Jeffrey is my uncle and I love hearing these stories, esp. the ones about my Grandfather. It is really a remarkable family. I remember going to concerts as a little kid and hanging out backstage and all of the musicians were always so excited to rock out with Skunk. Great interview, Joe! I am so glad for your work, Musicians Hall of Fame!
I consider your uncle one of the best technical guitarists in popular music.You are lucky,wish he was my uncle,maybe I would learn to play guitar a great deal better.✌️
Hello What an inspiration - Steely Dan is the reason I wanted to become a professional guitarist. Dad had very good taste in music. Jeff Beck was another mind bender for me . Jeff Baxter , Elliot Randall and Larry Carlton we’re definitely my first real guitar maestros. Life wouldn’t be the same without Steely Dan and their incredible songwriting and especially Katz’s work . Man ! What a thrill it is to remember how inspired I was back then . Thank You Jeffrey Baxter
I had the pleasure of spending a week with Skunk at a missile defense conference in the Netherlands a dozen years ago. We stayed at the same hotel, he was gracious enough to share dinner and breakfast with me several days and tolerated me asking him anything and everything about rock n roll. He shared his insights about Steely Dan, other guitarists, playing guitar, and rock in general. Thank you, Skunk. I really appreciated those discussions.
Skunk is well educated, i think he has a PHD in Physics and his expertise frequently has him at the WH or testifying in front of congress. I admire the fact that he separates politics from music and i like the fact that i have no idea if he's a Rep, Dem, Lib, Vampire or Zombie.
Steely Dan was in a League All to themselves, the music they created was almost it's own genre for originalty. The seventies wouldn't have been the same without them, thanks for the memories.
Sad to hear he left us! I enjoyed his interviews, but could tell he was not feeling well while doing them at times! He left a great legacy! RIP Joe and thanks for replying to my posts on your interviews!
A few years ago, I shared a plate of nachos with Steve Lukather and Slash at Cleveland Airport. A few minutes later, Skunk walked up. Thought I was dreaming. We were all on the same flight back to LA. Epic!
Agreed. It’s Joe’s ability to actually listen and not be thinking about ‘the next question on the list’. Joe let’s the conversation flow because he’s genuinely interested. Excellent interview!
Thanks Paul….. by the way…. I never have a list of questions for the very reason you mentioned. Many times you will learn something new they never talk about if you give them the chance…. Best…. Joe
Jeff’s solo on “The Boston rag “ off of “countdown to ecstasy “ is mind bending …IMO he’s right in there with the top players. Been a Dan fan forever and ever , they are unequalled in my world.
Hell yes. SD could start a song and you'd wonder just where it was headed. Then at some point, it would morph into pure delicious hell. The guitar solo on Boston Rag is EXACTLY what I mean and why I will always own high-end audio gear. This video and your comment prompted me to blast Boston Rag through my old tube FIsher 500B and Klipsch Cornwalls. When I audition for new gear, SD is my go-to group. Quality tunes, meticulous musicians, and fantastic engineering equals great tunes. Love it. Bodhisattva anyone? Up to eleven?
@@lbowsk Hi Steve …totally agree with all of that ….I love anything SD but some of their early stuff was so raw but still sublime in its production. The solo on Pretzel logic is a prime example. Stay safe my friend.
Fun fact about skunk’s nickname: Baxter, who was mistakenly locked out of the studio during a recording session, decided to wait outside & chill, when he got the urge to take a piss, so he did. Just then someone inside opened the door, stepping into Skunk’s line of fire wetting his leg. “You Skunk, you skunk” the wet one kept repeating, you pissed on me! At that moment a nickname was born.🎶💕
Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter has created a Legacy of amazing music. He's what I lovingly & respectfully call one of the "Freaky Geniuses" of all time. His playing was tasty, melodic, inspiring & explosive. I had the privilege of working with him back in the 80's. He was turned on to our band - The Heaters - by Gino Michellini - one of the top DJ's on Los Angeles' KLOS FM radio. He brought Skunk to see us - and he started sitting in with us at every gig. Then we went into the studio together - and we co-produced a number of tracks with Skunk. The nights that he sat in had the 'turbo effect' on the band - and the audience. At that time - we had notorious players sitting in every night - but Skunk took it to a whole other level. He was always the consummate gentleman - offering praise & encouragement to everyone in the band. A great 'hang' mate - cheers to The Skunk!
As a youngster I purchased the singles of "Reeling" and "Rikki" with my small allowance, but what an invaluable gift it was to play those recordings endlessly and hear those guitar solos. They are like the blood in my veins now.
One of the most unique people in rock n' roll history. Ace guitarist and respected defense analyst. Countdown and Pretzel logic are still getting heavy rotation with me going on 50 years.
My Old School. I have loved that song since the beginning. I STILL think of it as one of THE tightest songs ever written and played. How cool to listen to the guitar man.
