J  E  F  F

"S  K  U  N  K"

B  A  X  T  E  R

LEGENDARY MUSICIAN

WITH

STEELY DAN & THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

& U.S. MILITARY ADVISOR

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

While working at Jimmy’s Music Shop in Manhattan in 1966, Baxter met guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who was just beginning his career as a frontman. For a short period during that year, Baxter was a member of a Hendrix-led band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, along with Manny’s employee Randy California.

With Steely Dan

After the breakup of Ultimate Spinach, Baxter relocated to Los Angeles, California, finding work as a session guitarist. In 1972 he became a founding member of the band Steely Dan, along with guitarist-bassist Walter Becker, keyboardist Donald Fagen, guitarist Denny Dias, drummer Jim Hodder and vocalist David Palmer. Becker and Fagen were employed at the time as staff songwriters for ABC Records, and they formed the band as a vehicle to promote their songs.

Baxter appeared with Steely Dan on their first three albums, Can’t Buy a Thrill in 1972, Countdown to Ecstasy in 1973, and Pretzel Logic in 1974. Among his contributions were guitar solos on the 1974 hit single “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and “My Old School.

With the Doobie Brothers

While finishing work on Pretzel Logic, Baxter became aware of Becker and Fagen’s intentions to retire Steely Dan from touring, With that in mind, Baxter left the band in 1974 to join The Doobie Brothers, who at the time were touring in support of their fourth album What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. As a session man, he played on Vices as well as playing pedal steel on “South City Midnight Lady” on its predecessor, The Captain and Me. Baxter’s first album as a full member of the group was 1975’s Stampede. Baxter contributed an acoustic interlude entitled “Precis,” significant turns on slide and pedal steel guitar, and the guitar solo for the hit single “Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)”.

Baxter jammed with former White House Press Secretary and close friend Tony Snow’s band Beats Workin at the Congressional Picnic held on the South Lawn of the White House.

Defense consulting career

Baxter fell into his second profession almost by accident. In the mid-1980s, Baxter’s interest in music recording technology led him to wonder about hardware and software that was originally developed for military use, i.e. data-compression algorithms and large-capacity storage devices. As it happened, his next-door neighbor was a retired engineer who had worked on the Sidewinder missile program. This neighbor bought Baxter a subscription to an aviation magazine, provoking his interest in additional military-oriented publications and missile defense systems in particular. He became self-taught in this area, and at one point he wrote a five-page paper that proposed converting the ship-based anti-aircraft Aegis system into a rudimentary missile defense system. He gave the paper to California Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and his career as a defense consultant began.

The largest classic rock benefits for U.S. Vets happening this Fourth Of July weekend –The “American Vinyl Festival.”

This event will feature The American Vinyl All Star Band (AVASB), comprising Jeffrey “Skunk” Baxter (Doobie Bothers/Steely Dan), Barry Goudreau (formerly of Boston), Robert “Mousey” Thompson (James Brown), Leroy “LRS” Romans (The Wailers/3rd World), Tim Archibald (RTZ/Peter Wolf) and Danny Beissel (Fosterchild), as the event’s headliners.

An onslaught of special guests will also be lending their musical talents to the day, including: Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver), Wally Palmer (The Romantics), The Uptown Horns (The Rolling Stones), Conrad Korsch (The Rod Stewart Band), Brian Quinn (Candlebox), Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), and Phil Stokes (Pure Prairie League).

The “American Vinyl Festival” will support Freedom Drives U.S. Inc., a not-for-profit charity engaged in the facilitation of mobility converted vehicles other than minivans for veterans with mobility needs.

Sat, July 6, 2019 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT

Location Suicide Six Downhill Ski Area 247 Stage Road

Pomfret, VT 05067

The event kicks off at 5 PM ET and will include food vendors, merchants and a silent auction. Tickets are $20 - $65 and veterans get in free with a ticketed guest.

Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-american-vinyl-music-festival-tickets-61571182063

For more information about AVASB visit https://www.americanvinylallstarband.net

Michael B. Kline, LUTCF, CLU, is a Registered Representative and Investment Adviser Representative of Equity Services, Inc. and offers securities in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. He is also insurance-licensed in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and an 'On Air Consultant' at Business First AM Radio.

