Celebrating 40 Years of Aja with Reuben Fowler

06 January 2018

Brass tutor, Reuben Fowler celebrates 40 years of the seminal Steely Dan album 'Aja'

"Here’s a little something we did featuring HAMISH STUART to welcome in the new year and wave goodbye to what I hope has been an enjoyable 2017- a year which marked the 40th birthday of arguably one of the finest albums of all time: Steely Dan’s ‘Aja.’ We finished it just in time! 

As an aside, we started this project around eight months ago. Sadly, within those eight months one half of the Fagen/Becker partnership that created ‘Steely Dan’ as we know it passed away. I have to say, as the name of the project suggests, we recorded this piece as a (fairly) faithful arrangement with the sole intention of ‘CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF AJA:’ an album I have lived with (and loved) for years; and which was responsible for introducing me to Steely Dan and, of course, such seminal solo albums as ‘The Nightfly.’ Although this is still the intention, I think it’s now relevant that in some way it also be dedicated to the memory of Walter Becker. Thanks for the music Walter!

LEAD & BACKING VOCALS: Hamish Stuart

WOODWINDS: Gareth Lockrane Graeme Blevins James Gardiner Bateman Paul Booth Leo Richardson Simon Marsh

TRUMPETS: Tom Walsh James Copus George Hogg Jim Davison

TROMBONES: Gordon Campbell Robbie Harvey Owen Dawson

BASS TROMBONE/TUBA: Ade Hallowell

RHYTHM: Rob Luft (Guitar) Jason Rebello (Fender Rhodes/Clav) Laurence Cottle (Bass) Ian Thomas (Drums)

BACKING VOCALS: Sharlene Hector Sumudu Jayatilaka  Mary Pearce 

SOLOS: Jason Rebello- Fender Rhodes Paul Booth- Tenor Saxophone

‘Black Cow’- Donald Fagen/Walter Becker

Arranged by Reuben Fowler

Recorded and Mixed by Darren Williams at ‘The Den’

Keyboards recorded at ‘Word of Mouth Studios,’ London 

Bass and Drums recorded at ‘Stimia Studios,’ London

Trumpets recorded at ‘Resident Studios,’ London

Co-produced by Tom Walsh and Darren Williams 

Mastered by Ian Sefchick at ‘Capitol Studios,’ Los Angeles

Music preparation by Phil Knights

Cover design by Oliver Bentley at ‘Split Design’ inspired by the original artwork for ‘Aja’ by Phil Hartman