The Section was a United States instrumental rock/jazz fusion band formed in the early 1970s by guitarist Danny Kortchmar, keyboardist Craig Doerge, bassist Leland Sklar, and drummer Russ Kunkel.
Their close association with the singer-songwriter and soft rock genres of the 1970s also led to their alternate moniker of "The Mellow Mafia".
[1] Fork It Over (1977), the group's final album, featured guest appearances from Taylor and David Crosby alongside other session luminaries of the era, including percussionist Joe Lala, saxophonist David Sanborn, trumpeter Chuck Findley and multi-instrumentalist Jim Horn.
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 (To Be Loved by You)"; Browne's "Doctor, My Eyes" and "Rock Me on the Water"; Ronstadt's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me"; Joni Mitchell's "Carey"; Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Shadow Captain" and "Just a Song Before I Go"; and entire albums by Taylor (JT, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon), King (Rhymes & Reasons, Thoroughbred), Ronstadt (Don't Cry Now, Mad Love), Crosby & Nash (Graham Nash David Crosby, Wind on the Water) and Browne (Running on Empty, Hold Out).
[1] By the 1980s, the group stopped working together collectively, although as individuals they continued to play prominent roles in the studio and on tour with many of the most popular acts of the decade, including Phil Collins, who collaborated with Sklar frequently starting with 1985's No Jacket Required album and subsequent tour, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, whose albums Daylight Again and American Dream feature keyboard work and songwriting by Doerge, Stevie Nicks, whose debut solo album Bella Donna features guitar work from Wachtel, who continues to work with her as her musical director, Bob Seger, who frequently collaborated with Kunkel beginning with 1982's The Distance album following the departure of David Teegarden, and Don Henley, who used Kortchmar's writing skills and musicianship on numerous instruments on his I Can't Stand Still and Building the Perfect Beast albums.