It isn't hard to imagine how some
jazz purists will react upon seeing the name
Steely Dan on one of
Marian McPartland's
Piano Jazz releases; they're likely to ask, "What, in God's name, is a
pop/rock group doing in
McPartland's presence?" But even though
Steely Dan isn't a
jazz act per se, they have always had
jazz influences -- and it would be a mistake to think of this CD as strictly a
pop/rock disc. Actually, the original material of
Steely Dan leaders
Donald Fagen (vocals, acoustic piano) and
Walter Becker (electric guitar) takes somewhat of a back seat to instrumental straight-ahead
jazz when they join forces with pianist
McPartland, bassist
Jay Leonhart and drummer
Keith Carlock. Some longtime
Steely Dan enthusiasts might be disappointed to know that only three
Fagen/
Becker songs are performed:
"Josie," "Black Friday" and
"Chain Lightning" -- you won't hear
"Peg," "Do It Again," "Rikki, Don't Lost That Number," "Deacon Blues," "Hey Nineteen" or
"Reeling in the Years." Nonetheless, there are many enjoyable moments, and
McPartland has no problem finding common ground with
Fagen and
Becker -- common ground that includes a healthy appreciation of
Duke Ellington's repertoire. Between three songs associated with the
Duke (
"Mood Indigo," Mercer Ellington's
"Things Ain't What They Used to Be" and the lesser known
"Limbo Jazz"),
W.C. Handy's
"Hesitation Blues" and the
standard "Star Eyes," Steely Dan's encounter with
McPartland is dominated by straight-ahead
jazz -- not the
jazz-influenced,
soul-minded
pop/rock that made
Steely Dan famous during their '70s heyday. This intriguing CD may not have as many
Steely Dan classics as some of their die-hard fans would like, but their appearance on
Piano Jazz is full of pleasant surprises and reminds us just how much
jazz means to '70s
pop/rock icons. ~ Alex Henderson
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