J E F F
"S K U N K"
B A X T E R
LEGENDARY GUITARIST
SONGWRITER & PRODUCER
with
S T E E L Y D A N
T H E D O O B I E B R O T H E R S
& U.S. MILITARY ADVISOR
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
With Steely Dan
JEFF "SKUNK" BAXTER APPEARS
TUESDAY JULY 2ND 2019
7 PM PACIFIC/10 PM EASTERN
on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
with RAY SHASHO
BBS RADIO 1
www.bbsradio.com
While working at Jimmy’s
Music Shop in Manhattan in 1966, Baxter met guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who was
just beginning his career as a frontman. For a short period during that year,
Baxter was a member of a Hendrix-led band called Jimmy James and the Blue
Flames, along with Manny’s employee Randy California.
After the breakup of
Ultimate Spinach, Baxter relocated to Los Angeles, California, finding work as
a session guitarist. In 1972 he became a founding member of the band Steely
Dan, along with guitarist-bassist Walter Becker, keyboardist Donald Fagen,
guitarist Denny Dias, drummer Jim Hodder and vocalist David Palmer. Becker and
Fagen were employed at the time as staff songwriters for ABC Records, and they
formed the band as a vehicle to promote their songs.
Baxter appeared with
Steely Dan on their first three albums, Can’t Buy a Thrill in 1972, Countdown
to Ecstasy in 1973, and Pretzel Logic in 1974. Among his contributions were
guitar solos on the 1974 hit single “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and “My Old
School.
With the Doobie
Brothers
While finishing work on
Pretzel Logic, Baxter became aware of Becker and Fagen’s intentions to retire
Steely Dan from touring, With that in mind, Baxter left the band in 1974 to
join The Doobie Brothers, who at the time were touring in support of their
fourth album What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. As a session man, he played
on Vices as well as playing pedal steel on “South City Midnight Lady” on its
predecessor, The Captain and Me. Baxter’s first album as a full member of the
group was 1975’s Stampede. Baxter contributed an acoustic interlude entitled
“Precis,” significant turns on slide and pedal steel guitar, and the guitar
solo for the hit single “Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)”.
Baxter jammed with former
White House Press Secretary and close friend Tony Snow’s band Beats Workin at
the Congressional Picnic held on the South Lawn of the White House.
Defense consulting
career
Baxter fell into his
second profession almost by accident. In the mid-1980s, Baxter’s interest in
music recording technology led him to wonder about hardware and software that
was originally developed for military use, i.e. data-compression algorithms and
large-capacity storage devices. As it happened, his next-door neighbor was a
retired engineer who had worked on the Sidewinder missile program. This
neighbor bought Baxter a subscription to an aviation magazine, provoking his
interest in additional military-oriented publications and missile defense
systems in particular. He became self-taught in this area, and at one point he
wrote a five-page paper that proposed converting the ship-based anti-aircraft
Aegis system into a rudimentary missile defense system. He gave the paper to
California Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and his career as a defense
consultant began.
The
largest classic rock benefits for U.S. Vets happening this Fourth Of July
weekend
–The “American Vinyl Festival.”
This event will feature The American Vinyl All Star Band (AVASB), comprising
Jeffrey “Skunk” Baxter (Doobie Bothers/Steely Dan), Barry Goudreau (formerly of
Boston), Robert “Mousey” Thompson (James Brown), Leroy “LRS” Romans (The
Wailers/3rd World), Tim Archibald (RTZ/Peter Wolf) and Danny Beissel
(Fosterchild), as the event’s headliners.
An onslaught of special
guests will also be lending their musical talents to the day, including: Matt
Sorum (Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver), Wally Palmer (The Romantics), The Uptown
Horns (The Rolling Stones), Conrad Korsch (The Rod Stewart Band), Brian Quinn
(Candlebox), Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), and Phil Stokes (Pure Prairie League).
The “American Vinyl
Festival” will support Freedom Drives U.S. Inc., a not-for-profit charity
engaged in the facilitation of mobility converted vehicles other than minivans
for veterans with mobility needs.
Sat, July 6, 2019 5:00 PM –
10:00 PM EDT
Location Suicide Six
Downhill Ski Area 247 Stage Road
Pomfret, VT 05067
The event kicks off at 5 PM
ET and will include food vendors, merchants and a silent auction. Tickets are
$20 - $65 and veterans get in free with a ticketed guest.
Tickets are available
at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-american-vinyl-music-festival-tickets-61571182063
For more information about
AVASB visit https://www.americanvinylallstarband.net.
TUESDAY JULY 2ND 2019
7 PM PACIFIC/10 PM EASTERN
on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
with RAY SHASHO
BBS RADIO 1
www.bbsradio.com
