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Victor Bailey
- Thread starter Jeff Scott
- Start date
That was fantastic! I believe Joe Zawinul wrote that piece. I know it is from the Mysterious Traveler album. The arrangement using a full orchestra demonstrates the depth of the composition in a way a small combo could not. It is always great to see a performance by the great and criminally underrated, Victor Bailey. I believe Alex Acuna was on percussion too.
I f'n loved that! Mysterious Traveler is one of favorite albums of all time. I have a ton of Zawinul's work in my collection, he always surrounded himself with the best musicians and Victor was just awesome!
Yes, it was. Such a great "cast" of musicians in that performance.
Steps Ahead is one of my most favourite groups...mid--80s Steps wasn't huge for me. I prefer their more "organic" albums.
That said, I enjoyed your video link. Chuck Loeb on the guitar synth, right?
I thought that the band's function as a rhythm unit was exceptional for this set. Of course all the solos were gems, and everything always Brecker I love, but I thought the band really put everything together on this one.
Yep, that was Loeb on the cheesecutter
I actually prefer some of the less "organic" versions of Steps Ahead (or Steps, whatever they were calling themselves at the time), at least the lineups with electric bass and guitar rather than Eddie Gomez on upright and Eliane Elias on acoustic piano. Yes, they did occasionally succumb to 80s synth-cheese, but their rhythm sections were always slamming! I'm always pleasantly surprised when I see an old video of Peter Erskine rocking out like a boss, playing those thick backbeat grooves but still showing the sensetive nuance that pervades his more traditional jazz playing.
But I think my favorite Steps album is NYC with Tony Levin and Steve Smith.
My 1st and still favourite...their "debut" in the US?
No Don Grolnick. It's Mainieri, Erskine, Brecker, Gomez, & Elias (on piano).
There were 2-3 Japanese Imports that came prior. I shelled out some decent $ for Smoking' In The Pit and Paradox. I added Step By Step much later.
A couple of these have Grolnick & Steve Gadd.
I added a wall in "my room". I thought the Alice Cooper album went well next to the Steps album.
In The Pit is also available domestically.
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Nice wall! All good albums.
My favorite album is Magnetic. Especially the song Beirut. I like the dark atmosphere of that. Prefer that to the more smooth sound of a lot Steps Ahead songs. Although I don’t know all albums.
You guys probably already know this one. If not-
The mid 80's tech and midi explosion didn't do any of the jazz cats any favors for those who over indulged in it. IMHO
Unfortunately, I'd have to put Weather Report in there, as well.The mid 80's tech and midi explosion didn't do any of the jazz cats any favors for those who over indulged in it. IMHO
I did not like too much of it back then...and was called a dinosaur for it. In my early 20s, at that.
Yep. Own the cd. Amazing stuff. I don't think a lot of people really know how good a bassist Victor Bailey was. My opinion, and it is just my opinion, he was way better than Jaco and he could slap as well. Dude was amazing.
