“You play it right or you’re fired”: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter on the lessons he learned as an all-star session guitarist
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter has worn many hats throughout his storied career – guitarist for Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, studio ace, and yes, even a missile defence consultant.
But if there’s one role that taught him discipline and the art of leaving ego at the door, it was his time as a session musician.
“You’re basically standing by and waiting for a call,” says Baxter in the latest issue of Vulture’s In Session series.
READ MORE: “I don’t need the stage as much as I need the time at home”: My Chemical Romance guitarist hints at retirement from “excessive” touring
“It’s kind of like a combination of an EMT, a carpenter, and a number of other things to ultimately satisfy the artist. You park your ego at the door and get the job done.”
That no-nonsense philosophy followed him into his work with the Doobie Brothers, where he saw an opportunity to instil the same level of discipline in the band.
“I think Livin’ on the Fault Line was the best Doobie Brothers album. It was an exploratory record. It was stretching out everywhere. And while we were doing it, I thought, ‘I’m a studio rat. Why don’t I suggest to the band that they work as a rhythm section for other artists?’ Just like Steve Lukather was doing with Toto,” he recalls.
The band agreed, and soon, the Doobies found themselves doing sessions for artists like Leo Sayer, Carly Simon, and Hoyt Axton.
As Baxter explains, “there was something to me about this experience that was very constructive. A producer doesn’t care what band you’re in or how cool your shoes are. You show up at nine in the morning and you play it right or you’re fired.”
“Those were the rules we would live by in the studio. I thought getting the guys in the Doobie Brothers into this concept would be a good thing. And they rose to the occasion beautifully.”
That said, sometimes, knowing when not to play was just as valuable.
“Gary Katz was, famously, the producer for Steely Dan,” says Baxter. “It opened up a lot of opportunities for him to produce other acts. He called me one evening and said, ‘I’ve just finished this album with a very talented singer’ – I won’t name who it is – ‘and I need you to come in and listen to everything and tell me what it needs.”
“So I went in a couple of days later and everything was all set up. I probably hauled in 20 guitars and six different amplifiers – all the stuff you bring because you never know what they’re going to ask for. So Gary said, ‘Sit down and have a listen.’”
“I listened to the record top to bottom. I turned to him and said, ‘It doesn’t need anything. It’s just perfect.’ And Gary turned to me and said, ‘That’s why I pay you triple scale.’ There’s something to be said for what you don’t play.”
The post “You play it right or you’re fired”: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter on the lessons he learned as an all-star session guitarist appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
