Grammy Nominated Carmen Grillo’s “One Step Forward”: Pure Funk, Real Soul, No Filters
- Editorial Board
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
A masterclass of funk-blues fire, groove precision, and pure human touch and massive musician-ship.
With One Step Forward, Carmen Grillo reaffirms exactly why he’s one of the most respected names in modern blues and soul. This isn’t background or elevator music, it’s living, breathing musicianship, played by artists who know how to make a groove move.
From the first bar, a steady four-on-the-floor drumbeat locks you in.
The groove is deep, earthy, and unpretentious, the kind that feels like it’s coming from the floorboards of a smoky Chicago club at midnight, or perhaps after close, when the real fun begins. The bass line pops and slaps with Larry Graham, like precision, every note bouncing up-tempo against the kick in that perfect pocket that only true pros can find.
Over that, Grillo’s guitar is both narrator and soul, sharp, expressive, dripping with tone. Every lick has a story; every bend feels earned after years of playing it. He owns the guitar and the guitar is glaadly owned by him.
The track’s structure mirrors its message, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It’s a working-class anthem built on funk, groove and grit. The lyrics are simple but universal: we’ve all felt that push and pull of life, that sense of trying to move forward while luck seems to pull us back two steps. Yet Grillo never sings it with defeat.
His voice has that seasoned, road-worn confidence, a man who’s seen the highs, the lows, and learned to swing through both with confidence...and FUNK.
And then there’s the horn section. When the saxophone cuts through, it’s pure electricity, bright, brassy punctuation that elevates the entire arrangement.
It’s that Tower of Power DNA shining through, a reminder that Grillo once stood in the middle of that legendary horn-driven storm. The interplay between his guitar solos and those horns is pure conversation: the guitar growls and shouts, the horns answer back with swagger.
Behind it all, the production gleams without losing warmth. The mix is clean but alive — the snare crisp, the bass rich, the organ filling the space with that analog hum. It’s the sound of real instruments played by real people in real time, a rarity in today’s quantized, polished-to-death landscape.
Grillo’s One Step Forward also fits seamlessly into the larger body of his work.
His album Walkin’ The Tightrope is a vibrant collection that captures this same energy across multiple tracks, fiery guitar riffs, soulful vocals, and top-tier collaborations.
Recorded with some of the finest musicians in the business, including Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff (both from Chicago), keyboard virtuoso Rob Mullins, and Doc Kupka from Tower of Power, the record feels like a summit meeting of groove legends.
Together, they deliver a sound that balances precision with feel, disciplined musicianship wrapped in spontaneous energy.
What makes One Step Forward stand out, though, is its timeless spirit.
It feels as if it could’ve been cut straight to tape in 1976, perhaps it was, but it hits just as hard today. The groove could sit alongside the Meters, the rhythm section could’ve backed Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the guitar phrasing nods to Clapton and Cray, yet it’s distinctly Grillo; clean, soulful, and confident.
It’s rare to hear funk this alive, where every note breathes, every line means something, and the musicians sound like they’re in the same room, feeding off one another’s energy. Carmen Grillo doesn’t just play the funk or the blues; he embodies it, through discipline, fire, and groove.
When the track fades out, that chorus lingers like good advice from a man who’s lived it:“You’re always one step forward and two steps back…”And somehow, you can’t help but smile — because even if the world pulls you back, Carmen Grillo’s groove keeps you moving forward.
Follow Carmen Grillo on Instagram [linked]. And listen to “One Step Forward” on all streaming platforms [linked].
