Steps Ahead - Modern Times (1984)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.

In the early '80s, I was just turning on to jazz music, but my interests were definitely in the smooth jazz vein (Yellowjackets, Spyro Gyra, David Sanborn, etc.), so straight ahead jazz and jazz fusion were foreign to me. One of my high school band directors recommend this album to me, so I dubbed a cassette of his album and, after a few listens, I liked it enough to purchase my own copy. For me, this album bridged the gap between the smooth and fusion sub-genres. While hardly smooth jazz, it was highly synthesized with strange structures, odd chord progressions, and disjunct melodies - continuing along the lines of Weather Report and Return To Forever (bands I had yet to discover). I was drawn to the synth sounds because, after all, this was the '80s. Even with all the electronics, the music here has aged well.

The stars of this group were vibraphonist and group leader Mike Mainieri and the late Michael Brecker on saxophone. This band has had a revolving membership and, as a result, I only stuck with them for a few albums. I've owned four of their releases, but only replaced two on CD so far: this sophomore effort and its follow-up, 1986's Magnetic.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "invites comparison with Weather Report" 
• DownBeat (★★★★): "marks the emergence of a new era for Steps Ahead"
• Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #11
• CashBox Jazz: #9
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #1

Tracks: There's 7 tracks, all of them over 6 minutes long. My least favorite tune is Radio-Active. I enjoy the other six, particularly the beautiful Self Portrait.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I'm remembering driving around my little college town in the Markmobile, listening to this cassette during the fall of my freshman year, 1984. Looking back, I'm wondering why I drove at all in that town - nothing was further than a 15 minute walk.

In the late '90s, I was wanting to pick up a CD copy of this album because I hadn't heard it in more than ten years. The CD was out-of-print at the time, but I found a copy on eBay. I paid a little more than I should have, but how would I have known then that someday you could download the whole album for less than $7. Speaking of eBay, I received an email from them 4 days ago reading, in part, "Congratulations! It's your 13-year eBay anniversary." That's hard to comprehend.