Editing Jeff Baxter (section)

===With The Doobie Brothers===
[[File:The Doobie Brothers - Jeff Skunk Baxter.jpg|thumb|Baxter performing with [[The Doobie Brothers]] in the 70s.]]
While finishing work on ''Pretzel Logic'', Baxter became aware of Becker and Fagen's intentions to retire Steely Dan from touring and work almost exclusively with session players. With that in mind, Baxter left the band in 1974 to join [[The Doobie Brothers]], who at the time were touring in support of their fourth album ''[[What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits]]''.

As a session man, he had contributed pedal steel guitar on ''Vices'' as well as "South City Midnight Lady" on its predecessor, ''[[The Captain and Me]]''. Baxter's first album as a full member of the group was 1975's ''[[Stampede (The Doobie Brothers album)|Stampede]]''. He contributed an acoustic interlude ("Precis") and significant turns on slide and pedal steel guitar.

While preparing to tour in support of ''Stampede'', Doobie Brothers founder [[Tom Johnston (US musician)|Tom Johnston]] was hospitalized with a stomach ailment. To fill in for Johnston on vocals, Baxter suggested bringing in singer-keyboardist [[Michael McDonald (singer)|Michael McDonald]], with whom Baxter had worked in Steely Dan. With Johnston still convalescing, McDonald soon was invited to join the band full-time. McDonald's vocal and songwriting contributions, as well as Baxter's jazzier guitar style, marked a new direction for the band. They went on to continued success with the 1976 album ''[[Takin' It to the Streets (The Doobie Brothers album)|Takin' It to the Streets]]'', 1977's ''[[Livin' on the Fault Line]]'', and particularly 1978's ''[[Minute by Minute]]'', which spent five weeks as the #1 album in the U.S. and spawned several hit singles; Baxter's work on the album includes an extended solo at the end of the closing track "How Do the Fools Survive?".

In early 1979, Baxter left the band, as did drummer and band co-founder [[John Hartman]].