Sam, Clarence ... and Donald

So how did Donald Fagen end up playing on a couple of tracks on Clarence Fountain & Sam Butler's new album Stepping Up And Steeping Out?

The answer can be found in this short article from the huffingtonpost.com.

More on the album: http://www.fountain-butler.com
and on the MySpace page (including music).

P.S. The Gospel At Colonus mentioned in the article is out on CD and also on iTunes.

Archangel - Do It Again. The video

We wrote about the cover version in November. Now Archangel's take on Steely Dan's Do It Again has a brand new video.
The song is taken from taken from Archangel's (Nick Webber) debut album How To Lose Your Best Friend. The video is directed by Henry Schofield.
Archangel "Do It Again"

No Steely Dan at Soboba this year...

Steely Dan has played shows at the Soboba Casino, San Jacinto, California. But no more according to an article at pe.com about the casino reducing the size of its arena:

The change means that it won't be practical to book giant headliners such as KISS and Steely Dan, but Tarri Rubio, the casino's entertainment coordinator, said there are plenty of quality acts available, especially since many performers charge reduced fees in light of the dour economy.

The music from now on will "lean heavily on Latin music and country acts".

becker vs fagen dot com

Was wondering if there are any Donald Fagen fans who go to donaldfagen.com without also checking steelydan.com now and then? If "yes" chances are that they're still unaware of the upcoming summer tour. The tour dates page donaldfagen.com serves up simply says "no dates":


In contrast walterbecker.com was pretty quick in adding a link to the Steely Dan tour page:

This is also true for Walter's MySpace page:
By the way; did that empty player with no songs and no plays just appear or has it been there before?

And is there an official Donald Fagen MySpace page? A quick look gave us a few obvious fake ones but none that felt like the real deal.

- Yours truly, from the Observation deck

Steely Dan live 2009: Tickets!

OK. As of today tickets to all nine announced shows announced so far are on sale!

Jun 25 - Amsterdam, Holland - Heineken Music Hall
Jun 26 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest National
Jun 28 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Playhouse
Jun 29 - Birmingham, UK - NIA
Jul 01 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo
Jul 02 - Paris, France - Olympia
Jul 06 - Rome, Italy - Cavea Auditorium
Jul 09 - Milan, Italy - Arena Civica
Jul 11 - Perugia, Italy- Umbria Jazz Festival

Visit steelydan.com for links to ticket vendors.

Radio Dupree is busy trying to get a few weeks off to catch a couple of shows. We're also waiting for the number of shows to increase. Quote from steelydan.com:

Yes — more dates will be announced ...
and these additions can break at any time!

Looking forward to a Danfest or two and a groovy summer '09!

steelydan.com - The only place for confirmed dates/shows.
dandom.com/Bluebook - The fan page for breaking news, views, discussions, setlists and the occasional rumour.

Madeleine Peyroux "Bare Bones" released

A reminder that March 10 is the US release date for Madeleine Peyroux new album Bare Bones. It will be out in Europe two weeks later and the UK April 13. Produced by Larry Klein it features two tracks co-written by Walter Becker; You Can't Do Me and the title track Bare Bones.
Here's the EPK (Electronic Press Kit):

Steely Dan live in 2009: Criswell Jr. predicts!

What follows are some unsubstantiated ponderings based on this tour in any way having to look like previous tours.

So after the European tour becoming official last week nine shows have been confirmed.
Looking even further back I can see that this will be the fourth tour of Europe since Steely Dan started playing live again in 1993.

1996: Nine shows in Europe in September after playing the USA and before going to Japan.

2000: 15 shows in Europe in late August and September after touring Japan and the USA.

2007: 16 shows in Europe in July after touring the USA and before goingto Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

With nine dates official so far there is clearly room for a few more in Europe this time around. Comparing the schedule to 2000 and 2007 I can see that a couple of countries are "missing". Germany and the Scandinavian/Nordic countries.

There are room for a couple of shows early July. Or maybe late June before the announced Amsterdam gig. Or maybe even late July after the week in Italy.
Of course nothing says Steely Dan must play any of the Scandinavian countries this time around, but I would be surprised if we didn't get at least one or two shows in Germany.

I would also be surprised if the 2009 tour is Europe-only. Surely some shows in the USA/Canada and Japan must be there somewhere in the mix?

- Criswell Jr.

