It must have been great to be Steely Dan in their heyday...
Steely Dan being Steely Dan in their heyday...
They had their pick of the top session musicians, and those studio cats were just queuing up to grab a piece of the Dan action and wow Don and Walt with their playing.
One case in point involves the quest for the perfect guitar solo for the "Aja" album's "Peg". Seven guitarists, including Larry Carlton, Rick Derringer, Elliott Randall, Robben Ford and Walter Becker twice, laid down solos, but it was Jay Graydon who was eventually featured in the final mix. Even then, it took him six hours to nail the solo to Don and Walt's exacting satisfaction, and not until several months later did he discover that it would wind up being used on the album.
Not such a square peg...
...but what happened after that looong 12 year hiatus between "Gaucho" and the Dan's comeback in 1993?
Well, Don and Walt settled on using an essentially permanent band for both live and studio work and eschewed the use of star session players, although a few lucky ones were called on for the two "new" studio albums. Even though the band would change over the ensuing decades, various players remained through several tour line ups. However, after 30 years, the Dan band is now different to the ensemble which started the comeback with the 1993 tour. I don't think anyone's stayed the course. although I'm more than open to being corrected [Yes, we have the photos,,,Ed].
Despite having the late Walter Becker on guitar - a more than capable player - the touring band has always featured a second guitarist over the years.
(Apologies for any inaccuracy regarding the timeline here. I've also seen slightly differing credits - including one show with three (!) guitarists - but I'm following what I think is the correct sequence.)
Drew Zingg was the first guitar recruit and he came to join the Dan band via his involvement with Fagen's "New York Rock & Soul Revue" gigs and the eventual album, which helped kick off Becker and Fagen's return. He's a classy player who can tackle the rockier side of things whilst contributing the required jazzier flavours. Only one solo album from him so far, but it's a good one, if a tad predictable. Well worth a listen, though, if only for the last track.
Drew Zingg with Fagen's "NY Rock & Soul Revue"
Next was Swede Georg Wadenius who was responsible for the dynamite solo (the first one) in "Bodhisattva" on "Alive in America". He's far quirkier than Zingg, as shown in the album I've chosen for this screed - a 1999 collaboration with US keyboard player Doug Katsaros. The more complex chords here help to facilitate Wadenius' extensive harmonic vocabulary and there are some stunning solos. Live with the Dan, Wadenius often scatted along with his lines to great effect.
Wadenius with Steely Dan - hear him scat along with his end solo!
The third second (!) guitarist was Wayne Krantz who'd already made a name for himself playing a very loose style of fusion, usually in a trio format when fronting his own band. His style is far more "out there" than any of the other Dan guitarists - think "Scofield" (not that Sco played with the Dan, just that his style is a good reference point!) rather than "Carlton". He didn't last that long with Don and Walt, but you can hear how effective he was with the Steelies from this video clip. Interestingly, Fagen hired Krantz to play on his solo album, "Morph the Cat" and also tour with his own band during some Dan down time a decade later.
Krantz during the Dan's 1996 Art Crimes Tour
Axeman Number Four is Jon Herington. Fagen was given a copy of his first solo album, "The Complete Rhyming Dictionary", by a mutual friend, Ted Baker, the keyboard player in the Dan band at the time. Fagen liked what he heard and hired him. Herington went on to play on the Dan's two subsequent album releases and tour with the band right up to the present day. He also played on Walter Becker's second solo album, "Circus Money", and Fagen's last two solo albums. It'd be hard to think of a better fit for the Dan than Herington, although I sometimes find his playing a bit on the generic jazz-pop side.
Herington with the Dan last year
When Walter Becker departed this life, his place was eventually taken by Connor Kennedy, who played in Fagen's band The Nightflyers for a couple of years, but he doesn't appear to have played very long with the Dan band. From what I can gather, he didn't last out his first tour with them.
Currently holding down the second guitar spot in the Dan touring band is Adam Rogers who comes from a very distinguished jazz rock background, including a five year tenure with Michael Brecker's band.
So, that's six guitarists. Personally, I find Wadenius and Krantz the most interesting players, as they tend to avoid the usual jazz rock guitar cliches - Wadenius with his ability to forge solos over complex chords (almost be bop style) and Krantz with his freer and spacier approach that allows scope for plenty of dynamics in his solo material, although some people claim that he "overplayed" with the Dan...
One album each from Zingg, Wadenius, Krantz and Herington, so you can judge for yourself. If you look on YouTube, you can also find clips of Kennedy and Rogers with Fagen and Steely Dan.
To get on this tour, answer the stupid question that'll wind up in the comments below.
Here's that stupid question...
ReplyDeleteBreakfast - yes or no?
If yes - what do you have?
Marmalade on Toast !
DeleteIt's almost 7AM here in New York, and I'm having breakfast right now.
ReplyDeleteI always have espresso, and some sort of Smoothie. This morning's smoothie is almond milk with banana, mango, coconut, chia seeds, and powdered ginger.
Bagel and coffee. Always the highlight of each day. Gbrand
ReplyDeleteAlways either :
ReplyDeletePorridge (used to be rolled oats but have now changed to Oatmeal cos it's even healthier) with a pinch of salt and water/milk + a selection of seeds.
Or if travelling then muesli made from Rolld Oats, pumpkin/sunflower / sesame seeds whole & flaked Almonds, pecans, brazils, Hazel nuts - all toasted then add Flame raisins, sultanas and coconut flakes. Served with Greek Yoghurt.
Oh and almost forgot two mugs of Ringtons tea.
ReplyDeleteToast, marmite, tea. For 62 years. Everything else is wrong, bar the occasional bacon roll.
ReplyDeleteTwo large mugs of coffee and a vape is brekkie here!
ReplyDeleteUnless I'm staying somewhere where a full English breakfast is on offer.
Granola,Pomegranate juice to soak grains.Any seasonal fruit.Liquid mushroom extract,Coconut yoghurt,no drink till mid morning.
ReplyDeleteThe promised albums - one each from Krantz, Zingg, Herington and Wadenius.
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/RgWeDY8qDxu
My breakfast is usually either yogurt with fruit & muesli or toast with peanutbutter/whatever. Occasionally I go fully Thai style and have a hot rice soup, very tasty! Thank you for the music, cool writing too!
ReplyDeleteI've heard some crazy stories about how Donald and Walter treated Mark Knopfler. They berated him for not being able to read music, criticized his playing style, and after recording around ten hours of Mark's guitar, they only used 15 seconds in the intro of "Time Out of Mind".
ReplyDeleteJoe Sample, who played on the albums 'Guacho' (electric piano) and 'Aja' (Clavinet), told me "Those boys know exactly what they want.......once they hear it!"
More guitars of The Dan
Wayne Krantz's 'Music Room' (1985)
Jon Herington's 'Time on My Hands' (2012)
Jay Graydon's 'Bebop' (2001)
https://mega.nz/file/kXtXQS4b#oxU4D80O6ZutW14D9U4ZQekqVIb_Avd2LPzOX7k9-F8
Great piece -- embarrassed to admit I didn't know any of these guitarists by name before so this was I nice introduction. I think I like Georg Wadenius playing best from the clips above but it's interesting to hear the different approaches.
ReplyDeleteNo breakfast for me; I started doing "intermittent fasting" (i.e. skipping breakfast) when I used to workout regularly and learned that I didn't miss it. Now it's an easy way to avoid having to exercise regularly :)