Joel Franco tells compelling stories with an elegant voice, a crisp Italian sensibility and beautiful pictures. Franco’s experience, vision and intensity bring leadership, heart, and an eye for detail to his films. His understanding of the human condition and his passion for authenticity combine to create artistic, highly commercial works that draw the audience in and make them feel. Franco’s genuine desire to protect the integrity of each story and to bring out the best in the actors and crew have made him a trusted source for getting the job done. Colleagues trust his refreshing character and understand that he is a man of commitment and does what he says he will do, when he says he will do it.



Joel Franco was born in Italy and came to the United States in his late teens where he quickly immersed himself in American culture and film. According to Franco, “I have always admired American films. The American school of acting has a long history of producing great actors and I wanted to be a part of the world of film–a place where captivating stories are unveiled. The creation of film plays into my strengths: I love that magic is the result of the creative process. There must be passion to nurture the momentum of the story. And one must have intense focus to get the job done.” 



Influenced by American filmmaker Sidney Lumet for his vigorous storytelling and Italian director Robert Rossellini for his social realism, Franco is dedicated to staying true to the story in a fast paced, realistic and refined style. 



In 2006, Franco partnered with Solidaris LLC to found Chesapeake Films, LLC. Chesapeake Films has option agreements to produce several feature films and plans to produce two features per year in-house and to collaborate with established film companies for additional opportunities.



Joel Franco is a graduate of University of Maryland/Baltimore, a graduate of the USC-Universal Producing and Directing Program, and holds an M.F.A. in film production from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

joelfranco@youthsports-themovie.com

G  A  R  Y

P  I  H  L

MONSTER GUITARIST

WITH

B O S T O N  &  A L L I A N C E

BRAND NEW ALBUM ENTITLED 'FIRE & GRACE'

WITH ALLIANCE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Raised in the suburbs of Chicago for the first 12 years of his life, Gary Pihl relocated to the San Francisco Bay area.  At 19, Gary had his recording debut with Day Blindness in 1969. He says, “After my time in Day Blindness, I was in a band called Fox with Roy Garcia and Johnny V (Vernazza), who went on to play in Elvin Bishop’s band.  We were on shows with Free (with Paul Rogers), Janis Joplin, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Eric Burdon and War and Mose Allison.”

Pihl’s first big break in came in 1977, when he joined Sammy Hagar’s band, where he toured and recorded for 8 years. Gary met Tom Scholz when Hagar was opening for BOSTON between ’77 and ’79. In 1985, Sammy joined Van Halen, however, Pihl didn’t miss a beat. He explains, “Tom called me up when he was working on the Third Stage album, he had one more song left to be recorded and asked me if I’d come out to work with him on it. As it turned out, I flew directly from Farm Aid (my last gig with Hagar) to Boston, so I wasn’t out of work for a day. I thought, how lucky could a guy get?”

Alliance is one of the best melodic hard rock bands you’ve probably never heard of even though the band has collaborated together for nearly 30 years and counting.

Featuring longtime and current Boston guitarist Gary Pihl (a Boston member since 1985 who’s performed on the band’s last four studio albums and who also did a lengthy stint as Sammy Hagar’s guitarist prior to Hagar joining Van Halen), former Sammy Hagar drummer David Lauser (whose ties with Sammy go back to Hagar’s earliest musical days and who performed with Sammy for years in his solo band and with Sammy’s Waboritas) and Alliance lead vocalist/bassist/songwriter Robert Berry, who is also currently the bassist with the Greg Kihn Band and formerly with the Keith Emerson/Carl Palmer trio 3.

During those 30 years, the band has released five highly regarded albums – Bond of Union (1996), Alliance (1997), Missing Piece (1999), Destination Known (2007) and Road to Heaven (2008) – all of which reveal their amazing musicianship, well-crafted songwriting and tight ensemble playing.

These talents are again on full display with the release of the band’s sixth and latest album, the brand-new Fire and Grace (Escape Records).  Melodic, driving hard rock at its finest, this is one great record.

Purchase the brand-new album from Alliance entitled ‘Fire and Grace’ at amazon.com

For more information about Gary Pihl visit …

Link to the Alliance website: http://www.robertberry.com/alliance.html

Link to Boston’s website: https://bandboston.com 

Link to info on the new album, Fire and Grace:  

https://melodicrock.com/articles/news-feed/2019/03/22/alliance-return-new-album…