In one 2012's most auspicious debuts, trumpeter Joel Behrman strides forward with Steppin’ Back, his first album under his own name after a dozen years as a mainstay on the Bay Area jazz scene. A confident, often magnificent album showcasing some of the region’s most prodigious improvisers, the project also introduces Behrman as a composer of

In one 2012's most auspicious debuts, trumpeter Joel Behrman strides forward with Steppin’ Back, his first album under his own name after a dozen years as a mainstay on the Bay Area jazz scene. A confident, often magnificent album showcasing some of the region’s most prodigious improvisers, the project also introduces Behrman as a composer of elegant, evocative themes. Possessing a full, fat, mellifluous tone, he explores an unusually broad swath of material, from Louis Armstrong to Duke Ellington to Joe Henderson.

Personnel: Joel Behrman - Trumpet Dayna Stephens - Tenor Saxophone Danny Armstrong - Trombone Matt Clark - Piano Marcus Shelby - Bass Howard Wiley - Drums