by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The Braxton Brothers' debut album, Steppin' Out, tends to be a little bit too slick to actually qualify as improvisatory jazz, but the duo is a fine smooth jazz outift, working polished grooves that fuse light funk and soul with jazzy chords and pop melodies. The duo shows enough instrumental potential to suggest that they could craft a more adventurous album if they were willing to take the risk, but Steppin' Out is a pleasant listen in its own right.