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Avg: 4.5 (30 ratings)
- Date Released: December 14, 1980
- Genre: Jazz
- Label: NYC Records / IODA
Funky fusion even jazz purists will love
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We Say...
A bona-fide jazz supergroup of session pros who began unwinding together at Michael Brecker's Manhattan club Seventh Avenue South, Steps Ahead didn't have to choose between taut cohesion and freewheeling improvisation. The aptly-named Smokin' captures them early, in their all-acoustic, resplendent quickening, alternating between sizzling fusion-funk (but with plenty of "real jazz" meat on the bone) and vibe player Mike Mainieri's gossamer ballads. Brecker is a muscular monster on sax, drummer Steve Gadd has never sounded better detonating grooves beside the pulsating bass of Eddie Gomez (freed from the chamber of the Bill Evans Trio), and Mainieri's lemon-meringue texture and tonality provide seamless contrast. But don't sleep on the undeservedly obscure pianist Don Grolnick, whose spiky solos and sharp tunes make him the band's secret weapon.
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They Say...
Recorded live at the Pitt Inn in Tokyo, Japan this superb double-disc is one of jazz music's finest moments. It includes the same lineup as Step by Step. None of the material on any of these three Japanese CDs is repeated on the other CDs. Buy all three, they're worth every penny!
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07 Total Tracks, 73:02 Total Length
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 13 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 13 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
06 Total Tracks, 76:20 Total Length
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Credits
- Michael Brecker - Saxophone // Michael Brecker - Saxophone // Michael Brecker - Sax (Tenor) // Michael Brecker - Sax (Tenor) // Eddie Gomez - Bass // Don Grolnick - Piano // Don Grolnick - Piano // Steps Ahead - Main Performer // Kazumi Watanabe - Guitar // Neil Dorfsman - Engineer // Neil Dorfsman - Mixing // Steve Gadd - Drums // Todd A. Gerard - Remastering // Mike Mainieri - Percussion // Mike Mainieri - Keyboards // Mike Mainieri - Producer // Mike Mainieri - Vibraphone // Mike Mainieri - Liner Notes // Christine Martin - Executive Producer // Kevin Gaor - Package Redesign // Aki Ikuta - Project Coordinator // Akira Fukada - Assistant Engineer // Akira Sasaki - Assistant Engineer // Susan Weinek - Cover Photo
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Other Details
- Instruments:
- Bass (Vocal) //
- Drums //
- Guitar (Electric) //
- Keyboards //
- Saxophone //
- Vibraphone
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