Steps Ahead
American jazz fusion group
title: "Steps Ahead" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-jazz-fusion-ensembles", "jazz-ensembles-from-new-york-city", "elektra-records-artists"] description: "American jazz fusion group" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steps_Ahead" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American jazz fusion group ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Steps Ahead |
| background | group_or_band |
| origin | New York City |
| genre | Jazz fusion |
| years_active | 1979–present |
| label | Elektra/Musician, NYC, Jazzline |
| current_members | * Mike Mainieri |
| past_members | * Michael Brecker |
| * Bryan Baker{{cite web | url |
| :: |
| name = Steps Ahead | background = group_or_band | origin = New York City | genre = Jazz fusion | years_active = 1979–present | label = Elektra/Musician, NYC, Jazzline | current_members = * Mike Mainieri
- Bill Evans
- Steve Smith
- Tom Kennedy | past_members = * Michael Brecker
- Don Grolnick
- Chuck Loeb
- Eliane Elias
- Bob Berg
- Warren Bernhardt
- Bendik Hofseth
- Rachel Z
- Jimi Tunnell
- Mike Stern
- Steve Khan
- Eddie Gómez
- Darryl Jones
- Tony Levin
- Jeff Andrews
- Victor Bailey
- Marc Johnson
- Steve Gadd
- Peter Erskine
- Dennis Chambers
- Donny McCaslin
- Bryan Baker
Steps Ahead is an American jazz fusion group.
History
The group arose out of spontaneous sessions at Seventh Avenue South, a jazz club in New York City owned by saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter brother Randy Brecker. The first three albums were released under the name Steps, later changed to Steps Ahead, on Nippon Columbia in Japan, starting with the debut live album Smokin' in the Pit (1980), followed by Step By Step (1981) and Paradox (1982).
The shifting roster has included vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, saxophonists Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Bendik Hofseth, Bill Evans, Ernie Watts, and Donny McCaslin; pianists Don Grolnick, Eliane Elias, Warren Bernhardt and Rachel Z; guitarists Mike Stern, Chuck Loeb, and Steve Khan; bassists Eddie Gomez, Darryl Jones, Tony Levin, Victor Bailey, Richard Bona, and Marc Johnson; and drummers Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Steve Smith, and Dennis Chambers.
Steps Ahead was active during the 1970s and 1980s, intermittently during the 1990s, and reunited for concerts in the mid-2000s.
Discography
As Steps
- Step by Step (Better Days, 1980) – recorded in 1980
- Smokin' in the Pit (Better Days, 1981) – recorded in 1979
- Paradox: Live at Seventh Avenue South (Better Days, 1982) – recorded in 1981
As Steps Ahead
- Steps Ahead (Elektra/Musician, 1983)
- Modern Times (Elektra/Musician, 1984)
- Magnetic (Elektra, 1986)
- N.Y.C. (Capitol/Intuition, 1989)
- Yin-Yang (NYC, 1992)
- Live in Tokyo 1986 (NYC, 1994)
- Vibe (NYC, 1995)
- Holding Together (NYC, 2002)[2CD] – live rec. 1999
- Steppin' Out with WDR Big Band (Jazzline, 2016)
Members
Current members
- Mike Stern - guitar (1999–present)
- Mike Mainieri - vibraphone (1979–present)
- Eliane Elias - keyboard (1983-1985;1992–present)
- Eddie Gomez - bass (1979-2002;2016–present)
- Steve Smith - drums (1996–present)
References
References
- (February 13, 2010). "Guitarist Bryan Baker Prepares To Release "This Morning Day"". [[All About Jazz]].
- "Seventh Avenue South {{!}} - Legendärer Jazzclub in Manhatten".
- (1 September 2000). "Steps: Step By Step/Paradox".
- "NYC Records » Bio".
- (2006). "NPR's JazzSet: Steps Ahead: 2005 Montreux Jazz Festival".
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