Reflecting the experience of postwar Boomers, New York’s own Donald Fagen and Walter Becker began their prolific collaboration of creating dystopian vignettes for a fragmenting culture as students at Bard College and soon after igniting a firestorm of popularity in Los Angeles.  Their output as Steely Dan has fascinated audiences since with their unique portrayals of the Beat Generation, combining modern rock elements with the jazz aesthetic to create a product of ultimate hipness.  Theirs was the epitome of elite art as they chose to forego the typical touring life of commercial musicians and like their Beatles predecessors dive solely into recording studio craftsmanship attracting the most important musicians of the day to contribute to their work. 

 

The Dans, headquartered in Lima, Ohio, have assembled in similar fashion as artists from a wide range of professional experiences to explore and pay homage to the deep musings of Steely Dan.  With the aim of preserving the details of Steely Dan’s masterworks, this ensemble will present the engaging stories with conviction and energy highlighting the eclectic grooves, ambitious vocal harmonies, ensemble interaction, and griotic introspection of the lead voices.