Day By Day

Before he started singing lead for Hiroshima in 1999, Terry Steele was a perfect example of someone who had made a good living as a behind-the-scenes person. Steele's urban/adult contemporary songs were recorded by major artists like Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, and Patti LaBelle in the '80s or '90s, but as a vocalist, he wasn't terribly visible — not until he joined Hiroshima. And the Hiroshima connection certainly can't hurt this ballad-heavy solo outing, which offers exactly the sort of romantic urban/quiet storm/adult contemporary blend one would expect from the man who co-wrote "Here and Now" for Luther Vandross. Occasionally, Day by Day detours into hip-hop-minded neo-soul territory; the autobiographical "My Good," for example, brings to mind neo-soulsters like Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, and Mary J. Blige. But more often than not, this CD is very adult contemporary-minded — and Steele is obviously going after the Vandross/Anita Baker/Freddie Jackson/Glenn Jones/Peabo Bryson crowd with ballads like "Say Goodbye," "Never With You," and a remake of the Stylistics' "You Are Everything" (which finds him performing a duet with LaBelle). Steele also provides a remake of "Here and Now," which is a logical choice because it's his best-known song and was a major hit for Vandross in 1989. Clearly, Steele is a talented, capable vocalist; so why didn't he enjoy greater visibility as a solo artist during his pre-Hiroshima years? It all comes down to connections. The music industry is extremely political — connections are everything, and presumably, Steele's connections led to more success as a songwriter than as a solo artist. They also led to the Hiroshima gig. Day by Day falls short of mind-blowing, but it's a pleasant and decent (if somewhat predictable) solo outing for the songwriter turned Hiroshima member.