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Topic: Jeff Baxter: Guitar, Steel, Defense Analyst |
Jim West
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Gordy Hall
From:
Fairfax, CA.
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 10:31 am |
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Skunk reportedly just played pedal steel at the Marin County Fair with the Nelsons and the Stone Canyon Band last weekend. I didn't catch the show, but now wish I would have.
I did get to see him long ago with Steely Dan, and again with the Doobies, but he just played guitar. |
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Chuck McGill
From:
An hour from Memphis and 2 from Nashville, R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 12:44 pm
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| It's a Bud fingerboard. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 2:28 pm
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Weirdly, I had this shot stored on my work computer.
My son David, bender ace Bob Warford (disguised with my other son Mike's badge) and Skunk - winter NAMM 2004. We saw Jeff at Fender's Vibroverb rollout party at GC Hollywood a month later, and he called out to David from across the room, sat down and talked to him for about 10 minutes about guitars. The kid was 9 then. Thinks Skunk is the World's Greatest Guitarist...and all the GC employees were wondering who "the kid" was - must be "somebody"...
I was, as usual, chopped liver.
Skunk is a very kind gentleman - relates to people well, which is part of why he's got the "new" gig.[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 03 July 2006 at 03:32 PM.] |
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Frank Parish
From:
Nashville,Tn. USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 6:03 pm
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| He's been an inspiration for lots of us. I've been a Steely Dan since the beginning and am going to see them this coming Monday July 10. We need brainy guys like that in the fight. It would be nice to win this one!! |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 6:35 pm
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| I know, from VERY inside sources, that Skunk's job with the DOD is purely P.R. A lot of ranking officers, and contractors, get off on knowing that they're working with the Skunkster. Nevertheless, my source tells me that Baxter is a smart guy, who knows digital electronics inside and out. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 6:47 pm
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| Steve - ditto. But he IS a smart guy, has gotten to know his stuff pretty well, and his people skills and rep break through the political BS rather quickly...so there's some value to what he does, even if he's carrying someone else's briefcase.... |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 8:13 pm
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| Years ago, I was doing a session at The Village with my steel and a couple of my other instruments. He had been working upstairs, and stopped in to inquire about what I was playing. He had also been working for/with Dana Rhorabacher, which meant that we were on opposite sides of the political fence. Nevertheless, he was delightful to talk to and the conversation ranged from steel guitars (he's a player) to alternative instruments to ram-jets and scram-jets, both of which he was very knowledgable about. He was very enjoyable to be around. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 9:48 pm
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Hey-I'd rather have Skunk in there bringing the "outsider's" viewpoint to all those jokers in Washington than the status quo!
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Mark
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Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 9:57 pm
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| I'm pretty sure that Jeff is an insider. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2006 10:09 pm
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| I've deleted a few posts here. Let's keep this on topic "Steel Guitarists and their Music". |
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Martin Huch
From:
Hannover, Germany
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Posted 4 Jul 2006 2:02 am
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Jeff "Skunk" Baxter was the guy, that took me into pedal steel. That was in a time, when I hated country music.(which I still do for a lot of this genre, but with some greeeeat exceptions) But his steelplaying with Steely Dan on tracks like "pearl of the quarter" or "Brooklyn" thrilled me,and is still unique and
absolutely tastefull !! Thanks at least for that,Jeff.[This message was edited by Martin Huch on 04 July 2006 at 03:03 AM.] [This message was edited by Martin Huch on 04 July 2006 at 03:07 AM.] |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 4 Jul 2006 5:10 am
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Sorry to drift off topic. Skunk was, and is a pretty good guitar player, and a good enough steel player to have influenced a lot of us here.
BTW, Sliff, have you bought the Fessy??? |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 4 Jul 2006 5:45 am
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I concur! He influenced me enormously back when I started on PSG in the '70s.
Those 'SD' tracks already mentioned are super, but my favourite has always been that delightfully restrained solo he did on 'Razor Boy' ('Countdown To Ecstacy') - what a lovely tone, and it's so concise!
What guitar would that have been, does anyone know? I've suddenly realised (thanks to this thread) that it was Jeff's tone on those records that I've always (maybe subconsciously) tried to emulate. It had a thickness about it, and was almost the opposite of the classic p/p sound.
RR[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 04 July 2006 at 06:49 AM.] |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2006 7:26 am
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Steve - AARRGGHHH!
Does that answer you? Try "no". I wish....
Skunk is a wacky guitar and steel player. I like his twisted playing - it's really unique, and very much "his own". |
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Olli Haavisto
From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
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Posted 4 Jul 2006 7:34 am
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The original post asked about the steel he`s playing in the clip; I think it`s the Sho-Bud Super Pro he got from the company , with his name inlaid on the front.
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Olli Haavisto,
Finland
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Rand Anderson
From:
Cardiff, California, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2006 2:58 pm
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| Just got a bootleg of Steely Dan in Memphis 1973. Skunk plays steel on "Dirty Work". It is sweet. |
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Joe Alterio
From:
Irvington, Indiana
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Posted 5 Jul 2006 7:27 pm
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 5 Jul 2006 9:07 pm
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love his playing. i've seen footage of him with the Doobies playing a Sierra back in the 7os... not sure what he used on the Dan tunes.
there are a handful of Dan bootlegs from '73 and '74. Skunk played steel on "Dirty Work", "Any Major Dude", and others... and some great B-bender work on "Barrytown".
"Razor Boy" is probably my favorite too. Is that the only time Ray Brown recorded with pedal steel?
Steely Dan really featured the steel prominently in the beginning. They even hinted that it had something to do with the name of the band before everyone figured out where the name really came from. Their first single was a steel-drenched country-rock tune called "Dallas" that most people have never heard. Poco covered it at some point. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2006 9:32 pm
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| Joe, that card is classic! I had one and it got lost about 20 years ago. Used to hang out at Red's when Jeff worked there; at the same time Richard Bowden worked the counter at Westwood Music. |
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Ariel Lobos
From:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Posted 6 Jul 2006 8:04 am
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| My inspiration !!!!! ...as a guitar player who wants to learn PDS.... I love his style in electric guitar and I thought the steely dan had another guy for the steel!!!...really amazing man....I was looking for his instructional video for years and i couldn't find it...if somebody knows something about it...i'm still looking for it |
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Jim West
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Posted 6 Jul 2006 11:19 am
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| They even hinted that it had something to do with the name of the band before everyone figured out where the name really came from. |
Where did the name "Steely Dan" come from? What does it mean? Enquiring minds would like to know.  |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2006 11:23 am
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| Quote: |
| Where did the name "Steely Dan" come from? What does it mean? |
Please, Jim, this is a family-oriented forum. |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 6 Jul 2006 12:01 pm
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| Jeff Baxter played steel on "At This Moment" by Billy Vera and the Beaters. Brett, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel, GFI Ultra D-10 |
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Colm Chomicky
From:
Kansas, (Prairie Village)
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Posted 6 Jul 2006 12:04 pm
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| You can tell he is a real smart guy -- that's why he plays steel. The steel has a gravitational-like force that attracts smart guys like that(plus not so smart guys like me). |
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