Denny Dias

Dennis "Denny" Dias (born December 12, 1946) is an American guitarist, best known for being a founding member of Steely Dan.

Career

Dias was working with his own band out of his basement in Hicksville, Long Island, when he placed an ad in The Village Voice in the summer of 1970 that read: "Looking for keyboardist and bassist. Must have jazz chops! Assholes need not apply". Donald Fagen and Walter Becker responded to the advertisement. They joined his band and immediately began playing their own material. 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 an electric sitar solo on 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, 1976's The Royal Scam, and 1977's Aja. In 1991 he joined Toto on their Summer Festival Tour. He also recorded with Wayne Shorter, Wilfrido Vargas and Pete Christlieb.