The greatest album ever? Well, THAT is impossible to say, really. I mean there’s Kind of Blue, Giant Steps, Joni Mitchel’sĀ Both Sides Now, The Beatles Abbey Road, Sergeant Pepper, anything by Lenny Bernstein, JJ Johnson Proof Positive…well, you get the idea.Ā
But there is something pretty damn special about the Steely Dan album Aja. WOWZA.
To get their perspective on it, I HIGHLY recommend the documentary of the same name on Netflix.
However, even THAT documentary from the lips of Becker and Fagan themselves misses the boat for me. Why? Because the HORNS are NEVER mentioned.Ā YES, it is without doubt one of the best-mixed albums EVER (Phill Bulla, Michael Schulze and countless other great engineers “A and B” this mix all the time for the perfect sound. So do I. It is exquisite!
And YES…the VOCALS! OY. Michael McDonald on PEG…are you KIDDING me? The BEST. Period, end of story.Ā
But let’s discuss the HORNS, the writing and the SOLOS…PLEASE!
The gorgeous horn arrangements on my favorite track (Deacon Blues) were written by Tom Scott. A cuppa years ago, I had the great honor and joy of working with Tom in (of all places) the legendary Bohemian Grove north of San Fransisco (worthy of its own article)Ā We played a wonderful arrangement of Tom’s of Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk.” As fate would have it, that is the first time I heard that tune! And it became a favorite (Julio! Put some liquor in it!”) But the real thrill for me on that particular occasion (thank you to fellow Mississippian Jerome Gilmer for inviting me to play) was that I had the opportunity to tell Tom THANK YOU for his heartbreakingly perfect performance of yet another candidate for greatest album of all time “Threshold” by the great Pat Williams. The piece in question is the title track, specifically the hauntingly perfect ballad at the end of the track. Check THIS out:! the greatest ballad of ALL TIMES (in my humble opinion) begins at the 6:37 mark. (but go ahead and dig my pal Marvin Stamm‘s iconic solo at the beginning! Yep…worthy of its own article)Ā
Man Oh MAN! How many romantic nights have I spent with THAT song. (TMI?) Another article? (Oh HELL yesš)Ā I feel like that piece of music is simply a perfect rendition of love and good vibes, no question. And Tom told me..;.amazingly…that he did all of that (including that perfect upper register ending) on ONE TAKE!!!! No! GAME OVER MAN! GAME OVER!
I still use that 2nd against the 3rd Pat Williams voicing ALL THE TIME. I am forever grateful for this album.
But don’t take my word for it…here is the man himself…talking about Aja
OLD MAN ALERT!
Time to digress for a minnit. How many of our dear readers know what an “album” is? Yes, that sound you hear is all of my grown children rolling their eyes and moaning at the same time. But there is simply nothing for it.
BACK IN THE DAY, music was carefully crafted to be heard in a certain order, lining up keys and grooves and lyrics to put together the PERFECT presentation of sound, heart, poetry and symmetry. Think SergeantĀ Pepper, Abbey Road, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman…it was a THING. Not just isolated trackes, cuts, or downloads, it was a HAPPENING. and It was all included on a round piece of vinyl that people BOUGHT! They paid money for it. Seems impossible these days, but that’s how it used to be (what the HELL happened AF of M. Ray Hair, Tino? Hello…is this thing on?) You guessed it…yet another article in store on THAT subject.
But…I digress…
Back to Aja and Deacon Blues. What an incredible piece of music! The LYRICS! OY. To die for. Literally. I remember my friends Lenny Jenkins, Pete Wehner, Tom Smith, Dan Johnson, Jeb Stuart, Evan Gallagher, Larry Osborne, Ray Hale and Jon Fairbank among MANY others sitting around listening to this entire LP quietly absorbing every note, every word, and then spending the night discussing whilst passing around Bacardi rum and Tab (we were young and foolish…it was the 1970s…I’m told I had a good time!) These days it would be Blanton’s or Woodford, but po’ boy Stevie couldn’t afford the good stuff back in the day. But pass it around we DID. and it was GLORIOUS.
Consider the lyric “I want a name when I lose, they call Alabama the Crimson Tide…call me Deacon Blues.” I mean COME ON man. How perfect for young revolutionaries!?
But let’s return to the horns… We always discuss the guitarists, the drummers, but what about MY MAN Pete Christlieb! His solo on Deacon Blues is one for the ages! I have recorded with Pete (Frank Mantooth’s album Persevere) and I can tell you that Pete is a special cat indeed. Once a mainstay on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (what human being of my age doesn’t remember Christlieb’s solo breaks between commercials every night! To think that I would one day see him in the studio is overwhelming and beautiful indeed. But I DID. Here is THAT story:
Pete plays a PERFECT solo on a take only to have the control booth say “Sorry guys, technical glitch, let’s do another take.” Pete says “Sure!” and giggles. Then proceeds to play an even BETTER solo! Then Frank gets on the talk back mic and says “That was wonderful, but let’s get another one just to have some extra “DNA.” And guess what…Pete laughs again and plays an even BETTER solo! there are multitudes of lessons to be learned here folks, and I take them ALL to heart.
And what does he do on Deacon Blues? Plays another PERFECT solo. The man is a true force of nature. A real Treasure.
The horn section on Aja reads like a Who’s-Who of studio session Cats in the 1970s and 80s. Dig THIS:
Chuck Findley , Slyde Hyde, Bill Reichenbach, Jim Horn, Tom Scott, Lew McCrary, Pete Christlieb
and of course the great
Speaking professionally and stickly academically…DAYUM!
And GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!!!!
But in recent years, the trombonist traveling with Steelly Dan has been my good friend Jim Pugh.
Jim is a legendary trombonist, studio great, and educator of the highest level. And guess what? He is a Mensch and a beautiful cat. Real salt-of the-Earth kinda stuff. And MAN can he play that horn! To hear Jim solo with that band is a true joy. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Check out the clip below. Sir James is at the 7:00 mark SLAMMIN!
So…where does tht leave us? Is Aja the greatest album of all times? Could be. But it is DAMN SURE one of the TOP TEN works of art EVER. You have my oath on THAT.
I’ll be performing with my good friend Gregg Bissonette at the Butch Miles Jazz Festival at Texas State University February 7, 2026. Gonna be HUGE fun!
Concert with the USM Jazz Lab I featuring me and Lou Marini: Tuesday, November 18 7:30pm Hattiesburg, MS. In Honor of Raoul Jerome!
I’ll be at Andy’s Jazz Club here in Chicago with The Bob Lark Alumni Big Band! Come check it out!
In the 1980s, I played a solo with Maynard that has hung around the Internet ever since! It was finally transcribed by a heroic soul Check it out!
As the super group Chicago moves closer to its 60th year, I wanted to talk a bit about just how much the music of Jimmy Pankow has meant to me and my world…
Three years ago, an Electro-Knight slayed a dragon that lived in my chest. If you need his help I’d like for that same good Knight or one of his colleagues to help you…
