"My primary influences were the best jazz players from the 50's and 60's and later some of the pop people from the same time period along with the better of the well known blues musicians"
About this Quote
Then comes the curveball: “later some of the pop people from the same time period.” Pop is allowed in, but only after it’s vetted by time and craft. That’s Becker telegraphing his real aesthetic: accessibility without surrender, hooks with an engineering degree. He’s saying Steely Dan isn’t rock borrowing from jazz as a costume; it’s pop upgraded by jazz’s standards.
The final clause is the tell: “the better of the well known blues musicians.” The phrasing is almost comically Becker-ish: respectful, a little chilly, allergic to mythology. Blues is acknowledged as a root, but not as an excuse for sloppiness or cliché. Subtext: authenticity isn’t a vibe, it’s execution. Contextually, it’s also a rebuttal to rock’s tendency to lionize “feel” over precision. Becker is staking his claim for a cooler kind of soul: the kind you can hear in the choices.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Becker, Walter. (2026, January 15). My primary influences were the best jazz players from the 50's and 60's and later some of the pop people from the same time period along with the better of the well known blues musicians. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-primary-influences-were-the-best-jazz-players-166410/
Chicago Style
Becker, Walter. "My primary influences were the best jazz players from the 50's and 60's and later some of the pop people from the same time period along with the better of the well known blues musicians." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-primary-influences-were-the-best-jazz-players-166410/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My primary influences were the best jazz players from the 50's and 60's and later some of the pop people from the same time period along with the better of the well known blues musicians." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-primary-influences-were-the-best-jazz-players-166410/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
