Step by Step

Eddy Senay's second and final Sussex effort hones his music to a lean, mean edge. For a record so loose and laid-back on its surface, Step by Step contains not a single superfluous note or accoutrement, creating fierce funk grooves from only the most essential elements. Recorded in collaboration with keyboardist/arranger Rudy Robinson and Funk Brothers percussionist Eddie "Bongo" Brown, the songs emphasize form and structure in equal balance, employing a far more varied creative palette than on the preceding Hot Thang. Cuts like "Delgado" and "Shakedown" embrace Latin rhythms, while "Safari" draws on the blaxploitation lexicon to underline the cinematic imagination underpinning Senay's guitar. Long out of print, Step by Step finally became available once again in 2006 via Vampi's two-fer Soul Preachin'. ~ Jason Ankeny