Steely Resolve

Sometimes, Jon Herington works on Donald Fagen's solo albums. Fagen, the lead singer for jazz- and blues-influenced classic rock act Steely Dan, sounds in a solo context much like he does with the band for which he's better known, Herington says by phone from a recent tour stop in Phoenix. Perhaps he's a little softer and a little sunnier when solo, Herington adds.

Sometimes, Herington works on Walter Becker's solo albums. Becker, Fagen's longtime songwriting partner and a guitar/bass player for Steely Dan, goes in the opposite direction. His lyrics and songs are much more intense, and darker, Herington says. Even then, his trademark attention to audio detail remains. Steely Dan spent several years as a studio-only entity, and Becker's influence in that regard shows up when he records.

And sometimes, such as right now, Herington works with them both at the same time. The reunited Steely Dan's Jamalot Ever After tour will make stops across the country this summer, including one on Thursday at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers.

"They are both such well-read guys. That's how they write together. There's a certain magic (when they work together)," Herington says.

That magic was clearly evident in the band's most fruitful decade, the 1970s. Starting in 1972, Steely Dan released a series of wildly popular albums, including "Countdown to Ecstasy," "Pretzel Logic" and "Aja." Combined, the band boasts sales of more than 40 million records and has recorded dozens of hits along the way, among them "Deacon Blues," "Rikki Don't Lose that Number" and "Reelin' in the Years."

Even as the band's popularity surged, all was not well. The group stopped touring in 1974, despite making several records in the following years. By 1981, Fagen and Decker parted ways, ending Steely Dan.

In 2000, nearly 20 years after the release of "Gaucho," the band's 1981 offering, Steely Dan released "Two Against Nature." The album netted four Grammy Awards and was supported by a tour, the band's first in decades.

Herington worked with Steely Dan on "Two Against Nature" and every project since that time. His role in the band keeps him true to the songs, playing parts that sometimes were never played in a live setting until the band reunited.

Translating Steely Dan's complex, jazz-like structures becomes his primary duty, but it's also often done in advance of live performances.

"Those choices get made in the rehearsal setting," Herington says. "There's quite a bit of improvising. I'm honoring (the recorded history) but finding a way to keep it fresh and interesting."

That's a fine line, but one publications such as The New York Times say Herington straddles well, calling him "a first-rate band member." Rolling Stone noted the standing ovations Herington received for his solos on songs such as "My Old School" and "FM."

"It's an intuitive thing," Herington says. "I hope (my solo choices) reflect what I love about my favorite players and my favorite records."

A couple of his favorite players often stand on the stage with him. While touring with Steely Dan, Herington temporarily sidelines work with jazz vocalist Madeleine Peyroux and his own Jon Herington Band. Between work on those projects, he keeps coming back to Steely Dan when the news of a new tour arrives.

"It's a great job in a number of ways. ... It's music that holds up for me over time," he says. It's music that has held up to a decade-long band breakup, a rotating cast of musicians and its very own unlikely existence as highly technical pop.

It's a magical combination.