Steely Dan wasn’t always a studio-only jazz-rock outfit. The band originally had a full lineup. However, core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen ultimately decided to stop performing as a live act by the end of 1974 and opted instead to continue on as a studio-only outfit. Through the years, Steely Dan employed the talents of quite a few session musicians for those studio sessions, and we think the following four performers deserve some credit for making Steely Dan even better. Let’s take a look!
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1. Denny Dias
When one thinks of Steely Dan, one often thinks of the 1972 hit song “Do It Again”. Denny Dias provided his skills at the electric sitar to the song by launching one of the most memorable solos of any funk rock song to date. Dias also plays the guitar on the song as well. Though, we wouldn’t call Dias a “session musician” in this instance, considering he was a founding member of the band.
2. Bernard Purdie
Steely Dan session musicians come in all forms with different musical inclinations, and Bernard Purdie stands as one of the best drummers to contribute their talents to the band’s recorded work. Purdie can be heard on the songs “Deacon Blues” and “Home At Last”, which are standout tracks on the 1977 record Aja. Purdie’s sense of rhythm was on another level here, we have to hand it to him.
3. Larry Carlton
Out of all the session musicians to contribute their talents to Steely Dan, Larry Carlton should be considered an honorary member of the outfit. Carlton is a master of the electric guitar, and his work on songs such as “Don’t Take Me Alive” and “Kid Charlemagne” is nothing short of memorable. His solos are elegant, not flashy, and his sense of groove and timing is impeccable.
4. Elliot Randall
Steely Dan session musicians are often very talented individuals, and Elliot Randall is no exception. Randall was an important part of Steely Dan when the band was still considered a “collective”, and you just can’t beat his contributions to the 1972 hit song “Reelin’ In The Years” from Can’t Buy A Thrill. We’d be bold enough to say that Randall is criminally underrated in the world of guitar players.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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