Mike Mainieri, Eliane Elias, Bob Sheppard, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine at Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Steps Ahead set the jazz world on fire in the early '80s as the revised version of Steps (the band's original name). An island of acoustic relief in an overwhelming sea of electrified fusion bands, the quintet left a major impression on the musical landscape in 1983 with its eponymous debut album. Led by vibraphonist/composer Mike Mainieri, the band's personnel and sound quickly evolved through the years as it gave way to more electronic instrumentation, yet retained its originality. Mainieri—a former teen prodigy “discovered” by drum legend Buddy Rich in the 1950s—first distinguished himself as a creative force in the sonic crucible of the freewheeling '60s. The Steps Ahead Reunion Tour reunites Mainieri with two of the band's original members, pianist Eliane Elias and drummer Peter Erskine. Filling out the line-up are newer members bassist Marc Johnson and saxophonist Bob Sheppard. ...

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Steps Ahead set the jazz world on fire in the early '80s as the revised version of Steps (the band's original name). An island of acoustic relief in an overwhelming sea of electrified fusion bands, the quintet left a major impression on the musical landscape in 1983 with its eponymous debut album. Led by vibraphonist/composer Mike Mainieri, the band's personnel and sound quickly evolved through the years as it gave way to more electronic instrumentation, yet retained its originality. Mainieri—a former teen prodigy “discovered” by drum legend Buddy Rich in the 1950s—first distinguished himself as a creative force in the sonic crucible of the freewheeling '60s. The Steps Ahead Reunion Tour reunites Mainieri with two of the band's original members, pianist Eliane Elias and drummer Peter Erskine. Filling out the line-up are newer members bassist Marc Johnson and saxophonist Bob Sheppard.
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