Donald Fagen

Kamakiriad is the second solo album by Steely Dan artist Donald Fagen, released in 1993. It was his first collaboration with Steely Dan partner Walter Becker since 1986, on Rosie Vela's album Zazu. Becker played guitar and bass and produced the album. The album is a futuristic, optimistic eight-song cycle about the journey of the narrator in his high-tech car, the Kamakiri (Japanese for praying mantis). It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1994.

Gain rare insight into the musical thinking of one of the most influential popular songwriters and arrangers in America. Donald Fagen analyses three Steely Dan hits ("Chain Lightning," "Peg," "Josie") and two solo works from his Grammy-nominated album Kamakiriad ("On The Dunes," "Teahouse On The Tracks"). These songs use familiar blues and R&B structures, and Donald explains how, by altering the bass line and chordal qualities, he transformed them into sophisticated jazz-rock compositions. You'll trace the development of increasingly complex pieces as Donald and Warren Bernhardt reveal each tune's singular structure, harmonic and rhythmic characteristic, intro ideas and other devices.