STEELY DAN/Cosmo Creek

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 13 Oct 2001 1:35 pm

Anyone know who Cosmo Creek is? He is listed as a steel player on some Steely Dan tunes. Is that his real name or a stage name? Also, does any one know who played steel on "East St. Louis Toodle-oo" Thanks, Larry

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 13 Oct 2001 7:13 pm

In terms of the latter question, it was Skunk Baxter (and a tricky solo it was).

------------------
www.tyacktunes.com

Roger Miller · Post by **Roger Miller** » 14 Oct 2001 3:15 pm

On a video of the Doobie Bros, the song Black Water has a fiddle solo. Jeff played steel on it, playing the melody of Chicago,Chicago, the place went nuts. Quite the Sierra player he was then.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 15 Oct 2001 8:03 am

yeah Dan, it is "tricky"!!!
How tricky?
For the Steel solo on Steely Dan's version Skunk Baxter replicated almost note-for-note the trombone solo from an early Duke Ellington recording of the tune!!

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 15 Oct 2001 12:28 pm

...Dave, your tongue is falling out of your cheek...

...I believe Cosmo Creek is the name of a creek in British Columbia, not too far north of Vancouver, along the Sea to Sky Highway Rt 99, or so my exhaustive search on Google would indicate...

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 15 Oct 2001 7:14 pm

pat...
hunh?

what I stated is verity... find the Ellington record and A-B 'em

if I was being facetious I prolly would've used a smiley face.

and it was pretty TRICKY!

[This message was edited by Dave Van Allen on 15 October 2001 at 08:15 PM.]

Sam Marshall · Post by **Sam Marshall** » 15 Oct 2001 7:27 pm

Ah, Skunk Baxter. Quite the anachronism on an enigma.

The son of an ambassador or consulate in Mexico. A confirmed Howard Roberts fanatic. Plays steel guitar. Successfully passes himself off as an overhead resource (as in Star Wars or whatever became of it) expert in the DC area.

As such - why not play an Ellington 'bone solo on steel. You probably have the world by the cahones.

Sam in AZ[This message was edited by Sam Marshall on 15 October 2001 at 08:28 PM.]

Mark Ardito · Post by **Mark Ardito** » 16 Oct 2001 10:41 am

Jeff Baxter - IMHO his best playing is on the Steely Dan song "Pearl of the Quarter" from the album Countdown to Ecstasy. Amazing playing!!!

That album also has my favorite Dan song..."Bodhisattva"

'Can you show me the shine in your Japan, the sparkle of your China' (great lyrics)!

Mark

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 17 Oct 2001 9:17 am

Well, yeah it really was a "tricky" solo! The original trombone solo was played by Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton... a bit of Duke Ellington trivia for ya!

Dave... Do remember that one of the DJs in the glory years of WHFS in the 70's used the Steely Dan version of "East St. Louis Toodle-oo" as his theme... so it got played twice a day, everyday. Maybe that had something to do with us old DC guys turning out the way we did!

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 17 Oct 2001 12:25 pm

..Dave, I wasn't questioning the truth of your statement, I just figured you were saying "how tricky could it be if it was no more complex than a trombone solo"...i.e., taking a shot at Baxter's virtuosity...

...if you were taking a shot, it was a really good one...

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 17 Oct 2001 1:36 pm

yikes!

let he who is without sin cast the first stone...

far be it from me to take a shot at anybody's skill level!!! I am such an easy target myself...

No I was just showing off my abilty to accumulate generally useless information about musical cross -pollenation and influences.

That solo is indeed very tricky to play and Skunk has played a couple of my favorite solos ever (fire in the hole, pearl of the quarter)

as to us DC guys turning out a particular way , WHFS had a lot of influence in it's heyday... but I think Danny Gatton, the 600 lb gorilla of roots music in DC, had as much to do with our wide ranging sensibilities
or maybe not...