While in a Defense Department position, I had the fortune to meet and spend a couple of days with Skunk. We contracted with Skunk to advise on creative and critical thinking processes in the construct of technical analysis. Skunk is humble, engaging and can dance with any engineer on the floor. He brought us a unique perspective to addressing technical analysis challenges with conveying data to the consumer. Money well spent for the effort. Thanks, Skunk.
Having watched this and pt 1, I'm most impressed at how lavish Baxter is with praise for other high-level musicians. He doesn't have anything to prove to anyone - he's been to the top of the mountain (and set up camp there, evidently) and sees that it's big enough to spread the glory around. Not all artists do this - as we all know...
@@Frankie5Angels150 yepir...he's also a brainiac and i think he has a PHD in Physics. Makes me feel inadequate with my lowly engineering degree and crappy guitar playing...Just Kidding.
I am totally blown away by what Skunk has been able to accomplish with missle defense systems. It’s kind of hard to comprehend such an accomplished and amazing world class guitar player and then morph into a rocket scientist. Pure genius in my book. Way to go Skunk.
I've been playing guitar since 1966 I'm 62 now, Jeff Baxter is SPOT ON about guitar playing. I always told people, speed,vs,quality. QUALITY is the name of the game. Everything I do is free style, with some composition. Jeff Baxter is absolutely awesome. Wow..Great info and awesome conversation about being you. Just be you..
I've been a fan of Steely Dan since I was first blown away by Do It Again nearly 50 years and that Denny Dias sitar solo still sounds amazing. I always forget about David Palmer and can only think of Dirty Work where he takes lead vocal. So many great guitar players in SD and Skunk is certainly an iconic player along with a select few including Elliott Randall, Larry Carlton, Jay Graydon and of course Denny Dias. Great film as usual Joe and your excitement when interviewing Skunk is palpable. Thanks.
@@Teleman73 Carole wrote the music, David Palmer wrote the lyrics to "Jazzman." Same songwriting arrangement she had with her former husband Gerry Goffin.
Jeff Skunk Baxter speaks eloquently about the connection of playing imprivizationally, and at the same time "ordering" that instantaneous content. I like his description of process when he says, (to the lead guitar or in my case, violin player): "If you're wondering what to play go to the melody and 'suss it out', with attention to what's happening with the band. Thank you for this great interview with a great player, Skunk Baxter, and the music of the incomparable Steely Dan.
A friend of mine who is an amateur guitar player and Steely Dan fan bumped into him about 25 years ago in an electronics store. My friend recognized him and asked if he was "Skunk" Baxter. Skunk acknowledged that he was and engaged him in conversation for a minute or two.
This is one of the greatest interviews about music, how it's made, and the origins and workings of Steely Dan that I have ever heard. Great job, probably the best job, of any interview of anyone associated with the great music of Steely Dan.
@@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum Really appreciate what you do Joe, in these times especially. You are a thoughtful interviewer. I'd like to think of us as friends, you and I and all the viewers. Im gonna make it a point to come up from Florida and visit next year. First round is on me! Úntil then I hope you and yours are well. From your friend, Glenn "SFM"
WOW another historic conversation , this was a joy to watch, in this commenters opinion Any young musician should watch these posts for the wealth of information from you Cool Cats Thank you Kindly Joe and the entire team @ MHOF & M
Most amazing guitar player of his era. Big fan i can proudly say I know every single Steely Dan solo he did note by note. Like he said I would expect every single lick live it would throw my brain for loop if I did not hear that and its important because those solo's are just perfection and cannot be improved.
I would have to agree with Joe Chambers that the guitar solo on Rikki Don't Lose That Number has to be one of the greatest solos of all time. Just perfect, and after all these years it still sounds fantastic!
My earliest memory of great music, wired my transistor radio to a large speaker trying to get a bigger sound in the basement of a 155 year old house in my teens
It’s funny I feel the same about Night by Night the following track. That’s my personal fave Dan solo. It’s perfect. Shows what a great album Pretzel Logic is.
Skunk's Solo in Rikki Don't Lose that Number is the Best Guitar Solo in a Pop Song EVER. i was taking acoustic guitar lessons in the early 70's from Denny Zager (Zager and Evans - In the Year 2525...) when i heard this song....and it made me realize, i'd never make a living as a Professional Musician, but i've played guitar for over 55 years, did the cover band in the 80's, and i thank Steely Dan, Skunk Baxter and the rest of the musicians for instilling the love of music in my life. Best Guitar Solo Ever....Don't Lose that Number.
To this day the greatest solo I've ever seen was when Skunk just let it RIP while half sitting in that chair/stool of his on SNL with The Doobies on Takin' It To The Streets. That man is a bonified genius. And a very nice guy as well.. Great Interview Joe.
