Steely Dan Peg Guitar Solo-Studio vs. 4 Live Versions

PLEASE RATE THESE SOLOS:
Jay Graydon (Studio) vs. Drew Zingg (NYR&SR, 1993) vs. Georg Wadenius (1994) vs. Wayne Kratz (1996, DF Solo Shows) vs. Jon Herigton (Since 2000, DF Solo Shows).

After having close to 10 guitarists including Larry Carlton, Dean Parks, Denny Dias, Steve Khan, Lee Ritenor, and Walter Becker himself, Don and Walt finally found the perfect guitarist to play the very challenging solo on the most meticulous of the best selling album Aja, which is often cited as the "epitome of perfectionism." Don and Walt almost ruined the vocal cords of legendary vocalist and well-known Steely Dan member, Michael McDonald when trying to record the backing vocal tracks of Peg.

Jay Graydon is a legendary, Grammy award winning songwriter/producer who is known for co-writing many jazz and soul its of the 1980s. These hits including "Turn Your Love Around" by George Benson which was co-written by Bill Champlin of Chicago and Steve Lukather of Toto, as well as "After The Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, which is co-written by Bill Champlin and producer David Foster.

Drew Zingg is a jazz-rock guitarist who did work in The New York Rock & Soul Revue, which was lead by Donald Fagen and later featured Walter Becker too. He toured with the Dan in 1993 and now does work with Steely Dan compadre Boz Scaggs.

Georg Wadenius is a Sweedish-born guitarist who has recored and preformed with Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Dr. John, David Sanborn, James Brown, and Luther Vandross. He did a large amount of guitar work on Donald Fagen's 1993 solo album Kamakiriad, which was produced by Walter Becker. He toured with Steely Dan in 1994 and for a few media appearances in 1995.

Wayne Kratz is among many of the NYC based musicians who has played with SD since 1993. Known for his long and tangled guitar strings, his work in Steely Dan's famed Art Crimes tour in 1996 is still raved about today. He is heavily featured on Fagen's 2006 album Morph the Cat and preforms alongside Jon Herington in Donald Fagen's solo shows.

Jon Herington was discovered by Don and Walt during the recording of the Two Against Nature album in the late 1990s as a recommendation by keyboardist Ted Baker. Herington is the only guitarist to work with the band besides Walter Becker. He can be heard on Two Against Nature, Everything Must Go, DF's Morph The Cat, and WB's Circus Money. His own solo albums are widely popular among Steely Dan fans. He is still known as SD's "new guitar guy" even though he has been working with the band for close to a decade. He also plays alongside Wayne Kratz in DF solo shows and does work with Boz Scaggs.

I rate the solos as:
1. Graydon (studio)
2. Wadenius (94)
3. Herington (since 2000)
4. Kratz (96)
5. Zingg (93)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Peg
• Solos
• Steely
• Dan
• Aja
• Jay
• Graydon
• Drew
• Zingg
• Georg
• Wadenius
• Wayne
• Kratz
• Jon
• Herigton
• Donald
• Fagen
• Walter
• Becker
• Live

[bezzarguy]

Jay Graydon's original solo is perfect, right down to the last note...'nuff said.

[TSaxman74]

@cgarbs Agreed. Becker and Fagen could be punishing in the studio, and Jay Graydon nailed it. Check out his songwriting credits.

[joemizzi1]

The Wadenius solo on Alive in America is the best ever

[cgarbs]

Jay Graydon no question. Not only is it the best one, it's the one that the others are molded after so it's impossible to rate the others anyway, but they're also, for my taste, too jazzy and modal.

[sheracad]

I don't understand the purpose of this video?

[raggityman]

Part 5:

I don't get enough of the harmonic richness listening to this solo. Graydon's, Zingg's, Wadenius', and Herington's solos would still make sense to me with the rest of the band muted. Wayne takes it a bit too far out for me here (and once again, I have heard a better "peg" solo from Wayne elsewhere). So I place him 5th, but that is by no means a criticism. He is one of the most inventive guitarists to come along in recent memory.

Sorry for the loooong posting! :)

[raggityman]

Part 4:

Wayne Krantz. What can I say? He is simply one of the greatest modern electric guitarist of our time. He is changing the game he way Bill Conners did when he hit the 70s jazz fusion scene with the original Return To Forever. Listening to Wayne makes me constantly say to myself, "WTF???" He is brilliant, however he strays, IMHO, too far away from the original spirit of adventure with his approach. (continued...)

[raggityman]

Part 3:

I've seen Jon Herington with SD at least 4 times. Jon is a brilliant, underrated sideman. The last time I saw SD live, he was on friggin' fire! Jon stays with the elements of the song though I have heard a much better "Peg" solo from him than this one here. I'd say his is 4th best.

[raggityman]

Part 2:

Georg Wadenius is a sick guitarist I first heard on Luther Vandross' debut LP. I have heard a better "Peg" solo by Wadenius than the one here, but Georg lays it down in the spirit set up by Graydon 35 years ago (whew!). He give him the 3rd spot.

[raggityman]

For my money, Jay Graydon's original remains the best because it raised the bar of what you might hear in a guitar solo on a pop rock single. It was at least a decade ahead of it's time.

Drew Zingg is definitely the 2nd best solo. He is one of the most exciting diciples of the Carlton/Ritenour/[Robben] Ford school. He just does it right without sounding contrived. The first time I ever heard him, I thought to myself "this guy is my new favorite guitarist!" I am proud to say I know him.