Biography
Best-known for his contributions to Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter earned a reputation as one of the most sought-after session guitarists beginning in the 1970s, thanks to an uncommon versatility paired with an advanced soloing technique. Although the absence of any solo album has kept him from widespread popular recognition, his skill and discernment have always remained beyond dispute. Born on December 13, 1948, in Washington, D.C., Baxter—who declines to explain the source of his nickname—secured his initial studio credit in 1969 alongside the psychedelic pop ensemble Ultimate Spinach. He first joined Steely Dan in 1972, appearing on the band’s debut release, Can't Buy a Thrill; his knack for merging rock’s raw force with polished, jazz-inflected pop rendered him essential to the group until Walter Becker mastered the lead-guitar parts himself. After completing 1974’s Pretzel Logic, Baxter transferred his allegiance to the Doobie Brothers, making his first appearance with them later that year on What Once Were Vices Are Now Habits and remaining through several subsequent albums until 1978, often adding steel guitar as well. During the middle years of the decade he broadened his freelance activity still further, eventually contributing across rock, folk, pop, country, fusion, and R&B, while collaborating with Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon, Donna Summer, Joni Mitchell, Rick Nelson, Hoyt Axton, Freddie Hubbard, and numerous others. An enduring fascination with technology eventually steered him toward production, most prominently overseeing multiple recordings for the hard-rock band Nazareth. That same curiosity also drew him toward military hardware and weapons systems, fields in which he acquired an exceptional command; his self-taught expertise and consistent Republican outlook led the Bush administration to appoint him a defense analyst in 2001, a role that included advising several members of Congress even as he sustained his musical activities.