Interesting you would say that dude - that solo is completely out of context with the song, with the tone of the song, with the groove & the tempo, the feel & of course the soulful vocal. Most musicians would think it clashed horribly with the song. This performance it’s like Jeff is almost intentionally competing & showboating with the lead vocal & the song itself. Almost as if he’s trying to ruin the song? McDonald & Baxter were well known for not getting along musically, particularly re. the often frenetic bad notes, style, distinctive fuzzy guitar tone, phrasing etc. that Skunk would play on Mike’s own thoughtfully constructed, beautifully sung songs. Sounds like a train wreck a lot of the time with The Doobies. This & likely very different personalities, political views etc. inevitably led to an acrimonious break up. Love Skunk’s irreverent solos all over Donald & Walter’s songs though. His playing “outside” works amazingly well on their jazzy fusion RnB stuff.
@@jamescassidy3995 If you re read what I wrote, I said greatest solo. Not greatest accompaniment. And yeah, I saw That VH1 Special too. But then "opinions are like assholes, everybody has one" thanks for sharing yours James.. Peace and Blessings, dude.
What an enjoyable conversation. Baxter is such a pro. Great stories from one who's done and seen it all...and lived to tell about it! I remember seeing him on stage with Donald Trump when he signed the Music Modernization Act in 2018. Thank you, Joe Chambers!
When I was active duty Air Force I had the opportunity to have breakfast at Bob Evans outside Wright-Patt AFB with Mr. Baxter, it was truly a pleasure! Most down to earth and sincere guy, really was an honor getting to meet him. We talked music, family, and military, it was awesome!
I once played a wedding gig in San Diego, and the traffic was so bad from LA that unfortunately I walked in when I was supposed to already be set up for the service, and a violinist played without me. What a drag! But I did set up for the reception which was a larger band. The groom was a Navy guy, a friend of Skunk Baxter. Skunk sat in with our band on a couple tunes and brought it up several notches, what a great experience! One of the songs was Crocodile rock as I recall.
Jeff and I worked at the Missile Defense Agency together…friend and great contributor to the mission. As a bar band guy it was fun to play with him many times…getting rained on together at the Navy Annex 4th of July with Mary Anne Redmond and playing the High Tides in Colonial Beach Va for Brad Hicks’ retirement. Jeff knows Missile Defense and has always been a great voice, advocate and friend. So glad to see this…still have the tele he autographed and picture of us jamming on the wall of my office. He even got ADM Altwegg to smile! Love ya Jeffrey!!!
The artists in the backgrounds of music always have the best stories and recollections from musicians past. They see things quite differently from the stars up front who often only see the money, fame, and the five star hotels and groupies
Hi dmlevitt. "skunks works". I think you're straight on this, but do you know about "skunkworks"? Let just say it's very different. If my reference is oblique, look up SR-71. I'm a Steely Dan and aviation enthusiast also.
I was a folk singer until My Old School;. Skunk caused me to buy a Strat -- he had a clear acrylic guitar when I saw them -- and I never looked back. A fine musician. Thanks, Skunk.
And the Boston Rag - Such tone; and again the 'composition' that builds about 3 minutes in. Steel and guitar. The volume swells, dynamics, tone and just plain ROCK. This album is Steely Dan's best - real emotion. And Skunk is right about Holder. Flutter snare!
Fredstriker2042, thank you for your support of the channel. Dad really appreciated his friends like you here on YT. Hope you can visit the museum sometime. Best, Britt
@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum absolutely plan to! He took some time to reply to me a few years back regarding Don Felder. So kind and respectful. Thank you and your Father's work!
I always loved Jeff's music and the people he played with, Steely Dan is my all time favorite band, and my other favorites are not in their league, that's how great they were. My friends that were not into Steely Dan back in high school, were not very good friends of mine.
Loved this interview, and I'm glad to learn about you. I'm estimating it's been at least 45 years since my first impressions and appreciation of Baxter. Very cool and heartwarming to hear Jeff's insights. Thanks for making this happen :)
Thanks for your continued great interviews Joe. Jeff Baxter is one of my favourite guitarist, and certainly one of the greatest session players. Keep up the great work Joe.
Outstanding Skunk series Joe. I'm a big Steely Dan fan, as apparently The Eagles were too....so good call on referring to Don Felder. You guys are dead on with your way of thinking on guitar solos, I love the guitar talk. You could just ask regular old questions about career, etc., but you mix it up with guitar geek stuff. I love those details.
TheBent139, my dad Joe, would have really appreciated your kind comments and support for the channel. Hope you can visit the museum sometime. Best, Britt
@@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum So sorry to hear of Joe's passing. He left behind quite a legacy. That's representative of a life well lived. Thanks for your nice reply.
Another great one Joe. I almost wish I had waited until the entire interview was posted so I could watch them one after the other. But I couldn't wait, I had to watch as soon as they were up. I can hardly wait for the next one. Thanks for putting quality up here for us all. Peace.