And rememeber: "Future events such as these will affect you in the future."

Steely Dan live 2009: Brussels, Belgium June 26

Not up yet on steelydan.com, but the tickets are already available:

June 26 Brussels, Belgium - Vorst Nationaal/Forest National

UPDATE March 8:

The Brussels date added to confirmed dates over at steelydan.com!

steelydan.com - The only place for confirmed dates/shows.
dandom.com/Bluebook - The fan page for breaking news, views, discussions, setlists and the occasional rumour.

Steely Dan live 2009: The band

And here are the band members in alphabetical order:

Left Bank Holiday Band - 2009

Tawatha Agee [Backing Vocals: '08, '09]
Jim Beard [Keyboards: 08, 09]
Keith Carlock [Drums: 03-'09]

Jon Herington [Guitar: '00-'09]
Michael Leonhart [Trumpet, Keys: '00-'09]
Cindy Mizelle [Backing Vocals: '03-'09]

Jim Pugh [Trombone: '00-'09]
Roger Rosenberg [Baritone Saxophone: '06-'09]
Catherine Russell [B. Vocals: '08, '09]

Freddie Washington [Bass: '06-'09]
Walt Weiskopf [Saxophone: '03-'09]

"Excuse me sir; could I borrow your binoculars to see if I am at the right venue. I can't hear the band over all the talking and mucking about here at the back of the arena..."

As far as tickets go it's the same old mess. Not that we expect it to be anything but.
Just took a look at what is on offer for the London show June 1 over on the Ticketmaster site. We were looking for one single ticket, best available. And got what?

Section BLK4
Row W
Seats 43
Description
PRICE LEVEL 2
DRESS CIRCLE

The general advice in the ticket selling world still is what it has always been; stay cool and check back as better tickets usually pop up later. Fine if you live close enough to the venue.

But what if you have to make plans to travel to the show?
Gamble on better tickets becoming available and order the airplane tickets, book the hotel room and risking ending up at the far back with the worst tickets possible? So much for the "concert experience".

If we're supposed to buy tickets up to six months in advance of a show we should also get the courtesy of having access to all the best tickets from the start. Not see them miracously appear weeks and months after the show went on sale.
It's enough to kill the initial buzz of being able to see your favourite artist live. Enough to make you stay at home and spare yourself the unnecessary hassle.

We wish that things were constructed to first and foremost serve the ticket buying audience, instead of making it as easy and profitable as possible for the Ticketmasters and Live Nations of this planet.

Se you at the shows? Maybe...

Steely Dan live 2009: Three UK dates added

And the three unofficial dates mentioned in the previous post is confirmed as they are added to the list over at steelydan.com bringing the European shows to seven right now:

new Jun 28 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Playhouse presale now
new Jun 29 - Birmingham, UK - NIA presale now
new Jul 01 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo presale now

Jul 02 - Paris, France - Olympia on sale March 9
Jul 06 - Rome, Italy - Cavea Auditorium on sale March 6
(A fan found this link apparently selling tickets tho this show already)

Jul 09 - Milan, Italy - Arena Civica on sale March 6
Jul 11 - Perugia, Italy- Umbria Jazz Festival on sale March 6

Plus there are two unconfirmed dates (i.e. not up on steelydan.com yet ... or ever).

Berlin 19/06/09

Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam 25/06/09 (on sale Friday)

Two useful links:

steelydan.com - The only place for confirmed dates
dandom.com/Bluebook - The fan page for breaking news, views and the occasional rumour.

UPDATE March 5: The Amsterdam date is now confirmed and added to the tour dates on steelydan.com.

Steely Dan Left Bank Holiday Tour 2009

Five confirmed dates from steelydan.com

Jul 02 - Paris, France - Olympia on sale March 9

Jul 06 - Rome, Italy - Cavea Auditorium on sale March 6
(According to a post to the Dandom Digest already on sale here!)

Jul 07 - Naples, Italy - Arena Flegrea on sale March 6

Jul 09 - Milan, Italy - Arena Civica on sale March 6

Jul 11 - Perugia, Italy- Umbria Jazz Festival on sale March 6

plus five four unconfirmed

Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam 25/06/09 (on sale Friday)

Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh Sun 28/06/09
NIA Academy Birmingham, West Midlands Mon 29/06/09
HMV Hammersmith Apollo London Wed 01/07/09
(The three above on sale according to a Dandom Digest post. No links though...)

