In A Mellow Tone
Wednesday May 17th, 2023 with Heavy Ben
Charles Stepney: Black Gold Of The Sun

A two hour profile on Charles Stepney: jazz musician turned soul producer for Cadet/Chess, and one of the all-time great "behind the scenes" movers and shakers. Born in Chicago in 1931, Stepney's career began as a pianist and vibraphonist in the 1950s. He appeared on recordings by Johnnie Pate, Lorez Alexandria, Eddie Harris, Gene Shaw, and The Soulful Strings. Stepney was a budding orchestral composer interested in the avant-garde. Much of his inspiration for sound manipulation - especially concerning the piano - came from a rare out-of-print book, "New Musical Resources" by Henry Cowell. In 1970 Stepney stated, "There are other sounds worthy of musical organization besides the conventional, sonorous ones. So we can take a cluster and know which overtones to expect, score that for strings and winds, and the difference sounds electronic. Sort of like Lygeti's 'Requiem'." In the mid 1960s, while still performing, Stepney added songwriting, arranging and production to his job description for Cadet and Chess records. Stepney worked on jazz records (Ramsey Lewis, Ray Bryant, Monk Higgins), produced the the top Chicago blues artists of 60s (Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy), branched out into soul (The Dells, Little Milton, Etta James, The Emotions, Marlena Shaw, Terry Callier, Fontella Bass, Earth Wind & Fire) and led psychedelic soul band The Rotary Connection (incl. Phil Upchurch and Minnie Riperton). Stepney died on this day, May 17, in 1976 at the age of 45. Pictured: Chicago-based International Anthem Recording Company, alongside Stepney's family, released "Step On Step" in 2022. This is Stepney's debut solo record, released almost 50 years after he died. It contains material recorded in Stepney's Chicago basement in the late 1960s and early 70s. This double vinyl collection of demos, funky vignettes, and jazzy improvisations features old school drum machines and keyboards, and a charming vintage recording quality. In a mix tape, these tracks would blend seamlessly into Shuggie Otis or Stevie Wonder or Sly. It is a revelation of Stepney's talents and a catchy and intimate introduction. https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/step-on-step