Joe, if you were to create a series of DVDS from these interviews, (volumes), I'm sure they would sell very well. Get them in music stores everywhere. Newbies should watch these legends and listen to the greats who were instrumental, wink wink, laying down the groundwork for the next generations. They all are owed a debt of gratitude. Thank you for having the wisdom to preserve music's heritage through these interviews. Looking forward to the next one.
Great interview! My first taste of rock and roll as a kid was seeing the Doobie Brothers on the tv show “What’s Happening” I was blown away seeing them. Was hooked on the Doobies and Skunk😀
Jeffrey is my uncle and I love hearing these stories, esp. the ones about my Grandfather. It is really a remarkable family. I remember going to concerts as a little kid and hanging out backstage and all of the musicians were always so excited to rock out with Skunk. Great interview, Joe! I am so glad for your work, Musicians Hall of Fame!
Thanks Kari…. Nice to meet you… I know you’re very proud of your Grandfather…. I would be too!! Best, Joe
Lucky girl!
I consider your uncle one of the best technical guitarists in popular music.You are lucky,wish he was my uncle,maybe I would learn to play guitar a great deal better.✌️
Hello
What an inspiration - Steely Dan is the reason I wanted to become a professional guitarist. Dad had very good taste in music. Jeff Beck was another mind bender for me .
Jeff Baxter , Elliot Randall and Larry Carlton we’re definitely my first real guitar maestros.
Life wouldn’t be the same without Steely Dan and their incredible songwriting and especially Katz’s work . Man ! What a thrill it is to remember how inspired I was back then .
Thank You Jeffrey Baxter
Such great life experiences!
I had the pleasure of spending a week with Skunk at a missile defense conference in the Netherlands a dozen years ago. We stayed at the same hotel, he was gracious enough to share dinner and breakfast with me several days and tolerated me asking him anything and everything about rock n roll. He shared his insights about Steely Dan, other guitarists, playing guitar, and rock in general. Thank you, Skunk. I really appreciated those discussions.
Thanks for sharing your comments Bob…. Joe
Some of the best are most humble, good for you!
Skunk is well educated, i think he has a PHD in Physics and his expertise frequently has him at the WH or testifying in front of congress. I admire the fact that he separates politics from music and i like the fact that i have no idea if he's a Rep, Dem, Lib, Vampire or Zombie.
@@cacornhusker2940 He's a Skunk
@@douglascooper2249 Precisely. how'd i miss the Obvious?
Steely Dan was in a League All to themselves, the music they created was almost it's own genre for originalty.
The seventies wouldn't have been the same without them, thanks for the memories.
Agreed!
I agree entirely. It really is THAT good.
They are at the top of my list of unusual bands that made their style work. Santana is second.
Joe left the building recently . These interviews and the Musicians Hall of Fame are his legacy .
Sad to hear he left us! I enjoyed his interviews, but could tell he was not feeling well while doing them at times! He left a great legacy! RIP Joe and thanks for replying to my posts on your interviews!
Hate to hear that. He alone superceded the Rock & Roll Hall of fame
Not ma,mmy people can say that.!
Darn!! This is a great podcast. How sad. RIP, Joe!! Thanks for all of the wonderful interviews!!
RIP Joe
A few years ago, I shared a plate of nachos with Steve Lukather and Slash at Cleveland Airport. A few minutes later, Skunk walked up. Thought I was dreaming. We were all on the same flight back to LA. Epic!
Nobody seemed to be having a better time than Skunk in any footage of Steely Dan I ever saw
Yes! That’s about sums it up! I’m glad you put it into words!
😂
Joe, what an unorthodox interviewing style you have. You ask a question and you actually allow the subject to finish speaking. Thank you for this!
Thanks for the kind comments sonvolt…. Joe
Agreed. It’s Joe’s ability to actually listen and not be thinking about ‘the next question on the list’. Joe let’s the conversation flow because he’s genuinely interested. Excellent interview!
Thanks Paul….. by the way…. I never have a list of questions for the very reason you mentioned. Many times you will learn something new they never talk about if you give them the chance…. Best…. Joe
@@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum I bet you do extensive research on your guests. Allowing you the ability to go with the flow of the interview.
Jeff’s solo on “The Boston rag “ off of “countdown to ecstasy “ is mind bending …IMO he’s right in there with the top players.
Been a Dan fan forever and ever , they are unequalled in my world.
completely agree
Hell yes. SD could start a song and you'd wonder just where it was headed. Then at some point, it would morph into pure delicious hell. The guitar solo on Boston Rag is EXACTLY what I mean and why I will always own high-end audio gear. This video and your comment prompted me to blast Boston Rag through my old tube FIsher 500B and Klipsch Cornwalls. When I audition for new gear, SD is my go-to group. Quality tunes, meticulous musicians, and fantastic engineering equals great tunes. Love it. Bodhisattva anyone? Up to eleven?
@@lbowsk Hi Steve …totally agree with all of that ….I love anything SD but some of their early stuff was so raw but still sublime in its production.
The solo on Pretzel logic is a prime example.
Stay safe my friend.
