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American Vinyl All Star Band Old School Cool Just As Hot As Ever by Ali Kaufman / Live photos by Dan Minicucci Photography
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he talent and history that this band brings to the stage are staggering and diverse. This entire article could be a list of the bands' credits on albums, tours, and stages all around the globe. Resting on their laurels is not American Vinyl All Star Band are doing. Instead, this group has formed with Bill Johnson's expert management and are using their incredible musicality and high profile name recognition to not only keep the music flowing, but also farm a lot of good karma
drop as the former member of The Wailers and Third World, Leroy Romans, played No Woman No Cry, to open the show. The genuine affection these bandmates have for each other is palpable as they take us on a journey through their history. They all bring such extensive catalogs of music to the table that every song they play is not only recognizable, but is a musical thread woven into the fabric of our collective memories.
along the way by supporting various foundations and charitable groups. That is how I first came to see the American Vinyl All Star Band. They were celebrating Jeffrey "Skunk" Baxter's 70th birthday with a star-studded bash at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, but the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation received the gift of the sold-out benefit.
Baxter has a Connecticut connection as a graduate of the Taft School in Watertown as well as a link to nearly every rock star that you can think of. In 1966 after fortuitously meeting Jimi Hendrix at the Manhattan music shop he worked, he went on to play in his band, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames that year. Fast forward to 1972 where he became a founding member of Steely Dan and played on their first
The nucleus of the group consists of Jeffrey "Skunk" Baxter, and Barry Goudreau both lead guitarists and vocals, Leroy Romans on keyboards/vocals, Tim Archibald on bass, Robert "Mousey" Thompson on drums and lead singer Danny Beissel. They are enthralling from the first note, you could have heard a pin
three albums. His guitar solos on Rikki Don't Lose That Number, and My Old School are still inspiring musicians of all ages. In 1974 Skunk joined the Doobie Brothers and solidified his full member status on the 1975 release of Stampede. Before leaving the band in 1979, the Doobie Brothers took his genius suggestion
to bring his friend Michael McDonald onboard, which was a brilliant move as proved by the hugely successful succession of albums that followed. It is a safe bet that you've been listening to Skunk Baxter's instrumentation on many of your favorite albums, he was and is in much demand as a sessions player. In addition to his music career, there is another world that Jeff orbits as a highly sought after Defense consultant. After taking an interest in militaryoriented publications, he wrote his own paper, that "proposed converting the ship-based antiaircraft Aegis system into a rudimentary missile defense system." That paper found its way to Dana Rohrabacher and another facet of Baxter's illustrious career was born. These two arenas seem vastly different, but they do intersect at times, such as in 2007 when close friend and former White House Press Secretary, Tony Snow, jammed on the South Lawn of the White House at a Congressional Picnic.
