Steely Dan’s “Black Friday” might feel a bit on the nose this morning, but what else comes to mind on the first day of the Christmas shopping season?

Steely Dan’s ‘Aja’ set the bar for finesse in pop and rock music, and that bar hadn’t been cleared yet.

A thread involving Donald Fagen and Walter Becker runs through this look at the albums that have been in my car recently.

Walter Becker’s death invites a renewed appreciation of the unique contributions to music by Steely Dan.

Now on tour with a crack new band, Donald Fagen must choose which songs to perform from his extensive catalog. It’s a good problem to have.

Given the passing of a lot of musical heroes recently, Steely Dan’s impassioned, career-spanning turn was much appreciated.

‘Adult Entertainment’ is just that, with 12 songs of various styles, direct yet evocative lyrics and excellent playing from Jon Herington and company.

If Steely Dan seems like an obvious inspiration for Don Breithaupt’s Monkey House, there’s a reason. He joins Preston Frazier to discuss.

Four decades hence, it’s easy to hear the glory of Steely Dan’s diverse and calculating ‘The Royal Scam.’

No matter how much saxophonist Walt Weiskopf mixes things up for the vibes and organ-powered jazz ‘The Way You Say It,’ the craftsmanship shines through.