Especially live during the 1974 tour! 🔥💯🎯
@@kingsworthlionsblood For sure
Not enough talk about Jeff Baxter. A true guitar genius. ❤
couldn't agree more
Fun fact about skunk’s nickname:
Baxter, who was mistakenly locked out of the studio during a recording session, decided to wait outside & chill, when he got the urge to take a piss, so he did. Just then someone inside opened the door, stepping into Skunk’s line of fire wetting his leg. “You Skunk, you skunk” the wet one kept repeating, you pissed on me! At that moment a nickname was born.🎶💕
Really? Or is it because Skunk is slang for weed?
@@sharongrenier1667
Nope not weed, Skunk himself told the story I commented on. So my comment came straight from Skunk himself.
Hahaha! Ok I will believe you!
Jeff played one of the best pedal steel parts ever recorded on "Pearl of the Quarter". It's just perfect.
I used to run into Skunk quite a bit and he always had time to talk guitars, always had an encouraging word. Guy's a prince
Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter has created a Legacy of amazing music. He's what I lovingly & respectfully call one of the "Freaky Geniuses" of all time. His playing was tasty, melodic, inspiring & explosive. I had the privilege of working with him back in the 80's. He was turned on to our band - The Heaters - by Gino Michellini - one of the top DJ's on Los Angeles' KLOS FM radio. He brought Skunk to see us - and he started sitting in with us at every gig. Then we went into the studio together - and we co-produced a number of tracks with Skunk. The nights that he sat in had the 'turbo effect' on the band - and the audience. At that time - we had notorious players sitting in every night - but Skunk took it to a whole other level. He was always the consummate gentleman - offering praise & encouragement to everyone in the band. A great 'hang' mate - cheers to The Skunk!
Thanks for sharing Steve…..Joe
As a youngster I purchased the singles of "Reeling" and "Rikki" with my small allowance, but what an invaluable gift it was to play those recordings endlessly and hear those guitar solos. They are like the blood in my veins now.
Thanks for sharing your memories 99…….Joe
You know your a Legend when the Muppets have a character based on U
One of the most unique people in rock n' roll history. Ace guitarist and respected defense analyst. Countdown and Pretzel logic are still getting heavy rotation with me going on 50 years.
My Old School. I have loved that song since the beginning. I STILL think of it as one of THE tightest songs ever written and played. How cool to listen to the guitar man.
While in a Defense Department position, I had the fortune to meet and spend a couple of days with Skunk. We contracted with Skunk to advise on creative and critical thinking processes in the construct of technical analysis. Skunk is humble, engaging and can dance with any engineer on the floor. He brought us a unique perspective to addressing technical analysis challenges with conveying data to the consumer. Money well spent for the effort. Thanks, Skunk.
Thanks for sharing Mark…. Joe
Having watched this and pt 1, I'm most impressed at how lavish Baxter is with praise for other high-level musicians. He doesn't have anything to prove to anyone - he's been to the top of the mountain (and set up camp there, evidently) and sees that it's big enough to spread the glory around. Not all artists do this - as we all know...
One of my heroes!
Truly a modern day renaissance man.
@@Frankie5Angels150 yepir...he's also a brainiac and i think he has a PHD in Physics. Makes me feel inadequate with my lowly engineering degree and crappy guitar playing...Just Kidding.
i really appreciate that about him
I am totally blown away by what Skunk has been able to accomplish with missle defense systems. It’s kind of hard to comprehend such an accomplished and amazing world class guitar player and then morph into a rocket scientist. Pure genius in my book. Way to go Skunk.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Pete……..Joe
He's Renaissance Man, defined.
One of my sons works in MISSILDE DFENSE IN ROCKETCIT' IN HUNTSVILL, ALABAMA
Well, you do know Brian May of Queen has a PhD in Astrophysics, right?
I've been playing guitar since 1966 I'm 62 now, Jeff Baxter is SPOT ON about guitar playing. I always told people, speed,vs,quality. QUALITY is the name of the game. Everything I do is free style, with some composition. Jeff Baxter is absolutely awesome. Wow..Great info and awesome conversation about being you. Just be you..
Thank You, So Very, Very Much, Mr. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter!
For being--well!, an important part of my/our Lives! 😊 🎸🎵 🎶
I'm here because I saw Skunk on The Greg Gutfeld show! Rocky is a legend!!!
Great interview Joe.
I've been a fan of Steely Dan since I was first blown away by Do It Again nearly 50 years and that Denny Dias sitar solo still sounds amazing.
I always forget about David Palmer and can only think of Dirty Work where he takes lead vocal. So many great guitar players in SD and Skunk is certainly an iconic player along with a select few including Elliott Randall, Larry Carlton, Jay Graydon and of course Denny Dias.
Great film as usual Joe and your excitement when interviewing Skunk is palpable. Thanks.
Thanks again rocket…Joe
Just an FYI that, in addition to Dirty Work, Palmer sang lead on Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me).
