one4review | On 25, Aug 2026

One of the hottest tickets in town isn’t at the Festival, the Tattoo, or even whichever comedian is currently in vogue at the Playhouse. It’s at the Jazz Bar, for Aja, a Steely Dan tribute made up of some of the best jazz and rock musicians around.

Word got around after last year’s set, and this short run sold out months ago. People are offering almost tout prices for tickets, the queue is up the street, and inside the club is rammed with fevered Dan fans, young and old.

And they don’t mess about. Opening with the funk-fusion of Black Cow, you immediately realise this isn’t your average tribute act. It’s all live, no sequencers, and the musicians are absolutely at the top of their game. Bodhisattva is played at breathtaking speed, while My Old School follows at a similar high tempo, pushed along by Geoff Angus on keyboards. The brilliantly fast “Do It Again” features Josh Davy with Skunk Baxter-like precision on guitar.

There are also three vocalists: Jed Potts on guitar, Chris Small on trombone/guitar, and Emily Kelly, all bringing different ranges and strengths, each used at exactly the right time.

A nice touch comes with Dirty Work. Donald Fagen didn’t sing the earliest lead vocals; that was David Palmer, and here Emily Kelly takes on the role, doing a sterling job and perfectly achieving the almost-falsetto range.

Kid Charlemagne brings out the best in Josh Davy on guitar before setting up the dreamy title track, Aja, where Carter Skillicorn, commander-in-chief and top droog on the drums, drops in some beautifully executed fills. Babylon Sisters and Deacon Blues sustain the more chilled-out ambience, special mention to James Steele on saxophone.

Peg brings a cheer from the audience, and we’re back into more up-tempo territory. The surprise of the night is the deep cut Doctor Wu from Katy Lied, beautifully handled and a signal that Steely Dan’s catalogue goes considerably deeper than the usual greatest hits.

Hey Nineteen brings us back to more familiar fare, while Josie showcases Cameron Bradley’s bass. Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, the Dan’s best-selling single, is pitch-perfect, followed by Night by Night.

Then comes Reelin’ in the Years, and the audience finally loses whatever restraint they had left. The place is up and dancing. Steely Dan had a habit of slowing things down in their later years, but this is full AM/FM analogue glory, as God intended it.

The impeccable mixing of all those parts by the sound techs at the Jazz Bar deserves a mention. With this many musicians, this many tempo changes, and remarkably intricate arrangements, it could easily become a mess.

It’s an almost faultless set, with the chat kept to a minimum and the songs doing the talking. The curatorial take for this setlist avoids the “shut up and play the hits” that so many of these acts fall into.

This is more than a homage to one of the greatest bands of the 1970s. It’s a technically brilliant, musically adventurous complete package and clearly made by people who love the material. A snapshot of Steely Dan perfection that even Fagen or Becker would have been impressed with.

*****
Reviewed by Steve H
The Jazz Bar
30th August – 19.00