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Steely Dan at Blossom Music Center

Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
July 28, 2015
Back in April, Steely Dan got the busses loaded up for their semi regular touring season that included a few nights at Coachella. July 6th then brought forth the official summer tour, with twenty-three dates set through the middle of August. Billed as the "Rockabye Gollie Angel" tour, whatever the hell that means, The Dan brought its travelling minstrel show to Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on July 28th. It was the first time

Donald Fagen
piano and vocalsb.1948
Weather-wise it was a perfect night and about 10,000 people scattered on the lawn and inside the pavilion to revel in the music of Fagen and Becker, who as the latter pointed out, have been collaborating for close to 50 years. Powered by the superhuman drumming skills of

Keith Carlock
drumsProviding a fine introduction to the horn section (Roger Rosenberg,

Walt Weiskopf
saxophoneb.1960

Michael Leonhart
trumpetb.1974

Jim Pugh
tromboneb.1950
Throughout the evening, Becker noodled between the spaces in Fagen's lead vocals, taking just a few solos of his own. Jon Herington's guitar figured more prominently into the mix, having to invoke such iconic solos as Jeff Baxter's from "Bodhisattva," or

Larry Carlton
guitarb.1948
"Time Out of Mind" presented a great opportunity for Becker and Fagen to spur each other on. The pair commenced to jamming at tune's end with Becker on guitar and Fagen up front on the melodica, a handheld, breath-powered keyboard. The Danettes (Carolyn Leonhart, Cindy Mizelle, and

Paulette McWilliams
vocalsAlthough Fagen runs a tight ship with little banter between numbers, Becker likes to hang in the moment. At one point he rambled on about how they intended to make the show turn into "the best fucking night of the summer." He would also lend his vocal chops to "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More" and introduce the band, while the ensemble wailed on the Joe Tex ditty "I Want To (Do Everything For You)."
Even as the close to two-hour show wound down, Herington would figure prominently in the mix with ripping solos on "My Old School" and "Reeling in the Years," Carlock getting an extended chance to burn on the latter as well. Customary for the last several years, "Kid Charlemagne" served as the encore, cell phone lights providing a nostalgic afterglow.
Photo credit: C. Andrew Hovan
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Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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