@@harveykojan4775 He also wrote jazzman for Carole King.
Do It Again live at the Rainbow 1974 is another level of higher consciousness! 💯🔥
@@Teleman73 Carole wrote the music, David Palmer wrote the lyrics to "Jazzman." Same songwriting arrangement she had with her former husband Gerry Goffin.
Skunk and Denny Dias... one of the best guitar tandems ever.
That 1974 SD tour kicked some serious Ass!!! 💯🔥🎯
@@kingsworthlionsblood Absolutely! The original band rocked.
Jeff Skunk Baxter speaks eloquently about the connection of playing imprivizationally, and at the same time "ordering" that instantaneous content. I like his description of process when he says, (to the lead guitar or in my case, violin player): "If you're wondering what to play go to the melody and 'suss it out', with attention to what's happening with the band. Thank you for this great interview with a great player, Skunk Baxter, and the music of the incomparable Steely Dan.
A friend of mine who is an amateur guitar player and Steely Dan fan bumped into him about 25 years ago in an electronics store. My friend recognized him and asked if he was "Skunk" Baxter. Skunk acknowledged that he was and engaged him in conversation for a minute or two.
Thank you for all the great music Skunk....I'm 58...been listening to Steely Dan since elementary school...
‘My Old School’….starts as a fresh strat build, routed in the parking lot, Eddie Cochran’s pickups to a hit song…..man, Great story!
Thanks for watching P W…. Joe
One of the best technical guitarists in music.He can play any genre.His work with The Doobies and Steely Dan was perfection.
This is one of the greatest interviews about music, how it's made, and the origins and workings of Steely Dan that I have ever heard. Great job, probably the best job, of any interview of anyone associated with the great music of Steely Dan.
Skunk is an upper escleon player. Thank you Joe Chambers!
Thanks fuzzymomma….. Joe
@@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum Really appreciate what you do Joe, in these times especially. You are a thoughtful interviewer. I'd like to think of us as friends, you and I and all the viewers. Im gonna make it a point to come up from Florida and visit next year. First round is on me! Úntil then I hope you and yours are well. From your friend, Glenn "SFM"
Thanks Glenn…. Sincerely, Joe
Fantastic on My Old School- Skunks playing 2.24 minutes in and solo at the end is deliriously tight.
Excellent interview. Love Skunk, Steely Dan and the Doobs 🎸🎸🎸
Skunk is one of the greats for sure.
Fascinating. SD fan for 45 years, but little nuggets like this keep appearing. I can never get enough of these stories.
Thanks for watching Phil……Joe
Loved this interview. Brings back memories when Jenny and I backed them up🎶🎶 Thank your for this!
Thanks for watching too Gloria…..Joe
WOW another historic conversation , this was a joy to watch, in this commenters opinion Any young musician should watch these posts for the wealth of information from you Cool Cats Thank you Kindly Joe and the entire team @ MHOF & M
Thanks LSAC….Joe
Also jeff has lessons on yt
Alot of pleasure derived from a trip down memory lane of my youth.
At 67 years old the generation I grew up with is still special.
Most amazing guitar player of his era. Big fan i can proudly say I know every single Steely Dan solo he did note by note. Like he said I would expect every single lick live it would throw my brain for loop if I did not hear that and its important because those solo's are just perfection and cannot be improved.
Rikki Don't Lose that Number. One of the best all time solos. Gives me a chill every time.
I would have to agree with Joe Chambers that the guitar solo on Rikki Don't Lose That Number has to be one of the greatest solos of all time. Just perfect, and after all these years it still sounds fantastic!
Thanks for watching Corey…. Best, Joe
@@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum Thank you for providing such fascinating and entertaining music history.
My earliest memory of great music, wired my transistor radio to a large speaker trying to get a bigger sound in the basement of a 155 year old house in my teens
It’s funny I feel the same about Night by Night the following track. That’s my personal fave Dan solo. It’s perfect. Shows what a great album Pretzel Logic is.
That solo was, and is, ICONIC!!
Can't get enough of these great interviews...🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for watching Joseph….Joe
Man, Joe thanks so much for these interviews & the HOF in itself. This Skunk interview is amazing.
Thanks again Juke….Joe
Jeff strikes me as a great guy, a joy to work with, and highly intelligent.
So looking forward to Part 3. Great interview, Joe.
Thanks Seven….Joe
Me too Seven. Another great musician. Another great interview. And lot's a stories.
Skunk's Solo in Rikki Don't Lose that Number is the Best Guitar Solo in a Pop Song EVER. i was taking acoustic guitar lessons in the early 70's from Denny Zager (Zager and Evans - In the Year 2525...) when i heard this song....and it made me realize, i'd never make a living as a Professional Musician, but i've played guitar for over 55 years, did the cover band in the 80's, and i thank Steely Dan, Skunk Baxter and the rest of the musicians for instilling the love of music in my life. Best Guitar Solo Ever....Don't Lose that Number.
