#Alter ego band long island series#

I even asked Steve Tyler to sing on it and I sent him a copy of ‘My Old School’ with me doing a scratch vocal. It was going to be instrumental and then I mentioned it to Mike McDonald and he said he’d like to play on it. Every once in a while, we’d get together and do a little recording. Vanston over the course of about the past 12 years. I thought, nah, I’ll percolate a bit and it was pretty busy between studio work and producing records and playing with other folks. Addressing his alter ego directly during our conversation provided a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a man who is not only an acknowledged musical force, but also a keenly intelligent fount of fascinating scientific knowledge and experience.Īsked about the decades-long delay in releasing a solo album, Baxter explained, “I always thought it was kind of typical for any artist who leaves a very successful band to immediately do a solo album.

Similar to another guitar-playing peer’s second career as an astrophysicist (Queen’s Brian May), a little-known fact about Baxter is that he is a highly respected defense consultant and counter-terrorism expert for the United States government. It is unmistakably clear that Jeff “Skunk” Baxter has created a definitive personal statement with Speed of Heat, one which will endear him further to his legion of existing fans while introducing him to a generation of new ones.ĭuring a recent Saturday afternoon, Baxter was eager to talk about the new album and happy to share memories of some of the people and places he’s encountered in his 50-plus year musical voyage. In a word: astonishing.įrom the driving, hard-edged take of Steely Dan’s “My Old School” to the haunting, a cappella pedal steel featured on “The Rose,” breathtakingly jaw-dropping moments abound. Vanston, the album’s originals highlight the depth and scope of Baxter’s musical genius in vivid relief. The album’s 12 tracks consist of a combination of originals and “inspired classics,” including a re-imagining of Steely Dan’s “My Old School” and “Do It Again.” Along with songwriting collaborator and musician C.J. Speed of Heat features contributions from several notable guests, including Michael McDonald, Clint Black, Jonny Lang and Rick Livingstone.

#Alter ego band long island series#

Excited to share his new album with the world, Baxter is returning to the road with a tour that will bring him to Long Island on May 10, at the Metropolitan in Glen Cove, as part of the Long Island Classic Series presented by Michael “Eppy” Epstein of legendary My Father’s Place fame. With Speed of Heat, 72-year-old Baxter shows that his creative fires are stoked and that he is moving ever forward. His extraordinary talent has graced hundreds of other artists’ work, among them Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Carl Wilson, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart and the Ventures. A renowned studio musician and producer, Baxter’s contributions are as ubiquitous as the famed Wrecking Crew or the Session.

His presence in the music world, however, looms even larger. The name, no doubt, is instantly familiar to fans of Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers. To the delight of his fans, musical icon Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is releasing his debut solo album, Speed of Heat, on June 17, on BMG/Renew Records.