Gaucho Amigos

Dave Hebert and Dylan Teifer of the band Steely Dead join the podcast to talk all about their popular, one-of-a-kind Steely Dan/Grateful Dead hybrid cover band project.

Nick Lanyon and Kyla Jolene of the Montreal-based musical duo Rapallo join the podcast to discuss their excellent debut album Merger, touching on influences that range from musical theater to architecture to Gaucho, and everything in between. We also talk about how Steely Dan's "cinematic universe" had a strong influence on Rapallo's own approach to lyric-writing.

Vulture writer Devon Ivie is one of the journalists who has most consistently (and humorously) covered the goings-on in the world of Steely Dan in recent years. She joins the podcast to give us updates on Donald Fagen's "retirement" status, as well discusses his chances of getting into the Rock Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

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 Hendrix, Laura Nyro, and others.

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" Gaucho song "Heartbreak Souvenir."

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.