To this day the greatest solo I've ever seen was when Skunk just let it RIP while half
sitting in that chair/stool of his on SNL with The Doobies on Takin' It To The Streets.
That man is a bonified genius. And a very nice guy as well.. Great Interview Joe.
Thanks Racer…….Joe
Interesting you would say that dude - that solo is completely out of context with the song, with the tone of the song, with the groove & the tempo, the feel & of course the soulful vocal. Most musicians would think it clashed horribly with the song. This performance it’s like Jeff is almost intentionally competing & showboating with the lead vocal & the song itself. Almost as if he’s trying to ruin the song? McDonald & Baxter were well known for not getting along musically, particularly re. the often frenetic bad notes, style, distinctive fuzzy guitar tone, phrasing etc. that Skunk would play on Mike’s own thoughtfully constructed, beautifully sung songs. Sounds like a train wreck a lot of the time with The Doobies. This & likely very different personalities, political views etc. inevitably led to an acrimonious break up. Love Skunk’s irreverent solos all over Donald & Walter’s songs though. His playing “outside” works amazingly well on their jazzy fusion RnB stuff.
@@jamescassidy3995 If you re read what I wrote, I said greatest solo.
Not greatest accompaniment. And yeah, I saw That VH1 Special too.
But then "opinions are like assholes, everybody has one" thanks for sharing yours James.. Peace and Blessings, dude.
Love doing my bass like Nathan East plays. I'm from Australia cheers thanks for sharing
What an enjoyable conversation. Baxter is such a pro. Great stories from one who's done and seen it all...and lived to tell about it! I remember seeing him on stage with Donald Trump when he signed the Music Modernization Act in 2018. Thank you, Joe Chambers!
Thank you too Paul…….Joe
I love a guitar solo (or any solo) that you can sing. So many great ones like that with The Dan. Skunk is a superb cat.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Joe Chambers....you did good & you will be missed !!!
🚬😎
Thanks, Skunk!
When I was active duty Air Force I had the opportunity to have breakfast at Bob Evans outside Wright-Patt AFB with Mr. Baxter, it was truly a pleasure! Most down to earth and sincere guy, really was an honor getting to meet him. We talked music, family, and military, it was awesome!
Skunk Baxter is one of my favorite guitarists ever. Very difficult to emulate without endless repetition and nuance.
Can't wait for part 3!
Next week for part three Magravator….Joe
I once played a wedding gig in San Diego, and the traffic was so bad from LA that unfortunately I walked in when I was supposed to already be set up for the service, and a violinist played without me. What a drag! But I did set up for the reception which was a larger band. The groom was a Navy guy, a friend of Skunk Baxter. Skunk sat in with our band on a couple tunes and brought it up several notches, what a great experience! One of the songs was Crocodile rock as I recall.
Jeff and I worked at the Missile Defense Agency together…friend and great contributor to the mission. As a bar band guy it was fun to play with him many times…getting rained on together at the Navy Annex 4th of July with Mary Anne Redmond and playing the High Tides in Colonial Beach Va for Brad Hicks’ retirement. Jeff knows Missile Defense and has always been a great voice, advocate and friend. So glad to see this…still have the tele he autographed and picture of us jamming on the wall of my office. He even got ADM Altwegg to smile! Love ya Jeffrey!!!
Hi Joe. Another great job on this one. I saw Skunk play several times live. Always a wonderful smiling guitar God
Thanks again CTCWE………Joe
Great music, love their music, brings back a lot of great memories.
Incredible artist..have enjoyed Skunks playing throughout the years. Inspirational!
The artists in the backgrounds of music always have the best stories and recollections from musicians past. They see things quite differently from the stars up front who often only see the money, fame, and the five star hotels and groupies
Man, he's humble.
Fantastic interview Joe!! Thank you Jeff for so much timeless music!!
Thanks again MOD….. Joe
Joe is so good at letting his subjects carry on with their stories. An excellent interviewer. And Skunk... jeez, what else is there to say?
fantastic interview. I have followed skunks work my whole life. what a legend. thanks for the post. love & respect to Jeff & Joe.
Thanks dm…. Joe
Hi dmlevitt. "skunks works". I think you're straight on this, but do you know about "skunkworks"? Let just say it's very different. If my reference is oblique, look up SR-71. I'm a Steely Dan and aviation enthusiast also.
@@roderickcampbell2105 thanks I will look that up thanks Roderick. cheers bud.
@@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum thanks Joe. I love all your posts. so interesting. cheers bud.
A tremendously talented guitar player who has contributed countless stellar recordings and live performances throughout his career...🤘🤘
I was a folk singer until My Old School;. Skunk caused me to buy a Strat -- he had a clear acrylic guitar when I saw them -- and I never looked back. A fine musician. Thanks, Skunk.
