''Tap Step'' is a studio album recorded by

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

in 1979 & 1980. It features previous Corea collaborators

Flora Purim Flora Purim (born March 6, 1942) is a Brazilian jazz singer known primarily for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Return to Forever with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. She has recorded and performed with nu ...

, Joe Farrell, Stanley Clarke and Gayle Moran, along with percussionists Airto, Don Alias and Laudir de Oliveira.

Recording

The album was recorded in December 1979 and January 1980. All of the seven tracks were originals first released on this album.

Reception

In a review issued on May 3, 1980, a ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' writer commented on Corea's experimentation on ''Tap Step'' with three types of

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...

, an Oberheim synthesizer, a Rhodes and Bösendorfer and a Hohner duo keyboard. In the view of the writer, this approach made this album sound modern but also at times "freakish and unmusical".

Track listing

All music composed and arranged by

Side one

#"Samba L.A." (lyrics by

Tony Cohan Tony Cohan (born December 28, 1939) is an American travel writer, novelist, and lyricist. His best known work of travel writing is ''On Mexican Time''. His novel ''Canary'' was selected New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and his novel ''Opi ...

) – 5:52 #"The Embrace" (lyrics by Tony Cohan) – 5:52 #"Tap Step" – 8:19

Side two

#"Magic Carpet" – 6:51 #"The Slide" – 6:47 #"Grandpa Blues" (vocoder lyrics by Chick Corea) – 4:03 #"Flamenco" – 3:34

Personnel

– acoustic piano (A2, B1, B4); Fender Rhodes electric piano (A3, B2, B3); Hohner clavinet (A1);

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

(A3, B2–B4), Moog vocoder (B3), Moog 55 modular (A1–B4) & Oberheim OB-X (A1, A3)

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

s; wood blocks (B1); handclaps * Gayle Moran – vocals (A1, A2) *

– vocals (A1) * Shelby Flint – vocals (A1) * Nani Villa Brunel – vocals (A1) * Al Vizzutti – trumpets (A2, A3, B1);

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some ...

(A2) * Hubert Laws –

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

(A2);

piccolo flute The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the s ...

(B4) * Joe Farrell – tenor saxophone (A3, B1);

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, sop ...

(B4) *

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

– tenor saxophone (B4) * Bunny Brunel – fretless electric bass (A2–B4); Yamaha 2000 keyboard (A2) * Jamie Faunt – electric piccolo bass (B2) * Stanley Clarke – electric piccolo bass, talk box (B3) * Tom Brechtlein –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(A2–B4) *

Airto Moreira Airto Guimorvan Moreira (born August 5, 1941) is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. He is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. Coming to prominence in the late 1960s as a member of the ...

– drums,

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

s, whistle, tamborim, pandero (A1); cuica (B2) * Don Alias –

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

s (A2, B1); Lya drums (B2) * Laudir de Oliveira – surdo bass drum, ganza shaker, tamborim (A1); agogô (A1, B2)

Charts

References

External links

Chick Corea - ''Tap Step'' (1980) album releases & credits
at Discogs {{Authority control 1980 albums Chick Corea albums Warner Records albums