''Steppin' Up'' is an album by saxophonist

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...

and organist

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McGriff started playing pia ...

recorded in 1987 and released on the

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway, railway line, canal or border, boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks like Mileage sign, mileage signs; or they c ...

label.Jazzlists:Milestone Records 9000 Series
accessed October 17, 2018Both Sides Now: Milestone Label Discography
accessed October 17, 2018

Reception

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Scott Yanow said: "the results are predictably soulful and pleasing... this is a highly enjoyable outing, easily recommended for soul-jazz fans".

Track listing

# "River's Invitation" (

Percy Mayfield Percy Mayfield (August 12, 1920August 11, 1984) was an American rhythm and blues singer with a smooth vocal style. He was also a songwriter, known for the songs "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and "Hit the Road Jack", the latter being a song f ...

) – 8:37 # "The Real Deal" (Hank Crawford) – 9:08 # "

Tippin' In "Tippin' In" is an American song with music by Robert Lewis "Bobby" Smith and lyrics by Marty Symes. It was a 1945 instrumental hit by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra. The single went to number one on the Race Records chart for six non-consecuti ...

" (Bobby Smith,

Marty Symes Marty Symes (1904–1953) was an American lyricist. Symes was born in Brooklyn New York in 1904. His first significant collaborator was composer Jerry Livingston. In 1932 they wrote "Darkness on the Delta", which became a hit for Mildred Bailey. T ...

) – 5:22 # "Vicki" (Jimmy McGriff) – 6:10 # "

Be Anything (but Be Mine) "Be Anything (but Be Mine)" is a popular song composed by Irving Gordon, which was published in 1952. Recorded versions *The most successful version of the song was that by Eddy Howard was released as Mercury 5815, which reached number 13 in ...

" (

Irving Gordon Irving Gordon (February 14, 1915 – December 1, 1996) was an American songwriter. Early life and education Gordon was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Jewish family, and later lived on Coney Island. He was named Israel Goldener but later ...

) – 6:34 # "Steppin' Up" (McGriff) – 3:20 # "

Lift Every Voice and Sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is a hymn with lyrics by James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954). Written from the context of African Americans in the late 19th century, the hymn is a pr ...

" (

John Rosamond Johnson John Rosamond Johnson (August 11, 1873 – November 11, 1954; usually referred to as J. Rosamond Johnson) was an American composer and singer during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he had much of his career in New York ...

James Weldon Johnson James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871June 26, 1938) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ...

) – 6:05 # "Something for Bubba" (Crawford, McGriff) – 7:10 Additional track on CD release

Personnel

–

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

–

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

Jimmy Ponder Jimmy Ponder (May 10, 1946 – September 16, 2013) was an American jazz guitarist. Career When Ponder's brother entered the military, he left his guitar, and Ponder picked it up. In his early teens he received lessons from the guitarist in a ban ...

–

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...

–

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

(tracks 1 & 6–8) *Vance James −

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

References

{{Authority control Milestone Records albums Hank Crawford albums Jimmy McGriff albums 1987 albums Albums produced by Bob Porter (record producer) Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio