Step It

Bill Connors | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 27, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Evidence
• ASIN: B0000014KV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,235 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Lydia

2. A Pedal

3. Step It

4. Cookies

5. Brody

6. Twinkle

7. Titan

8. Flickering Lights

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fusion Classic, June 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Step It (Audio CD)

This is the most important solo CD from Bill Connors, a Return to Forever alumni. (He played on Hymn to the 7th Galaxy). This CD has been in my collection for a long time. If youre a serious fan of fusion your collection is not complete without this CD! The guitar is very melodic with some extreme lagato and fluid lines, the chord work is also exquisite and intricate with respect to arrangement. There is so much feeling and soul in this music its scary. Ive read Connors interviews and he talks about a Coltrane meets Hendrix approach to the guitar. The sheets of sound on guitar thing is really happening here.

Also, bassist Tom Kennedy is one of the best Ive ever heard, his mastry of breaking up the chords and playing so poly-rythmically establishes him as one of the true masters of the bass, up there with Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorious, and Jeff Berlin.

The drummer, Dave Weckl who toured with Chick Corea is a master drummer and of the finest time keepers avalible. By far some of the best fusion these ears will ever hear!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bill does not cop Allen H, October 15, 2005

By 

Steven Burgio "jazz police" (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Step It (Audio CD)

so many people whine that Bill sounds too muh like Allen on this album. However, If you listened to bill's early works, like with Stanley Clark's self titiled album, Bil is just being his talented self.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Feelings - Bad Case of Holdsworth-itis Yet Still OK, April 5, 2005

By 

P. McKenna "theowlwatches" (Atlanta GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Step It (Audio CD)

Let me start off by saying that I have been a fan of the chameleonic Bill Connors for some years now. His ever evolving muse and explorations have kept my attention for some time, whether it was his soaring and searing melodic electric playing with Return to Forever (which as far as I'm concerned stomped all over Al DiMeola), his beautiful and complex acoustic music from the mid to late 70's or his earliest re-emergence on electric guitar in the early 80's with several ECM artists like Jan Garbarek. All during that time, Bill stayed true to a very unique, personal and individual course.

And that's why this mid 80's release troubles me so much yet still has some things worth listening to.

Certainly, it couldn't be faulted in the musicianship and production departments, how could you go wrong with Dave Weckl and Tom Kennedy driving things along for you and having a sympathetic ear in guitarist Steve Khan producing?

However, the fault lies for me in the fact that Bill came out sounding a lot like Allan Holdsworth to a VERY alarming degree, even using much of the same gear, tones and even phrasing! What gives? Even Allan himself expresed some dismay, saying once that he liked Bill Connors when he sounded like Bill Connors. This is what puzzles me about this phase of Bill's career.

But on the other hand, it's not a complete loss, as there are some VERY worthwhile things that take place, like the title cut, the blues drenched "Cookies", the obtuse (and utterly delightful) "Titan" and the rousing closing cut "Flickering Lights" (even if it does have a bad case of Holdsworth-itis).

A mixed bag for sure, and leaving this Owl to wonder just why did he travel the Holdsworth path when he had plenty of his own originality to offer. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm