STEELY DAN'S TIMELESS MASTERPIECE: AJA | UNVEILING THE BRILLIANCE OF CLASSIC JAZZ-ROCK FUSION"

[@danieltruyts-ke4gi]

There' no song like this one in the whole history of popular music. I already know this album for more than 40 years and it still amazes me every time I hear it.

[@sirhoopalot1]

That’s what called a tour de force.

[@richkurl]

The magnificent, legendary Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, one of the founders of of the jazz fusion band Weather Report, solo artist, and hand picked sax player for many of Miles Davis' greatest works.

[@m.ericwatson968]

Another interesting fact for me is I've known this song so well but didn't get into Jazz until my late '40's, so to add that incredible musician to this track somehow enriches it even further. RIP Wayne Shorter; also a fan of Weather Report but as a bassist Jaco was always my main focus...um, hello...also Wayne Shorter bruh

[@LucilleBrawl17]

​@@m.ericwatson968100%

[@lucasroth7922]

Again! Steely Dan, your favorite bands favorite band 🔥🤘✌

[@michaelmolloy6697]

The discography of this band is so huge and literally over50 years has no equal…period! I never grow tired of listening to Their songs and I am 77! This band is its own genre!

[@kbrewski1]

Actually its not that huge considering they started in the early 70s, reunited in the early 90s through when Walter died a few years ago. That's about 40 years when they were active (not counting the 80s). In all that time they released 7 albums from 72>80, and then only 2 more from 2000 to the present. That's 9 Steely Dan albums over 40 years. Now if you count Fagen and Becker solo, Becker had 2, Fagen had Nightfly, Kamakiriad, Morph the Cat, and Sunken Condos. So you could add at least Fagen's 4 solo albums I guess to make it 13 total over 50 years.

[@ianson3]

You asked for the name of the drummer. It was Steve Gadd. He played that solo in one take (some sources say two takes).

[@PhiliminizzyReacts]

Thanks for letting me know and for tuning it

[@kbrewski1]

Aja the song is arguably their greatest piece of music. Its #1 for me. Its an extended piece of progressive jazz funk fusion that is just perfection. I've heard it many many times live in concert since 1993, and they have the ability to play this complex composition flawlessly every time, even with various band lineup changes. Simply amazing and you just sit back and soak in the excellence. The incomparable Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone with that iconic solo is a legendary jazz musician, started the great 70s jazz fusion band Weather Report. Steve Gadd is a well known session drummer and his drumming on Aja with that bookend solo is priceless. The great Larry Carlton, ex band member Denny Dias and Becker all play guitar on this. The whole song is chock full of great musicians. Imo, its the Pinnacle of what Fagen and Becker were striving for ever since they started SDan, and is the reason they stopped being a touring band in 1974. Their love and homage to their jazz heroes growing up shines through on both Aja the song and the entire album. (If you really intend to go deep on Steely Dan, imo its better to start at the beginning and move forward chronologically. That way you get a better feel for how the original band developed, then how Fagen and Becker became a duo circa 1974 and moved toward a more jazzy direction using session musicians, in pursuit of perfection in song craftsmanship. It looks like you've done about half the debut album, and then a few scattered other tunes. I'm not suggesting doing EVERY tune, but if you hit the best ones from each album chronologically instead of scatter shot, it might be more rewarding. Their 2nd album Countdown to Ecstacy is an absolute gem, a big step forward from Thrill imo, and is packed with fantastic tunes. Your Gold Teeth, Razor Boy, Pearl of the Quarter, Boston Rag are underrated gems; Show Biz Kids and Bodhisattva are more unusual and funky; My Old School was a minor hit that has become a SD classic fan favorite, as has King of the World. A LOT of good stuff to explore on Countdown.)

[@LucilleBrawl17]

If you haven't listened to Weather Report, look up their album Heavy Weather. It's brilliant. The saxophonist from this song played with WR. It's amazing!

[@andrewmadeloni7173]

If you haven't yet, "Green Earrings", "Time out of Mind", "The Royal Scam"...and so many more...🙂

[@buckdurant5336]

Unbelievable music!!!💪

[@briangray00]

This is desert island disc level material. I don't say this lightly. It's genius.

[@m.ericwatson968]

Not to drone on but I heard this album when I was just a kid, 8 yo or so, always loved music, my mom had a killer record collection and a nice stereo and headphones and life was turbulent in those years for us so music was the very best escape and a way to find a center and focus as well, this song still evades me musically, holy smokes so advanced yet so listenable; this album and this song holds a special place in my heart and memories.

[@PhiliminizzyReacts]

wow..i feeel you on this one

[@babylonsister118]

I believe I read that they used 40 session musicians for this one song. OMG! It was so good to see you enjoy my old beloved! The entire album is pure fire! My poor husband, being more of a Zeplin fan was beside himself. I played the entire album over and over...

[@buddystewart2020]

Nope, just nine. Donald Fagen - lead vocals, synthesizer, police whistle Steve Gadd - drums Victor Feldman - percussion, vibraphone Chuck Rainey - bass guitar Walter Becker, Denny Dias and Larry Carlton - guitars Michael Omartian - piano Joe Sample - electric piano Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone Timothy B. Schmit - backing vocals

[@michaelyork4554]

Love this entire Album, and The Royal Scam, just so many perfectly mastered songs by them. I first heard "Reelin' In The Years" on AM radio in the early 70's and that inspired me to start playing guitar, I had never heard tone, and riffs like that, it blew my young mind.

[@mikenorgrove2795]

Love seeing your reaction to Steve Gadd's drumming!

[@Tune-O-matic]

You will probably like the Steely Dan documentary "The making of Aja" here on YT..

[@duiliosan4196]

SD🐐

[@barryshapiro3315]

album won a grammy for the best engineered album way back when you didn"t have all the advantages you have now in the recording studio, Steve Gadd on Drums what else to say! Joe Sample. piano, Shorter on Sax, Larry Carlton on guitar Doesn't get any better! period