The Section (band)


The Section were a US instrumental rock band formed in the early 1970s by guitarist Danny Kortchmar, keyboardist Craig Doerge, bassist Leland Sklar, and drummer Russ Kunkel. They are best known for both studio and stage work in support of some of the best selling singer/songwriters and solo singers of that decade. Their frequent appearances on the records of artists signed to Asylum Records made them the label's de facto house band. Their close association with the singer-songwriter and soft rock genres of the 1970s also led to their alternate moniker of "The Mellow Mafia".
They appeared together and individually on such albums as Carole King's best selling/record breaking, 1971's "Album of the Year," Tapestry; James Taylor's 1970 hit album, Sweet Baby James and many other albums by Linda Ronstadt, Crosby & Nash, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon and others. They also performed as the back-up band on many of their tours. Other musicians closely associated with The Section include guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist Tim Drummond and multi-instrumentalist David Lindley.
One or more of them can be heard on the most popular tracks from the 1970s: King's "It's Too Late" and "Sweet Seasons"; Taylor's "You've Got a Friend" and his remake of "How Sweet It Is "; Browne's "Doctor, My Eyes"; Ronstadt's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me"; Joni Mitchell's "Carey"; and entire albums by Taylor and Browne.
By the 1980s, the group stopped working together collectively, though as individuals they continued to play prominent roles in the studio and on tour with many of the most popular solo acts of the decade, including Phil Collins, Stevie Nicks, and Don Henley.
Beside their supporting work for other musicians, The Section also released three albums of their own, consisting of mostly instrumental music that was an amalgam of rock, pop, jazz, and jazz fusion.

Discography