Tap Step

Tap Step is a studio album recorded by Chick Corea in 1979 & 1980.^[1] It features previous Corea collaborators Flora Purim, Joe Farrell, Stanley Clarke and Gayle Moran, along with percussionists Airto, Don Alias and Laudir de Oliveira.

Tap Step
Studio album by Chick Corea
Released	1980
Recorded	December 1979 – January 1980
Studio	Ocean Way Recording Studio (track A1) & Love Castle Studios (tracks A2–B4), Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:38
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Chick Corea
Chick Corea chronology
Delphi II & III (1980) Tap Step (1980) Chick Corea & Lionel Hampton in Concert (1980)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[3]

Recording

The album was recorded in December 1979 and January 1980.^[2] All of the seven tracks were originals first released on this album.^[1]

Reception

In a review issued on May 3, 1980, a Billboard writer commented on Corea's experimentation on Tap Step with three types of Moog synthesizer, 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".^[4]

Track listing

All music composed and arranged by Chick Corea.

Side one

1. "Samba L.A." (lyrics by Tony Cohan) – 5:52
2. "The Embrace" (lyrics by Tony Cohan) – 5:52
3. "Tap Step" – 8:19

Side two

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

Personnel

• Chick Corea – acoustic piano (A2, B1, B4); Fender Rhodes electric piano (A3, B2, B3); Hohner clavinet (A1); Minimoog (A3, B2–B4), Moog vocoder (B3), Moog 55 modular (A1–B4) & Oberheim OB-X (A1, A3) synthesizers; wood blocks (B1); handclaps
• Gayle Moran – vocals (A1, A2)
• Flora Purim – vocals (A1)
• Shelby Flint – vocals (A1)
• Nani Villa Brunel – vocals (A1)
• Al Vizzutti – trumpets (A2, A3, B1); flugelhorn (A2)
• Hubert Laws – flute (A2); piccolo flute (B4)
• Joe Farrell – tenor saxophone (A3, B1); soprano saxophone (B4)
• Joe Henderson – 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 (A2–B4)
• Airto Moreira – drums, snare drums, whistle, tamborim, pandero (A1); cuica (B2)
• Don Alias – congas (A2, B1); Lya drums (B2)
• Laudir de Oliveira – surdo kick drum, ganza shaker, tamborim (A1); agogô (A1, B2)

Charts

Chart (1980)	Peak position
US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard)[5]	170
US Billboard Jazz LPs[5]	8