THROUGHOUT Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s storied career, various theories — some fairly tame, others pretty outrageous — have been floated as to the etymology of his famous nickname. In the annals of juicy rock and roll secrets, this one is a biggie. When asked if he would choose the occasion of this Guitar Player interview to make some news, the guitarist lets out a good-natured laugh. “Not a chance,” he says. “A girl’s gotta have some secrets, right?
“There seems to be a lot of interest in this little tidbit,” he adds after some reflection. “And all I can say is, the answer will be revealed one day in my book. Not before.”
Whenever that book arrives, it will no doubt feature an extensive index to list even a portion of the albums and songs Baxter has played on since he began his professional career in 1969. His spunky, melodic and highly sophisticated approach to soloing — rocky enough for rockers, jazzy enough for jazzers — quickly made him one of the most in-demand, first-call studio guitarists during the glory days of the 1970s West Coast singer-songwriter period. Over the years, he’s performed on hundreds of records for a glittering array of music’s elite, including Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Hoyt Axton, Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr, Glen Campbell, Joni Mitchell and Rick Nelson, to name a few.
“I’M PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RESPECT OF MY PEERS. BUT THE SUCCESS I’VE HAD CAME ABOUT BECAUSE I APPLIED MYSELF”
Making Baxter’s accomplishments even more remarkable is his membership in not one but two legendary bands. As a cofounder of Steely Dan, he appeared on the group’s iconic first three albums — Can’t Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy and Pretzel Logic — and performed sumptuous solos on numerous tracks, most notably “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Bodhisattva” and “My Old School.” He followed up that stint with a five-year run in the Doobie Brothers, which saw the group transform from rowdy rockers into multi-Platinum, blue-eyed soul monsters. Baxter contributed standout moments that includes his searing solo in the Motown cover “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While),” a star turn in which he constructs a perfectly formed mini composition that builds to a thrilling climax.
“Quite honestly, I never imagined that I would have had this kind of success,” Baxter says. “All I ever wanted was to play the guitar in a band and have fun. I didn’t know that
