who played drums on josie by steely dan

That track is an absolute masterpiece, isn't it? The drumming on "Josie" was handled by Jim Keltner. He really laid down such a tight, clean groove that makes the whole song hold together perfectly. It's one of those parts that sounds simple on the surface but is actually super tricky to nail down with that exact feel.

I've spent plenty of time listening to Aja on long drives, and the way the drums sit in the mix is just legendary. Keltner was a total pro for that kind of session work. Honestly, finding a drummer who can lock into that specific steely dan pocket is pretty rare these days. Definitely one of the best drum tracks from that era.