Side Step - Blues Clues (2025)

Side Step was born out of a collaborative friendship between saxophonist and composer Jordan Lerner and drummer
Ryan Barski. In 2022 they were joined by the outstanding saxophonist Ryan Devlin and the remarkable bassist Ian Ashby. The group's admiration for Elvin Jones and Steve Grossman served as a guiding light as they drew inspiration from the fiery improvisations on the Lighthouse recordings. The group spent many weeks touring and performing, leading to the creation of this record. "Blues Clues" captures the spirit of the individual musicians and the special chemistry shared by the group.

Thank you to master cymbalsmith Lasse Funch, who custom-crafted an Elvin Jones Tribute ride cymbal specifically for this project. Lasse's craftsmanship added a distinct character, and we are deeply grateful.

A special thank you to recording engineers Matt Ramerman, Jay Ashby, and mixing/mastering engineer John Hasselback III. Your dedication and artistry made all the difference.