Search - Bill Connors :: Step It

Fusion Classic

06/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

Bill does not cop Allen H

Steven Burgio | East Coast | 10/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Why wasnt this album really promoted?

D. M. Paine | Alexandria, Virginia USA | 06/16/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Its a shame this album wasnt better promoted. Bill Connors should be better known as an all-around musician, not just that fast-but-gritty guy who helped launch Return to Forever.



Step It! was recorded almost 20 years ago. I bought it almost as a whim, thinking I should find out what Bill REALLY was up to in the 80's, without much expectations from it. I listened to samples at Amazon and it sounded like lots of meandering solos. But when you hear the whole songs - things get a lot more interesting! Bill can write, and he's a good bandleader too. There's not a bad compositoin or performance on the album, the standard is uniformly high. The solos spring organically from the themes, and are not disconnected jams - Bill is a real artist, not just a guitarist.



Not a big ground-breaker, but solid and professional electric jazz by one of the strongest talents. Highly recommended."