And the Boston Rag - Such tone; and again the 'composition' that builds about 3 minutes in. Steel and guitar. The volume swells, dynamics, tone and just plain ROCK. This album is Steely Dan's best - real emotion. And Skunk is right about Holder. Flutter snare!
Thanks Joe!!!
Fredstriker2042, thank you for your support of the channel. Dad really appreciated his friends like you here on YT.
Hope you can visit the museum sometime.
Best,
Britt
@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum absolutely plan to! He took some time to reply to me a few years back regarding Don Felder. So kind and respectful. Thank you and your Father's work!
Let us know when you visit!
Joe, Super interview! Can’t wait for part 3! As always, I appreciate all these great artists you share with us!💫
Thanks as always for supporting us too Larry…. Joe
Fascinating story, life events and circumstances which all cumulate into a MASTERPIECE!
CRUZER
IN
CT
I always loved Jeff's music and the people he played with, Steely Dan is my all time favorite band, and my other favorites are not in their league, that's how great they were. My friends that were not into Steely Dan back in high school, were not very good friends of mine.
Jeff, Do It Again!...If you can.
Loved this interview, and I'm glad to learn about you. I'm estimating it's been at least 45 years since my first impressions and appreciation of Baxter. Very cool and heartwarming to hear Jeff's insights. Thanks for making this happen :)
Thanks for your continued great interviews Joe. Jeff Baxter is one of my favourite guitarist, and certainly one of the greatest session players. Keep up the great work Joe.
Thanks Hartley White…… Joe
Great interview Joe!!!..thank you 👍👏
Thanks Gene….Joe
Great interview!!!!!!!! So glad this came up today!!!!!!
Thanks Jim….Joe
Outstanding Skunk series Joe. I'm a big Steely Dan fan, as apparently The Eagles were too....so good call on referring to Don Felder. You guys are dead on with your way of thinking on guitar solos, I love the guitar talk. You could just ask regular old questions about career, etc., but you mix it up with guitar geek stuff. I love those details.
Thanks James…. Much appreciated… best, Joe
Now I have to listen to all those records again.
Right?
This is amazing.
Thanks Joe. Awesome interview. What an awesome musician he is!
Thanks Harold…..Joe
Love this interview and part 1. Skunk is such a great guitarist his solo on My Old School is epic.
Thanks Christopher…. Joe
Another great interview, Joe. Love your channel.
Thanks Morris…..Joe
As always great interview and post production
Thanks Lou…..Our editor Jay added the photo’s….. joe
Great interview Joe...looking forward in Part 3.
Thanks Weezon….. Joe
Enjoying this series, Joe. Thank you…
Thank you Bill…..Joe
The man definitely ranks high on my list of favorite guitarists
Fantastic interview and man oh man....great to hear Jeff talk vs play. I am impressed for real.
You are a great musician and guitar player Mr. Baxter. I wish I had half your talent.
An amazing story on early SD lore Bead Game was Jim Hodders first group Love hearing that story
Always the best interviews. Concise questions and then you let the guest talk out the answer. Best Skunk interview I have seen. Fascinating stuff.
TheBent139, my dad Joe, would have really appreciated your kind comments and support for the channel.
Hope you can visit the museum sometime.
Best,
Britt
@@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum So sorry to hear of Joe's passing. He left behind quite a legacy. That's representative of a life well lived. Thanks for your nice reply.
TheBent139, I totally agree, and really appreciate your words. Thanks again for the support!
Best,
Britt
Skunk is so damn good. I’ve been trying to emulate his chops for years. What an influence.
Thanks for watching Lyle….Joe
I remember i thought i could copy his solo from take me in your your arms. Wrong
@@mikegarrison7957 that’s one of my favorites
It was fun hearing him talk about guitars. Im about his age ,been building and reparing for 60 years and i also love silvertones as well.
Mr. Baxter a true artist & performer...thank you.
The smartest guy as well as the best guitar player. Always an opportunity to learn.
Another great one Joe. I almost wish I had waited until the entire interview was posted so I could watch them one after the other. But I couldn't wait, I had to watch as soon as they were up. I can hardly wait for the next one. Thanks for putting quality up here for us all. Peace.
Monkey man….. thanks…. Part three later today…Joe
Such great insight. So well done this interview. An amazing tour of a masters mind!!
Excellent interview with a great guitarist! One of your best so far.
Thanks John…… joe
Joe, if you were to create a series of DVDS from these interviews, (volumes), I'm sure they would sell very well. Get them in music stores everywhere. Newbies should watch these legends and listen to the greats who were instrumental, wink wink, laying down the groundwork for the next generations. They all are owed a debt of gratitude. Thank you for having the wisdom to preserve music's heritage through these interviews. Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks G…….. I will look into doing something like you’ve suggested…. Thanks…..Joe
Great interview! My first taste of rock and roll as a kid was seeing the Doobie Brothers on the tv show “What’s Happening”
I was blown away seeing them. Was hooked on the Doobies and Skunk😀