BY MIKE METTLER

“Do you like good music?”

True, it’s a simple question with a fairly obvious answer, but when it’s posed by Michael “White Lightning” McDonald at the outset of “Sweet Soul Music,” you can’t help but wanna get up and testify a hearty “yeahhhh!” That’s but one of many call-and-response-worthy moments to be found on The Dukes of September: Live at Lincoln Center, released by 429 Records on Blu-ray and DVD on March 18.

The Dukes of September comprise of the core trio of Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, The Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald, and Boz Scaggs. All three have worked together in various roles and incarnations over the years, participated in the New York Rock and Soul Revue, and have toured collectively as the Dukes in 2010 and 2012. This 90-minute performance was shot in November 2012 in New York at the always effervescent Lincoln Center, and you may also start seeing this gig show up on PBS on Great Performances as well as during March pledge drives.

In addition to a fair share of fan favorites — the songs Fagen refers to as the ones they did for sake of “the TV Babies” in his droll 2013 memoir, Eminent Hipsters — the Dukes also put mighty fine spins on some R&B, soul, and blues classics.

Still, the best moments come when the Dukes strut their own stuff, as buttressed by a sharp nine-piece band, essentially comprised of Steely Dan’s touring outfit. Scaggs shows serious blues chops on a cover of Muddy Waters’ (by way of Willie Dixon’s) “The Same Thing,” with ace guitarist Jon Herington playing ring-finger slide as tasty as Bonnie Raitt does. Herington is the Dukes’ secret weapon, as he blazes a formidable trail by shifting his tone and approach on a dime during “What a Fool Believes,” “Hey Nineteen,” and especially with his wah-laden solo during the final encore, “Them Changes.” His masterfully blazing runs during “Reelin’ in the Years” get an on-camera nod and “yeah!” of approval from Fagen.

One of Scaggs’ signature tunes, “Lowdown,” receives a standing ovation, and with good reason. The song opens with a tight hi-hat and snare groove laid down by Shannon Forrest, and the “wonder wonder wonder” harmony later repeated by background vocalists Carolyn Leonhardt and Monet Owens is pushed back just enough in the mix. Scaggs’ vocals have just the right growl, and Michael Leonhardt’s trumpet solo is of Freddie Hubbard caliber.

After that, McDonald literally goes to church in “Takin’ It to the Streets,” getting lost in the soulful testifying of his lyrics, while Walt Weiskopf’s sweet tenor sax sets the tune’s soulful bed. In the encore, Fagen unravels some fine “Pretzel Logic,” with each Duke taking a verse. “These days are gone forever, over a long time ago,” they all harmonize. (Say it ain’t so, folks — but maybe it is so.)

The disc’s overall sound — recorded and mixed by Patrick Dillett — is quite clean and front-stage-centric, though audience applause appears after every song in the rear channels (and you can sometimes hear smatterings of audience shout-outs and song requests between songs or during the Dukes’ intro patter). There are no extras included.

I’m not quite sure why the long-buried HD DVD logo appears on the cover packaging, spine, and in the booklet, but that’s just a quibble. Do you like good music? Of course you do. Let The Dukes of September remind you just exactly how much.

Blu-ray Boz Scaggs Donald Fagen Eminent Hipsters Jon Herington Lincoln Center Michael McDonald music Steely Dan The Doobie Brothers