Collection: Steps Ahead

Steps Ahead began as Steps in 1979, from spontaneous sessions at Seventh Avenue South, the New York club owned by Michael and Randy Brecker. Vibraphonist Mike Mainieri led it, with Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone, Don Grolnick on piano, Eddie Gomez on bass and Steve Gadd on drums. The earliest records, including Smokin’ in the Pit (Better Days, 1981, recorded in 1979), appeared under the name Steps. By Steps Ahead (Elektra Musician, 1983), Eliane Elias was on piano and Peter Erskine on drums, with Grolnick still contributing the track “Pools.” That album was largely acoustic. On Modern Times (Elektra Musician, 1984) the group moved to synthesizers and drum machines, with Warren Bernhardt on keyboards and compositions from Mainieri, Brecker, Erskine and Bernhardt. Magnetic (Elektra, 1986) followed. The roster kept shifting, and over the years included Mike Stern, Chuck Loeb, Steve Khan, Bill Evans, Rachel Z, Victor Bailey and Steve Smith. It was active through the 1980s, intermittently in the 1990s, and reunited for concerts in the mid 2000s. Michael Brecker died in January 2007, aged 57.