Gaucho Amigos

Legendary guitarist Larry Carlton joins the podcast to talk about all his collaboration with Steely Dan on albums like The Royal Scam and Aja , and of course discusses how he came to play his much-beloved guitar solo on "Kid Charlemagne."  

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie , the legendary drummer who played on several songs on The Royal Scam and Aja , and whose influential "Purdie Shuffle" is featured on "Babylon Sisters" and "Home at Last," joins the podcast to talk all about his collaborations with Steely Dan.

Jake Morris , the longtime drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks , joins the podcast for a rambling chat about his love of Steely Dan, Malkmus, indie rock touring, and his own excellent new solo album The Long Goodbye . 

"Hollywood" Steve Huey , co-creator of the original "Yacht Rock" web series and featured interview subject in HBO's new movie Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary , joins the podcast to further discuss the complicated relationship between the music of Steely Dan and the genre of jazz-inflected soft rock that has been retroactively dubbed "yacht rock."

Mastering engineer Scott Hull , who worked on Two Against Nature and Kamakiriad , joins the podcast to reflect on his experiences collaborating in the studio with Donald and Walter. Also, music journalist Robyn Flans (author of It's About Time: Jeff Porcaro ) joins to share stories about the late, great session drummer Jeff Porcaro's experiences with Steely Dan.

Sound engineer Dinky Dawson joins the podcast to discuss his experiences live mixing, recording and spending time with Steely Dan on their 1974 tour, which would end up being their final tour for almost 20 years. Dinky also shares some news about the potential release of a newly discovered 1974 show.

Don Breithaupt , who wrote the 33 1/3 series book on Aja , joins the podcast to talk about his lifelong relationship to Steely Dan's music as a writer, singer-songwriter, and fan. Don passes on some of the musical wisdom he received from interviewing Donald Fagen for his Aja book, and discusses the influence of Steely Dan on his long-running musical band and project Monkey House .

Engineer, mixer, and producer Elliot Scheiner , who won Grammys for his work on Aja , Gaucho , and Two Against Nature , joins the podcast to talk all about his experiences working on those classic Steely Dan albums, and more.

Producer and singer-songwriter Thomas Dolby joins the podcast to primarily discuss his collaborations with another band whose songs contain obtuse lyrics and complex chord sequences, Prefab Sprout. Thomas shares his experiences producing the albums Steve McQueen (1985) and Jordan : The Comeback (1990), and also talks a bit about his own solo work and of course, Steely Dan.

Guitarist Elliott Randall joins the podcast to talk all about his experiences with Steely Dan, from playing shows and recording with Donald and Walter in 1960's New York, to later joining them in L.A. to lay down guitar solos on songs like "Reelin' in the Years" and "Green Earrings." Elliott also looks back on friendships with several beloved musicians including Jimi...

Writer and bassist Andy Cush ( Pitchfork , Garcia Peoples ) joins the podcast to discuss the challenges of tackling the Steely Dan hits with his new cover band Katy & the Liars, and shares how Chuck Rainey's bass parts on "Kid Charlemagne" and "Peg" inspired him to learn how to slap the bass.

Max Zuckerman 's debut solo album The Corner Office , with its perfectly arranged jazz-pop epics about creeps and sleazebags, is very reminiscent of a certain band...Max joins the podcast to talk about his own work and creative process, his love of Steely Dan, and other musical influences including Brazilian groups like Azymuth and Japanese City Pop.

Classic rock journalist Allison Rapp (Ultimate Classic Rock) joins the podcast to discuss some of her favorite songs from the Dan-verse, including "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City" and Tori Amos' cover of "Do It Again," and shares what it was like to see Steely Dan on their current tour with the Eagles. Also, Alex shares a brief follow-up on the "lost&quot...

Guitarist Steve Khan , who played on 5 of the 7 tracks on Gaucho including the solo on "Glamour Profession," joins the podcast to talk all about his experiences collaborating with Steely Dan. Steve also shares his memories of recording on some of the "lost Gaucho" tracks, including "I Can't Write Home About You" and "Heartbreak Souvenir."

Wand frontman, guitarist, and singer-songwriter Cory Hanson joins the podcast to discuss how Steely Dan influences his creative process. He also shares his thoughts on classic rock, the eerie perfection of Aja , and some of his other musical influences ranging from Steve Howe to Sinatra.

Writer Jazmine Hughes joins the podcast to share her "Steely Dan testimony," explaining how she discovered their work through hip-hop samples, and later developed an appreciation of their witty, off-kilter lyrics.  Also, I talk to Helen Newby about her superb cello cover of "Peg."

Drummer Rick Marotta , the session specialist who played on classic Steely Dan songs like "Peg," "Hey Nineteen," "Time Out of Mind," and others, joins the podcast to share his experiences recording with Donald and Walter in the late 70's.

Graphic designer/artist Anna Martinez (better known as " Jive Miguel " on Twitter) joins the podcast to talk about how connecting with other Steely Dan fans was like "finding her people." Anna also shares her thoughts on some of the catalogue's puzzling artwork choices, and explains why she's taken on learning the melodica as an homage to Donald.

Writer and film composer Paul Grimstad ( The Sweet East ) joins the podcast to discuss the particulars of Steely Dan's studio recording process and their mastery of arranging for rock music. Paul also shares how a piece on Gaucho he wrote for The Paris Review led to a correspondence and eventual interview with Donald himself.

New Zealand-based computer musician Luke Rowell joins the podcast to discuss how a surging interest in Steely Dan has influenced his vaporwave music project Eyeliner , whether it be from Donald's piano tutorials or a shared love of "fake fake jazz."

Vibraphonist Bill Ware (Groove Collective, Home at Last ) joins the podcast to talk about his experiences as a band member of Steely Dan from 1993-95. Bill shares some "behind the scenes" tour stories, and explains how Donald's creative process and compositional techniques became an important influence his own work.

Singer-songwriter F.J. McMahon joins the podcast to tell the story behind his 1969 folk-rock masterpiece Spirit of the Golden Juice , sharing how his experiences in Vietnam and living in San Francisco during the 60's informed the songs on the only album he's ever released. Also, F.J. discusses his love of Steely Dan and explains why they were his favorite band throughout the 1970's.

Writer Jack Hamilton (author of Just Around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination ) joins the podcast to discuss Steely Dan's relationship to R&B and Motown, and how Donald and Walter's reclusiveness and decision to forgo touring helped create a cult following that endures today.

Kenny Vance (singer and founding member of Jay and the Americans ) joins the podcast to tell the story of discovering two young songwriters named Fagen and Becker at the Brill Building in the late 1960's, and shares what it was like to tour, record, and collaborate with Donald and Walter in the "pre-Steely Dan" era.

Actor and comedian Rob Delaney (author of A Heart That Works ) joins the podcast to talk about his newfound Steely Dan obsession, giving particular praise to their "rock band" era, and contrasting Donald's legacy with that of adjacent NYC-area rock legends Bruce Springsteen and Lou Reed.