the verge Baxter has been a member of both Steely Dan and The wants to try the c' ..' l e o v.ith Toto that Doobie Bros. He recently left the Doobie Bros. to fully concen of putting together a solo album. She agrees Recording Mecca going out on their rJ trate on his session work and guitar customizing and to get there is a stigma against session players Continued Irons rage (Rn into a new area of endeavor, producing. own. very, very good and I have to be may never meet and the session musician must content him "I'm doing sessions now because like the practice and I "Absolutely." she says. "You I'm continuing to do session work self with just the metronomelike tick of click track and the pro like the variety," comments Baxter "I guess I'm more a guitar the prejudice is against you now and once you cross over, you to know what's going on player than anything else. I like playing my instrument. I like but I'm at the crossroads ducer's judgement kinds of session play I other I about Still and all, the session musician has adjusted and im exploring it. look for opportunities to stretch out and to be can't come back. can't say singers lust stay where they proved. Session musicians agree the music is better than it under pressure to create something and do something new." ers but that's why a lot of backup into tingles or they the people who play it Over a two week period Baxter has worked on albums by are. They don't want to travel so they get ever was and so are don't want lo think more young people going into it now." Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton. Debby Boone. Cheryl Ladd. lust stay with their record dates. They "There are more and in they're a little afraid, or a little says Goodman who started session work 20 years ago at the Harry Nilsson, Dusty Springfield, Donna Summer, Roger about a solo career because I'm afraid. too. but I've got to do rt. age of 13 Its become a very attractive alternative to people Miller, Brooklyn Dreams and Gregg Clemons secure of where they are. " who don't want to put up with one night stands We see more Baxter is part of the new breed of California session musi- It's just what want to do now musician aggregation is The and more people from college who've come out here spent' cian whose lame olten equals that of the artists they play for The latest and greatest studio composed entirely of South- catty to be studio musicians instead of lust falling into it. And California studio musicians such as Baxter, Leland Sklar, Orchestra, an 82 piece ensemble versatile studio musicians. have become aware of this end o1 the business as a Danny Kortchmar. David Lindley. Larry Carlton, Jim Kellner, ern California's most adept and people whose list of tv real business alternative We've got some session guys out Tom Scott, Lee Ritenour, Bud Shank, Chuck Finley, Max Ben Put together by Jack Ekott and Allyn Ferguson, The Orchestra had here who've incorporated. nett, Robben Ford and many others are getting more recoeni and film credits are long and impressive. for the recent Academy Awards pro. An established studio musician can make between $40,000 lion than most studio musicians have ever before received its debut as the ensemble of The Orchestra is to provide a group of and $100,000 a year The basic session is three hours. with 15 "I think it's helped," says Baxter. "It's allowed session men gram. The purpose who can and will play minutes of music being recorded during the course of those to feel more like musicians. And by offering session musicians classically and tazz trained musicians g as a showcase . intended hours. The flat tee for that time is $127 05 with the pay recognition the artist benefits because by recognizing and tik anything well. It's a dream orchestra specifically with $ quickly escalating depending on the number of instruments ing the work of a certain player, the public will want to hear for new. American. based music. composed N like it. in mind. The official debut the musician is asked to play. overdubs. the time of day. that player and will buy the albums he is on And it's kind of The Orchestra. or something O music took place April 24 at a whether or trot it's a weekend. overtime and whether the ses putting the power of controlling one's destiny back in the of the ensemble playing original The concert was a benefit A Sion is for basic rhythm tracks or for sweetening. Most estab hands of the player. It's nice not to feel like a studio sausage." L A.'s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. an organization ii lished musicians negotiate double or triple scale. depending One outgrowth of this increasing studio musician tame is for the Foundation For New American Music, w will, composers to write on their worth, and in rare instance will negotiate for a point that more and more "studio sausages" are getting together that among other things. commission or two of an album's royalties. In addition to scale wages. the to form their own bands The Section, comprised of the t orchestral works for the group. /artist with a changeable musician receives an annual tee based on the number of ses based backing band of Jackson Browne. is one example of Back in the early sixties the singer norm But rock'n'roll sions he or she has done this. The newest and most successful example is Toto. whose group of session musicians was the groups that The gathering up of the right musician for particular ses- debut album went platinum. The members of that successful brought on an onslaught of self contained needed only the occasional help of studio musicians. Now the sion is the lob of a contractor A producer contacts a contras California based band have done everything from doing players and their tor and either tells him specifically who he wants or the vary "Ironside" and "The Sonny and Cher Show" to playing on developing public consciousness of session session band ous instruments needed At that point the contractor will Helen Reddy, Seals and Crofts. Barbra Streisand and Boz increasing skills has brought back the variable of figure out who is best for the date, contact the musicians' Scaggs albums. concept and inserted it neatly into the framework phone service and the people there will call the musicians, The very versatility needed in session work has backfired in rock'n'roll. confirm the date and get back to the contractor if anyone is the case of Toto and bands like The Section and Stuff Al Steely Dan is perhaps today's most renowned purveyor of unavailable in order to set up substitutes or alternatives It though the album sold excellently, critics have expressed dis (Continued on page CR -22) used to be that the contractor had total choice in who did or like for Toto's facile style changes, calling it sterile and face- did not play This made the contractor a crucial factor in the less. making or breaking of a studio musician. But recently so ^A lot of critics, as soon as they go to write about us go, many session players are known and specialized that the pro 'Toto, okay. studio session men,' " says Steve Porcaro, the ducer or composer will specifically ask for someone and, often 20 -year -old keyboard player of the band. "Right away we're a as not, will change the date of a session just so a particular studio band and that means we're faceless because we can player can do it play well in a lot of different styles That s the first adjective Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is one of those known L A. session mu- they want to come up with and it's wrong. re sicians. He's been involved in session guitar work since he was Venetta Fields' session instrument is her voice. She's sung cr 14 He started in New York working at a music store Some- backup vocals for Steely Dan, Diana Ross. Boz Scaggs, Aretha () one would often ask about what good musicians were around Franklin. Frankie Valli, Ned Diamond and Toto. to name but a J "and when people asked if t knew anyone, I'd say yeah, me " few Fields, like quite a few well known studio musicians, z Thank you SUSIE ALLANSON R.C. BANNON PAT BOONE DANDY JERRY NAYLOR BILLY PARKER HANK WILLIAMS JR. PIA ZADORA FOR MAKING HERITAGE STUDIO THE HOME OF COUNTRY MUSIC IN HOLLYWOOD Eerita Studio 1209 N WESTERN AVE.. LOS ANGELES, CA 90029 DIVISION OF 41 O! AUUIO INC. (213) 4244 www.americanradiohistory.com.