Joe Lovano

Solid Steps

Jazz Club / 1986

1. Solid Steps (J. Lovano)
2. Who knows (B. Joris)
3. H and C’s Dance (M. Herr)
4. Straight Shot (H. Van de Geyn)
5. Lofritian Mode (J. Lovano)
6. A Picture of Her (Erwin Vann)
7. Gustavia (J. Lovano)
8. Benjamin (H. Van de Geyn)
9. Pretext (M. Herr)
10. Soulrole (H. Van de Geyn)

Joe Lovano – Tenor and Soprano Sax

Bert Joris – Trumpet
Michel Herr – Piano
Hein Van De Geyn – Double Bass
Dré Pallemaerts – Drums

Recorded October, 1986

This was my European working group at the time, and my first official studio recording as a leader.

1986 was an important period for me. I was starting to tour in Europe quite a lot as a leader, and this was a quintet of some great players form Beligum. Michel Herr, the pianist, had been working with Toots and Archie Shepp, and we had been playing quite a lot together. Our connection, and the one we felt with the bassist, Hein Van De Geyn, and drummer Dré Pallemaerts, made this a fantastic rhythm section to play with. We were working a lot, and after the recording, kept working gigs together over the next few years, as we toured Belgium and France quite a bit. So it was a very prolific period in my musical life.

I write three pieces especially for the date.