Aintree Pavilion, Liverpool, UK 6/7/09 Oops! Apparently an old date from the '07 tour...

Steely Dan Amsterdam tickets on sale this week!

Here's another European date on that so far non-official European trek. We've previously mentioned the Umbria Jazz Festival July 10 - 19 in Perugia, Italy that list Steely Dan as one of the artists without a specific date.

Today four diferent sites list another date:

June 25 Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam.

Tickets go on sale this Thursday or Friday depending which site you believe:

http://www.livenation.nl

http://www.nu.nl/muziek/

http://www.evenementnieuws.nl

http://oor.nl

Radio Dupree Top 20 - March 2009

1. Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You (BBC radio session)
Death Walks Behind You

2. Electric Light Orchestra - Telephone Line
Light Years

3. David Byrne and Brian Eno - Wanted For Life
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

4. Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - Angel Dust
Messages

5. Frank Zappa - Whipping Post
Them Or Us

6. Steve Vai - Bledsoe Blvd
Flex-able Leftovers

7. Chamaeleon Church - Tomkin's Square Park
Chamaeleon Church

8. Warren Zevon - Networking
Transverse City

9. The Cramps - God Damn Rock 'N Roll
Stay Sick

10. Genesis - The Chamber Of 32 Doors
Genesis Archive 1967-75

11. Blue Floyd - Wish You Were Here - Begins
12. Peter Gabriel - That Voice Again - So
13. Martha Wainwright - See Emily Play - I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too
14. Steely Dan - King Of The World - Countdown To Ecstasy
15. Jimi Hendrix - Bleeding Heart - More Experience Vol. 2
16. Frank Zappa - San Ber'dino - Baby Snakes DVD
17. Walter Becker And Donald Fagen - Stone Piano - Catalyst
18. Frank Zappa - Black Napkins - Zoot Allures
19. Frank Zappa - Heavenly Bank Account - You Are What You Is
20. Frank Zappa - Lumpy Gravy, Part One (1984 remix, excerpt) - Lumpy Money

-------------------------------------------------------

Chart compiled by listeners voting on the songs they hear on Radio Dupree

Bubbling under: Frank Zappa - Be In My Video - Them Or Us, Genesis - The Musical Box - Nursery Cryme, Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart - 90125, King Crimson - Cirkus - Lizard, George Duke - Funny Funk - My Soul - The Complete MPS Fusion Recordings, Patrice Holloway - Those DJ Shows - A Cellarful Of Motown! Volume 2, David Byrne and Brian Eno - I Feel My Stuff - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, Bruford - Forever Until Sunday - One Of A Kind, Genesis - I Know What I Like - Seconds Out and Funkadelic - Can You Get to That - Maggot Brain.

Number one this month: A bonus track from the 2006 CD version of an album originally released 1970 and considered Atomic Rooster's best.
Also from the 70's ELO's big hit Telephone Line and the Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson collaboration Angel Dust.

Zappa is no stranger to the Top 20, but his cover of Whipping Post is not the most ovious track to make it to the top. One track from our Album of the Month; Lumpy Gravy, just made the chart. My guess is that Zappa will do better with this month's Sheik Yerbouti. We'll know early in March.

Fagen on Monk concerts

According to this The Chronicle article Donald Fagen attended the Monk concerts at Town Hall, New York City this past Thursday and Friday. He's even quoted in the article saying that "it was a really good representation of what Monk does. It was really great as far as tributes go."

http://www.monkattownhall.org

Happy birthday, Sheik Yerbouti!

The Zappa orgy continues here on Radio Dupree. Our album of the month for February was Lumpy Money. Sheik Yerbouti takes over for March.
It is now 30 years since the Sheik Yerbouti album was released. The exact date was March 3, 1979. I realize that I also can celebrate three decades as a Zappa fan, since Sheik Yerbouti was the album that really got med hooked...to Zappa AND to music. It kind of changed my life a bit. I picked the album at the library and listened through headphones and the music totally blew my mind...the rich, flamboyant sound, the extremely close miked lead vocals, the energy!
Sheik Yerbouti is one of Frank's most important albums. It marked a sort of a come back, after a couple of tough years in the business. It even resulted in a hit record. It is also a landmark of music technology and innovativity.
/Siggy