How does Donald Fagen do it?

Hate steely and his nasaly, annoying voice. I wish Dan would sing. Dan always takes the back seat to Steely. Poor feller. 

stuogawa, I have some friends that attended Berkeley in Boston. My old pianist from a jazz trio I played in when I was junior high went on to Berkeley after high school. Berkeley a little easier to get into than Juilliard or CCM but their playing skills are right on. Plus Berkeley is a big school and so there are more opportunities to play in ensembles. The thing about jazz and popular music is that being able to transcribe four part Mozart piano sonatas isn’t really important. Some conservatory graduates over think jazz. It’s really about listening not thinking.

We met the band in Nice Airport, flying out early the day after a great concert in the Sporting Club, Monaco.  Fagen was really friendly, outgoing and talkative, lovely guy, sitting with the two girl backing singers.

Becker was sitting by himself the other side of the nearly empty lounge.  Even (especially?) Fagen wasn't paying him mind.

Everything Must Go is a very good Dan lp, very overlooked. It may have been the last Dan studio record with Becker.  I have them all, as well as Fagen solo lps. You can get Kamikiriad (sp?) on vinyl in the Cheap Christmas box set. Also re: 11 Tracks of Whack, yes! Someone needs to do it on vinyl!! Seen the Dan twice with Becker. First time with Wayne Krantz on guitar in Charleston, SC for the Art Crimes tour, 3rd row, center. First show of the tour. Reportedly Becker was into history so the story was they rehearsed tour in Charleston thus the kickoff. Who knows if this is true. Anyway, anyone got a vinyl copy of Two Against Nature to sell? LOL!! Talk about one that needs to be more reasonably priced on vinyl!! 

I'm a Dan fan as well, saw Becker/Fagan/Winwood at Red Rocks in Colorado with my wife and kids.  Becker gave a moving speech about what a privilege it was to play/write with Fagan for 50 years.  That was June of '16.  Becker died the following year in September.

Saw the Dan (just Fagan) again in Boston November '19.  The band was very tight very good, but the acoustics sucked in the old theater.

Weirdly I get Steely Dan songs stuck in my head, and they play and play.
Have to listen to whatever track it is on the rig to get it cleared out.

Regards,
barts