After 15 years of playing together, Russ Strathdee and Mark Rutherford embarked on the "Steppin' Back" project to record some standard tunes that would be recognized by nearly everyone.

Russ's sax playing is deeply rooted in jazz, blues, and rock. He cultivated his warm but edgy tone in the Toronto scene of the 60's as an active player in the R&B circuit.

Mark's keyboard style has been influenced by many musical experiences. In his formative years in Winnipeg, he played next to some very big and distinctive sounds (like "The Guess Who"). Cultivating an interest in jazz and fusion of the 70's, he relocated to Toronto and gathered a sizable list of professional credits.