Record Store Day exclusive – available on vinyl for the first time in 30 years!
Throughout the mid-to-late 1970s, legendary jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock engaged in a prolonged period of experimentation across sounds and recording formats, over the course of several albums, made only available in Japan. 1979's Directstep was one such album, one that made use of a new form of recording technology called 'Direct-To-Disc'. This method recorded masters in real time to acetate discs, rendering incredibly high fidelity LP pressings, but sacrificing the ability to edit or overdub. A distinct challenge, but one that Hancock accepted, entering Tokyo's CBS/Sony Studios in mid-October of 1978 with a stacked backing band including session veterans Bennie Maupin on saxophone, Ray Obiedo on guitar, Webster Lewis on keys and synths, Paul Jackson on bass, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion.