Dan grew up in the mid-western United States, the son of a pastor and youngest of four siblings. Early musical experiences included listening to his father play hymns on the family piano and hours spent listening through his older brothers’ record collection. First drawn to the drums, he made the switch to guitar at age 12 and began playing in church not long after. By high school he was already doing sessions at a local recording studio and considering little else as a career. After graduating, Dan was hired as an assistant engineer at White Horse Recording in Moline, Illinois. Learning the ropes quickly, he was soon engineering sessions and writing and producing music for commercial clients such as Hardee’s, Alcoa, Eagle Food Stores and others.  Eventually leaving to pursue performing full time, he paid his dues on the club circuit before joining the Air Force Band in San Antonio, Texas. While there, he performed with jazz, country, rock and big band ensembles as well as copious off-duty “pay-gigs” in nearby Austin. Upon completing his enlistment, he moved to Austin and was soon in high demand, performing with artists ranging from Rayvon, to Gavin DeGraw, to Tommy Shane Steiner, to Major Lee Burkes. He resumed session work as well, with artists such as Andre' Venson, Dr. James Polk, Dizzy Lizard, and many others.

In 2001, Dan once again put his engineering and production experience to work as he, along with keyboardist Howard LeNoble and bassist Alvin Dawkins, formed Jacob’s Ladder and released their CD You’re The One, to regional acclaim.  Dan has become increasingly sought after as an engineer and producer as well as a guitarist. He has produced, engineered, and played on numerous recordings for a wide range of artists as well as commercial and jingle work for corporate clients such as Dell Computers, Main Street Homes, and the Texas Department of Health. In addition, he has taught private lessons and clinics, and has worked with various music programs for inner-city youth.

Currently, Dan is focused on performing with his own Dan Vogel Trio, where, in addition to his ever growing repertoire of original material, he puts an original twist on covers ranging from the three Kings, to Coltrane, to Hendrix, to Pastorious.