Aside from his pivotal work with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is the six-stringer behind some multi-generational favorites. Who can forget that searing (pun intended) guitar solo on Donna Summer's Hot Stuff? Or the downright bouncy – and unequivocally fun – guitar part on Dolly Parton's anthem 9 to 5?
But beyond his hefty credits, Baxter was sometimes recruited just to give his honest opinion – like what happened one night when he received a call from Steely Dan producer Gary Katz.
“He called me one evening and said, ‘I’ve just finished this album with a very talented singer,’” Baxter tells Variety. “I won’t name who it is – ‘And I need you to come in and listen to everything and tell me what it needs.’
“So I went in a couple of days later and everything was all set up. I probably hauled in 20 guitars and six different amplifiers – all the stuff you bring because you never know what they’re going to ask for.
“So Gary said, ‘Sit down and have a listen.’ I listened to the record top to bottom. I turned to him and said, ‘It doesn’t need anything. It’s just perfect.’ And Gary turned to me and said, ‘That’s why I pay you triple scale.’ There’s something to be said for what you don’t play.”
However, Baxter points out that not every session or producer is like this – far from it. Being a session musician can be a thankless job, with some of the best session guitarists out there never being properly credited.
“You’re basically standing by and waiting for a call,” he explains. “It’s kind of like a combination of an EMT, a carpenter, and a number of other things to ultimately satisfy the artist. You park your ego at the door and get the job done.”
“I’ve been in that game – y’know, ‘Thank you very much, just give us your W4 form.’ But that’s okay. That’s what studio musicians do,” he said matter-of-factly in a 2022 Guitar World interview. “I think another unsung hero is the lead guitarist for Buck Owens and The Buckaroos, [Don Rich].
“Another example would on be Doctor My Eyes," he continued. “It’s a Jackson Browne song, but the solo is Jesse Ed Davis, who is one of the greatest guitar players. But very few people know that.
“When they listen to Doctor My Eyes, they go, ‘Well, that’s Jackson Browne.’ And you listen to Taj Mahal’s Leaving Trunk. That’s the quintessential blues solo. That was Jesse Ed. He was a good friend.”
