School of Music Faculty

Danny Gottlieb

Professor Emeritus, Drums

From 2005 to 2026, world acclaimed drummer Danny Gottlieb taught at the University of North Florida. He was able to combine a career as a performing and recording artist with a successful presence in music education. He earned the rank of Full Professor in 2016. Danny has also been an active participant in the Jacksonville Jazz community, performing 24 times at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, and was inducted into the Jacksonville Jazz Festival Hall of Fame in 2025.

For more than 50 years, drummer Danny Gottlieb has performed and recorded with some of the world’s greatest musicians. He has amassed a prolific resume and has recorded on more than 500 CDs, with 15 Grammy nominations and 4 Grammy wins.

The musicians he has recorded or performed with include: Bobby McFerrin, Sting, John McLaughlin, Gil Evans, Gary Burton, Stan Getz, Chick Corea, David Byrne, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Al Di Meola, The Blues Brothers Band, Booker T and the MGs, Jeff Berlin, Lew Soloff, Michael Franks, Mark Egan, Mike Stern, Dr. John, the NDR Big Band, WDR Big Band, HR Big Band, GRP Big Band, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, and many more.

Danny was a long-time student of legendary Brubeck jazz drummer Joe Morello. He also studied with Mel Lewis, Harold Jones, Gary Chester, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Ed Soph and Jack DeJohnette. Danny has written 3 well received drumming textbooks: The Evolution of Jazz Drumming; The Art of Dream Band Drumming (analyzing the works of drummer Mel Lewis and Vibist Terry Gibbs and the Terry Gibbs Dream Band), and co-written another big band text book, Harold Jones Interpretation of Big Band Swing Drumming, with Harold Jones.

Since 2004, Danny and his wife, percussionist Beth Gottlieb, have been members of actor/bassist Gary Sinise’s Lt. Dan Band. The 14-piece band performs 30-40 concerts per year around the world, 75% of which are benefit concerts for the USO and the US Military. They have performed in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Walter Reed Hospital, The Pentagon, 29 Palms, Luke AFB, Camp Pendleton, and the Great Lakes Naval Base. To date, they have performed more than 600 concerts.

In 2012, Danny received a UNF Foundation grant and archived more than 330 audio recordings, video interviews and printed photos and memorabilia of live New York jazz concerts presented by renown concert promoter Jack Kleinsinger. In 2018, UNF awarded Mr. Kleinsinger an Honorary Doctorate of letters for his donation to UNF. The archives can be viewed here: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/kleinsinger/

In addition, Danny has archived more than 40 2-hour radio shows of UNF music department founder, legendary Euphonium master Rich Matteson. Originally aired on WJCT radio, these shows were designed to engage the Jacksonville community in supporting jazz and promoting activities at UNF. They can be found on UNF Digital Commons here: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/mattesoncollection/

In retirement from UNF, Danny is actively working with the Carpenter Library on his OWN archive for UNF Digital Commons. Works will include storage of printed material, photographs, and audio and video recordings.

Further information about Danny Gottlieb, including extensive video links can be found here: https://dannygottlieb.domains.unf.edu/

Further information about Danny and Beth’s involvement with Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band can be found here: https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/

Danny remains active as a performer, educator and archivist and resides in Franklin, Tennessee.