Denny Dias
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Denny Dias (born December 1946 in Philadelphia) is an American guitarist, most known for being a founding member of Steely Dan.
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[edit] Career
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Dias was working with his own band out of his basement in Hicksville, Long Island when he placed an ad in "The Village Voice" that read: "Looking for keyboardist and bassist. Must have jazz chops! Assholes need not apply". It was in this way that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker met Dias. They joined his band and immediately began playing their own material. Amazed at the talent Becker and Fagen had, Dias fired the rest of the band, and the three of them moved to California, adding drummer Jim Hodder, guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, and vocalist David Palmer before recording for ABC/Dunhill Records as Steely Dan. Dias recorded as a permanent member of the band on 1972's Can't Buy a Thrill (with a noteworthy electric sitar solo in the song "Do It Again"), 1973's Countdown to Ecstasy, and 1974's Pretzel Logic. Following a tour promoting Pretzel Logic, Becker and Fagen decided to break the band up and use session musicians on future albums. Dias was included as a session guitarist on 1975's Katy Lied - playing a solo on "Your Gold Teeth II" - as well as 1976's The Royal Scam, and 1977's Aja. However, he would not appear on the band's 1980 release Gaucho, the final release by Steely Dan before a 20-year hiatus. In 1991 he joined Toto on their Summer Festival Tour. He also recorded with Wayne Shorter, Wilfrido Vargas, and Pete Christlieb.
Dias is now a computer programmer living in Los Angeles. Along with Rich McConnell and Basil Hosmer he has been an architect of Nantucket's Clipper 5.x xBase compiler.
[edit] Discography
[edit] CD
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- Can't Buy a Thrill - Steely Dan (1972)
- Countdown to Ecstasy - Steely Dan (1973)
- Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan (1974)
- Katy Lied - Steely Dan (1975)
- The Royal Scam - Steely Dan (1976)
- Aja - Steely Dan (1977)
- Tribute to Jeff Porcaro - David Garfield (1997)
- Hoy - Wilfrido Vargas (1997)
- Round the Gum Tree: The British Bubblegum Explosion! - Various Artists (2004)
- Apogee [Bonus Tracks] - Pete Christlieb (2004)
- Footprints: The Life and Music of Wayne Shorter - Wayne Shorter (2004)
[edit] Video
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- Classic Albums - Steely Dan: Aja (2000)
[edit] External links
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