I’ve been thinking a lot about session musicians lately. Wikipedia defines a session musician as an, “…instrumental and vocal performers who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions.” I like that and I think it gets it mostly right.

They heyday of the session musician was probably in the the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. So many musicians built legendary reputations around their ability to play in any style, quickly read a music chart, have their tones together, and blend in on a personal level with other musicians. Session musicians have been the subject of at least two movies: Standing in the Shadows of Motown and The Wrecking Crew. I wish the Nasvhville A-Team and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section would receive their own movies, as well. All of these musicians were GIANTS of the music industry and their contributions to the popular music of the 1950s through the 1970s is incalculable. They deserve every single accolade they receive. They are universally well-loved and critics rave about their contributions to some outstanding music.

But I would like to consider another group of session musicians that does not receive the acclaim that they deserve. Although they played (and even wrote) numerous number one hits, played on Grammy winning albums, and lent their talents countless million-selling albums, they remain largely unknown. Their contributions are not celebrated in movies and critics never miss a chance to scorn their life’s work.

The group of musicians I have in mind are the musicians of the Los Angeles studio scene of the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. These musicians shaped the sound of what has become known as “West Coast AOR,” a style of music that absolutely dominated the popular music charts from (roughly) 1975 to 1985. Musicians like Michael Omartian, David Paich, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Jay Graydon, Steve Lukather, Chuck Rainey, Abraham Laboriel, Jeff Porcaro, Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd, David Sanborn, Tom Scott, Larry Williams, Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, and a dozens of other players contributed mightily to the “West Coast AOR” sound.

A short list of great songs written, performed and produced by the second wave of great L.A. session musicians is staggering:

Do you like the song “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson? Then you surely love the great drum groove by Jeff Porcaro, the key guitar part played by Steve Lukather. Not to mention the fact that the song was written by Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro.

Ever find your toe tapping to the groove on the Steely Dan song “Peg?” That groove was laid down by bassist Chuck Rainey and L.A. studio drummer Rick Marotta.

Speaking of Michael Jackson…Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo gets all of the press in the song “Beat It.” As great as that solo is (and it is a good one) did you know the groove was laid down by Jeff Porcaro and Steve Lukather played the killer main riff?

Ever bust a move to Go West’s “King of Wishful Thinking?” Then you’ve busted a move to yet another killer groove laid down by Jeff Porcaro.

The legendary groove for Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Love” was played by L.A. session ace Steve Gadd.

The list could go on for days. Suffice it to say that these players were complete masters of their craft and they deserve just as many accolades as The Funk Brothers, The Wrecking Crew, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and the Nashville A-Team.

But they don’t…

“Serious music critic guy” hates most of the music created by these musicians, derisively calling it “yacht rock.”
The band Toto (made up mostly of L.A. session guys) is arguably the most hated band that ever won six Grammy awards. David Foster produced landmark albums for Chicago and The Tubes. “Serious music critic guy” considered those albums “too slick” and “too polished.” Steely Dan routinely made thoughtful, complex music with L.A. finest session musicians that “serious music critic guy” hated.

I’ve gone round and round as to why “serious music critic guy” harbors such disdain against the second wave of L.A. studio musicians. He has leveled their harshest criticism at Toto, stating that session musicians have no business starting bands. “Serious music critic guy” seems to forget that one half of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones) started out as studio musicians. Of course, “serious music critic guy” started out hating Zeppelin so maybe there is hope for the L.A. studio cats (Toto in particular) in the future. Then again…probably not.

I would love to chalk up “serious music critic guy’s” simultaneous love of Motown studio musicians and hatred of the second wave of L.A. studio musicans to something easy like reverse racisim. He loves great music created by black musicians and hates great music created by white musicians. But I think it might be something other than that.