Let it be made abundantly clear: music would not be what it is or where it is today if it weren’t for Charles Stepney. Even wilder, that statement could’ve been made at any point over the last five decades, and it would’ve been just as true. Best known for his work with acts such as Earth, Wind, & Fire, Deniece Williams, Rotary Connection, and Minnie Riperton, Stepney’s never been properly celebrated.

Prior to his untimely death in 1976, Stepney planned to release a solo album. Thanks to the work of his daughters, Stepney’s collection of home recordings, which he made over many years in the 60s and 70s, alone in his basement no less, were amassed and produced, giving us Step on Step.

Each track on Step on Step is a close look into Stepney’s musical genius. The work is funky and soulful, simultaneously a sign of the times of their recording and timeless today. Full of easy-listening music, tracks like “Daddy’s Diddies,” “That’s The Way Of The World,” “Imagination,” “In The Basement,” “Around the House,” and “Black Gold” stand out, but each track is legendary in its own right. The instrumentation, the harmonies, the rhythms, and the production are grand, beautiful, evocative, and enveloping. Everything music should be.

The record is a testament to Stepney’s mind as a producer. The musician had vision, skill, and an ear for sound. Any one of his melodies on Step on Step could be sung over today, and it’d instantly top the charts. Simply put, Stepney knew music.

Some of Stepney’s musical talent was clearly passed on to his three daughters – Eibur, Charlene, and Chante Stepney – who carefully and gracefully produced the album, memorializing their father as one of the twentieth century’s most seminal musicians. Perhaps his daughters’ greatest contribution to the album is their commentary over various tracks, giving us an intimate glimpse into Stepney’s interests, work habits, and his legacy as a musician and a father.

Thank you to the Stepney Sisters for bestowing this gift. Though Charles Stepney’s impact is undersung, this iconic, historic, undeserved gift will eternally be appreciated by music fans worldwide.

Step on Step is out now via International Anthem.