A variable-geometry group formed in 1979 by vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, the only member present throughout their career, Steps Ahead specialized in jazz fusion, recording eight albums during the 1980s. Numerous well-known soloists came and went over the years, including saxophonist Michael Brecker throughout this first period, bassists Eddie Gomez, Marc Johnson and Daryl Jones, Don Grolnick, Rachel Z and Eliane Elias on keyboards, drummers Steve Gadd and Peter Erskine and several guitarists including Mike Stern and Chuck Loeb. Back with new musicians in the mid-1990s, Steps Ahead recorded the album Vibe and resumed successful touring. A second live album, Holding Together, was released in 2002. In 2016, the entity is reactivated for the album Steppin' Out.
