Nearly a quarter century after the release of the album The Next Step, master guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel (b. 1970) has reunited with his comrades from that era. They, too, have made a name for themselves as influential musicians: saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Ben Street and drummer Jeff Ballard. Generational contemporaries with whom Rosenwinkel had previously tried to expand the boundaries of jazz at New York’s Smalls Jazz Club. The studio album The Next Step reflects those musical explorations, and The Next Step: Live At Smalls (1996) is a live recording from that heady period. The latter was released on Rosenwinkel's own Heartcore label. At the time, the band played with such dramatic fire that everyone was swept up in it, according to the then club owner. After that, everyone went their separate ways, and Rosenwinkel developed into one of the most important stylists of his generation. The Next Step Reunion Tour brings a groundbreaking time back to life.
