The Jazz Project - Album 86: Steps Ahead - "Steps Ahead"

              To further my understanding of Jazz, I'm listening through Jazzwise Magazine's "The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World". Each album is presented with my stream-of-consciousness thoughts for each track, my general thoughts of the album as a whole, and any relevant information I can capture about the album. Also included is my drink of choice while taking the album in. Thank you for joining me on my journey to [partial] Jazz enlightenment.

Album 86
Steps Ahead - Steps Ahead
Drinking: Budweiser Copper Lager with Jim Beam

Photo credit: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Pq1wy0kdL.jpg

1. "Pools": This song has a very mellow opening. One of the things that immediately jumps out to me is the layers of tone contained on this track. Everyone is operating in their own space like they're occupying their own layers. In my head, I see a bird's eye view of traffic, or a big restaurant opening up and prepping for the day. While my brain is painting this picture I dial into the bass-tone, it's very reminiscent of Jaco Pastorius, or perhaps it should be the other way around. The saxophone in one of these sections is super slick! It's greasy almost, with these lines and runs, it's amazing how he pulls it off. The bass solo starting ~2:56 is very conversational, which is something I love in any solo. It's like if you zone out while listening to your friend talk and you're just registering the noise and notes of their voice. After a vibraphone solo, it pops into my brain that this song is like Bebop, and Funk was put into a blender and given a good frothy mix. I'm now focusing on the drums and piano, just how time mixes in. Hot damn, they're holding this groove down so it doesn't fly away, while still letting it strut around feeling good. I get the feeling that I'm looking inside the brains of a jazz performer when I listen to this. Each movement and moment is a different synapse firing off with an idea. It's crazy but contained, like a daydream. An excellent track to start the album. 
   
   
2. "Islands": I'm loving this intro, it's got a great rhythm, though I wish it kept this moment for longer instead of switching to this flowing passage. This particular part is a little too easy-listening for my tastes. As of ~1:08, it takes on a cool twist that is more in line with my taste. The music certainly achieves an island feel to it. I feel like they're capturing the sound of a soul sailing quickly by an island taking in the sights and sounds. I found my ear honing in mostly on the bass performance. It's tight, and a strong backbone to the songs. Soon, my focus also starts taking in the drums. Together they're deep in the pocket and holding this track down. Regardless, I'm not in love with this track, even though it returns to the beginning passage, which does salvage it a bit. 
   
   
3. "Loxodrome": I love the name of this track. the solemn opening is pretty great. It's like the opening to a Bogart film if it was made in the '80s. It sounds like a biopic following the life of an entry-level mobster going about his daily life with all the hustle and bustle that would come with that lifestyle. The piano solo is sharp and cutting, love it! The following bass solo is just as excellent. My only wish is that the solo didn't slow the pace of the song. Still, this person's chops are hard to critique. The section starting at ~4:25 is simply awesome! It's like beautiful chaos, the tension is heated. It clears the five-minute mark just in time for the song to come to a close. 
   
   
4. "Both Sides Of The Coin": This track has a little sass to it. The saxophone brings a sense of welcome to the song as well. I'm enjoying the intro quite a bit. At ~0:50 there is a weird trilling section that confuses me, but what do I really know? I'm lost that's for sure. This song is one of my least favorite tracks on this album. This song seems saxophone focused. Ultimately, "Both Sides Of the Coin" didn't do much for me. 
   
   
5. "Skyward Bound": An excellent open and delightful intro. Loving the bass work happening behind these moments. Something is happening on this track, and I can't quite put my finger on it. All I know is I'm getting goose-pimples listening to this song. The vibraphone solo at ~2:04 is captivating. It's slaying me with how good it is. I wonder if this was a song to remember someone, like a memorial song, as I'm getting that feeling. This track is a strong contender for my favorite song on this album. 
   
   
6. "Northern Cross": An interesting opening, it's quite busy. Sounds like a busy intersection in a city. Something is at a rolling boil and is about to hot-break all over the place. Stormy is a good word for it. I'm feeling lost trying to follow everyone as they play, though, it's holding my attention. I'm loving the bass-line at ~3:50, it's got some funky qualities to it. I do wish I had more to say about this track, I think I want to go back and give it a few more listens to wrap my brain around it. 
   
   
7. "Trio (An Improvisation)": This track features a somber opening by the saxophone. I thoroughly enjoy the bowed bass, it's a sound I greatly enjoy. I love how everyone slowly joins in by ~1:20. It sounds like a forest, or a town starting to wake up. The bass takes on a quiet menacing tone at ~2:50 which brings us to a moment I quite enjoy at ~3:13, it's so dark! There are moments where I'm taken back to Holtz's The Planets, strangely. Perhaps it's not a town or a forest that inspires this piece but the brilliance, darkness, and vastness of our cosmos. The bowed bass at ~5:04 melts my heart with its beauty. I also see in my mind this grand conference between the philosophers of the ages, a long-held debate about humanity while they all struggle to get their words in. Truly a strange yet inspiring piece, and an excellent choice to end the album. 

Overall Thoughts: I quite enjoyed this album, although some tracks lost me periodically. I blame my ear more than anything. The highs were really high, and I loved the journey getting there. Cohesively, I'm thoroughly impressed with how this band performs. 

Info: This album was released in 1983 through the Elektra/Musician record label, and was produced by Don Grolnick. Steps Ahead, at this point, was helmed by the following musicians: Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone, Mike Mainieri on vibraphone, synthesizer vibes, marimba, synthesizer, and percussion, Elaine Elias on piano, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Peter Erskine on drums. 

If you liked this album, you can pick it up here!