Gaucho Amigos

Zamauri Jones, aka "Dealing Stan" on Instagram, joins the podcast to talk about the origins of his Steely Dan obsession and how it led to the creation of his popular fan account. We also explore some of the deep cuts, live rarities and other Dan-related obscurities Zamauri has discovered over the years and shared on his account.

Lenise Bent (the first female audio engineer to receive a Platinum Album) joins the podcast to share her experiences working as an Assistant Engineer on Aja, recalling everything from the process of recording Donald's vocals on "Home at Last" to her memories of legendary guest appearances by Wayne Shorter and Michael McDonald. 

Samuel Purdey co-leader/songwriter and Steely Dan aficionado Barney Hurley joins the podcast to tell the origin story behind his incredible collection of Dan-related archival photographs and memorabilia. He also recalls his reaction to Two Against Nature's Grammy win, and shares what it was like to live in New York as a British Dan fan.

Renowned producer and audio engineer Bill Schnee (author of Chairman at the Board) joins the podcast to share some of his experiences working on Aja, for which he won a Grammy for Best Engineered Album. He explains how the recording process on that album defied his own expectations for working with Donald and Walter, and talks about his particular fondness for drummers Jeff Porcaro and Steve Gadd.

Guitarist and friend Tim Good joins the podcast to discuss the various styles of Steely Dan's many guitarists, from founding members Denny Dias and Skunk Baxter to session specialists Elliott Randall and Larry Carlton. Tim also explains why a one-off Steely Dan collaborator is his single favorite guitarist of all-time.

Screenwriter and author Howard Rodman joins the podcast to share some of his experiences as a lifelong friend of Walter Becker, from seeing Mingus in the Village with him to eating together at Mr. Chow's. He also shares his perspective on seeing a younger generation embrace the music of Steely Dan.

Fievel is Glauque songwriter and co-leader Zach Phillips joins the podcast in-person to discuss his creative process and recording ethos, contrasting his own approach to making music to Becker and Fagen's. We also talk about Walter's solo album 11 Tracks of Whack, and share some thoughts on the new "Second Arrangement." Produced with additional commentary by Winston Cook-Wilson.

Cimcie Nichols joins the podcast to discuss her late father Roger Nichols' life, legacy and work as Steely Dan's recording engineer. She also talks about her experience around discovering lost Gaucho track "The Second Arrangement," and shares some never-before-heard clips of Steely Dan recording stories from her father's vault.

Josh Mound (writer for Audiophile Style's The Best Version Of... series) joins the podcast to discuss Donald Fagen's The Nightfly, explaining why the album was a landmark in digital recording and how it became a popular "audiophile audition" album. We also explore why the themes of lead single "I.G.Y." have surprising relevance more than 40 years on.

Writer Libby Cudmore (contributing author to A Beast Without a Name) joins the podcast to talk about lost Steely Dan media, and shares what it was like to see the one and only performance of "The Second Arrangement" at the Beacon Theater in 2011. Also, Alex shares his thoughts on last week's long-awaited release of the "Second Arrangement" tape.