The Next Step is Kurt Rosenwinkel's fourth album as a band leader. It is his second release on Verve, and regarded as a major step in his creative evolution. Rosenwinkel himself, says of the album, "It represents the culmination of many life phases for me. Some of these phases started ten years ago and have finally found resolution in this record. It represents the next step in my music and in my life". The album debuts a number of Rosenwinkel compositions which would become staples of his live performances and would also be rerecorded on his albums, Deep Song and Star of Jupiter. This material was developed by the band during their frequent gigs at Smalls Jazz Club in New York City. Mitch Borden, the club's owner recalled that "Kurt Rosenwinkel's band played with such dramatic fire, that it would consume everyone present". The Next Step features several songs with alternate guitar tunings, as well as Kurt Rosenwinkel's piano playing on one tune.

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