations.
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My goal is to integrate fishing and music whenever and however I can. ​
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copyright Daniel Kimbro, Marble Hall Music, 2025