Steely Dan's discography is one of the most revered in rock history. Their singular blend of hook laden jazz infused rock, coupled with stellar production values and unmatched musicianship have stood the test of time with a devoted fanbase that spans generations. Of course Steely Dan tribute bands have long been a feature of the live music scene, but the peerless excellence and demanding musicality of their recorded output has made faithfully recreating the music in a live setting a notoriously difficult lift - requiring large ensembles and an incredibly high level of execution. As the above byline notes, Easy Dan takes a somewhat different approach to this much loved material and it's one we think is pretty unique. The meticulous execution and musical sophistication is all still there, of course, but the Easy Dan sound is decidedly more "unplugged" and acoustic and not as burdened by the of tyranny of note perfect replication that is faced by most SD tribute acts that are trying to sound exactly like the albums. Anchored by Ian Menzies on lead vocals and nylon string acoustic guitar, the presentation can scale from a solo performance, right up to an ensemble of as many as 6 or more people. The central format though is a trio, with upright bass and percussion joining Ian to create a full and familiar recreation of the songs that are drawn from all 9 of the band's studio albums. Filling out the ensemble when the parameters of the performance allow or call for it are a background vocalist, lead electric guitar (to deliver those much loved signature solos) and a horn player orr two. But even as the size of the ensemble grows, the rootsy, acoustic aesthetic is always to the fore, creating a familiar but fresh listening experience that will have you appreciating Fagen and Becker's songwriting and distinctive lyrical style in a whole new way.