The '70s proved to be a challenging time for jazz in general. As the last strains of progressive rock gave way to the decade end's disco boon, jazz found itself in an uncertain position. Fusion had seemed to play itself out and acoustic music was becoming as rare as those proverbial "hen’s teeth". As the '80s approached, Wynton Marsalis would emerge as a voice in support of refurbishing the jazz tradition. Also, a part of this milieu, the group Steps (later to be dubbed Steps Ahead) would turn their regular jam sessions at Michael Brecker's NYC jazz club, Seventh Avenue South, into a forum for presenting contemporary jazz in a well-versed and sagacious manner. It would be a few years before American audiences would catch wind of Steps and its musical modus operandi due to the fact that their early work was released only in Japan on Nippon Columbia. The brainchild of vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, the initial incarnation of the band included Brecker, the late pianist Don Grolnick, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Steve Gadd. This album while short on duration it more than makes up for things by presenting a heady mix of straight ahead and fusion tendencies, particularly notable is Mainieri’s "Bullet Train." ~ Extract by C Andrew Hovan, AAJ.
Better Days, YF-7020-N, 1981
Better Days, 28CY-2867, 1988
Recorded 8th & 10th
December, 1980 at Nippon Columbia Studio, Tokyo, Japan
Musicians:
Mike Mainieri - Vibraphone
Michael Brecker - Tenor
Saxophone
Don Grolnick - Piano
Eddie Gomez - Bass
Steve Gadd - Drums
Tracks:
1. Uncle Bob {Don Grolnick}
(11:00)
2. Kyoto {Mike Mainieri}
(6:57)
3. Belle {Mike Mainieri}
(7:49)
4. Bullet Train {Mike
Mainieri} (5:31)
5. Six Persimmons {Don
Grolnick} (6:09)
Total Time: 37:29
Credits:
Producer - Mike Mainieri
Executive-Producer - Christine
Martin
Recording & Mixing - Neil
Dorfsman
Engineer [Assistant] -
Tsukasa Aoyama
Photography [Front &
Inner] - Susan Aimee Weinik
Photography [Back] - Akira
Aimi
Liner Notes - Hisashi Ikegami
