Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter has released his first solo album, ‘Speed of Heat.’
Baxter said the project has been in the works for decades: "It's like pennies in a jar, you know, you get to the point where you got to roll them up, take them to the bank. So, myself and my music partner, CJ Vanston, we looked at the track sheet when we handed it in [and] the first thing we did was in 1989. So, it's been a labor of love for a while. Much of this was done before COVID and then when we had the COVID lockdown situation we just kept on working. Didn't make much difference. It's been a labor of love for a awhile."
Former Doobie Brothers bandmate Michael McDonald, country singer Clint Black, and Jonny Lang also join Jeff on the album.
Baxter also covered Steely Dan's "My Old School" on the new album. He also played on the original recording, and occasionally sang while on tour with them.
Jeff talked about covering Steely Dan’s ‘My Old School,” saying, "Every time that we would do it it would kind of get a little tougher, rock a little more. Years later I thought, 'You know, there's got to be a more powerful version of this song.' And I got a nice letter from the Steely Dan Fan Club saying they liked this version more than the original. So, at least somehow or other I think I made the right decision."
Baxter was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of The Doobie Brothers,
[Source: Classic Hits Today]