Steely Dan’s Walter Becker, who passed away over the weekend, would be proud of his daughter Sayan. She’s posted a beautiful letter to her late dad on www.walterbecker.com. Just beautiful. Go to the site to see a great photo she’s posted, too.

You loved music more than anyone I know. You’re always there bobbing your head to each beat, doing a little dance here and there, or sitting over there with your big head phones on and swaying back and forth. I could see it, your dissecting the song — listening in closely for each beat , for each musical instrument — you know, whatever you musicians do. But I get it.

Every road trip without fail came The Pit Stop at some guitar store. Heck, dad, I keep telling you why don’t you just own your own store? Five hours go by as I sit watching you fiddle with a guitar here and there…yet you never end up buying one. I understand though; it was your fun place, like an arcade; playing all you can, and as loud as you can. Your candy shop.

Dad you’re kinda funny; sometimes I may not understand the meaning behind your witty highly intelligent comments or jokes, but for you to smile and make everyone — or even thousands all at once — smile and laugh, then yeah you got something going for you pops… I get it. Your presence makes everyone’s day a little brighter. I love you for that.

Coast to coast. How is it that you know so many facts about every state or country we visit? We would walk through Central Park Zoo and just randomly point out some little thing… and here it comes, some long historical fact about it. Dad, it’s a seal for crying out loud! It amazes me how intelligent you are.

“Dad, I like that we understand one another”
“Sa-girl, we are soul mates”
“Dad I love you to the moon and back”
“Girly face I love you more than that, to the next galaxy”
“Wow, that’s far!”
“Well it’s true”

“…Thanks dad”

… for your love for music, your fatherly advice and devotion, your knowledge about the world and your blindingly sharp sense of humor … for all that, and more.

We had one hell of a ride. You are my world, my soulmate, my father, that I love so much.

It’s true your love is shining from the next galaxy. I could see it now; you got a whole galaxy of guitars to look at. Rock on dad, rock on until your heart is content.

I hear you.

I get you.

-Your only Pulama Ama Lama.

Tennis fans: the most constant commercial playing during the US Open seems to be the IBM Cloud spot. And that insistent rock music playing on it is worth nothing.

The song is “Jump into the Fire,” written and sung by the late Harry Nilsson in 1972. It was the third hit single from his “Nilsson Schmilsson” album produced by Richard Perry. The album was a smash, and nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys. Other recognizable hits from the album are “Without You” (covered years later by Mariah Carey) and “Coconut.”

Perry– the most successful pop producer of the 70s– had an an all star lineup for “Schmilsson.” You’re hearing Beatles sideman Klaus Voormann on bass, Chris Spedding on guitar, John Uribe on guitar, Herbie Flowers on bass, and Jim Gordon on drums. Gordon’s incredible solo is featured on the long version below of “Jump into the Fire.”

Gordon, of course, also wrote the piano part of “Layla.” A few years later he killed his own mother. He was crazy. But also a good composer (although Rita Coolidge claims she wrote the piano part of “Layla” and he just put his name on it).

Anyway. “Nilsson Schmilsson,” like Richard Perry productions with Carly Simon, Ringo Starr and the Pointer Sisters, is among the high water marks of pop music. So a tip of the hat. Forty five years later, “Jump into the Fire” sounds brand new.

PS The pair also made a hit sequel, “Son of Schmilsson,” which had the hits “Space Man” and “You’re Breaking My Heart.” It also featured my guilty pleasure Nilsson song, “The Lottery Song.” Nicky Hopkins plays piano. Absolute perfection.

On Friday night Sam Moore and William Bell led an all star group of singers including Tom Jones and Beverly Knight in a 50th anniversary Stax Records show at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Don’t you wish you could have been there!?

Here are a couple of clips. I’m kind of hoping Sam Moore gets a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award this year. In October he turns 82.

Sam Moore and Tom Jones sing the Sam and Dave classic “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down”

Sam Moore “Soul Man”

William Bell and Beverly Knight sing Bell and Judy Clay’s 1968 hit “Private Number”:

Steely Dan fans showed their support and love for the group and the late Walter Becker over the weekend.

The entire Dan catalog– the original 7 albums plus the Grammy winning “Two Against Nature” have now zoomed up the iTunes chart. They are all on the top albums chart this morning, along with a greatest hits package “A Decade of Steely Dan.”

The same can be said over at Amazon, where all the albums starting with “Aja” have come to occupy slots on the top 100.

If fans really want to honor Becker, they could also be buying his solo album “11 Tracks of Whack.”

Meantime, Becker’s partner and pal for 50 years, Donald Fagen, cancelled his show last night in San Antonio, Texas. I don’t know how he could have done it given the circumstances.

There are also some nice remembrances that have been published, by journalist turned filmmaker Cameron Crowe on his website, and by Rickie Lee Jones on hers. Rickie opened for Steely Dan last fall at the Beacon; Walter had produced one of her albums.

What happens next should be interesting. Steely Dan usually sits down at the Beacon Theater in New York for a dozen or more shows in October. The dates haven’t been announced yet. But you can bet they will serve as a memorial event to Becker with tickets selling out instantly.