With Steppin’ Out!, Roomful of Blues continues to break new ground, with Bastos' voice front and center. She brings fresh, dynamic energy, passionately singing each song as if she’s lived them all, all the while honoring Roomful’s rich traditions and signature “little big-band” sound.

Produced by Vachon, Steppin’ Out! features 14 rollicking, house-rocking performances. Bastos’ and the musicians’ emotional connection to the material is palpable from the first note to the last. The album opens with the supercharged, guitar and horn-storming cover of Billy “The Kid” Emerson’s Satisfied. The track list includes timeless reinterpretations of mostly obscure songs originally recorded by legends including Big Mama Thornton (You Don’t Move Me No More), Big Maybelle (I’ve Got A Feeling and Tell Me Who), Etta James (Good Rocking Daddy), and Buddy and Ella Johnson (Why Don’t Cha Stop It). Jimmy McCracklin’s Steppin’ Up In Class, Tiny Bradshaw’s Well Oh Well, and Smiley Lewis’ Dirty People, like all the songs on the album, are unearthed treasures.

Bastos could not be more aware of the significance or more proud of this album. “I am so excited to be the first female singer to record with the band. They are such an amazing group of musicians, such a well-oiled machine. I am thrilled to ride this wave.”

And Vachon is a huge fan of Bastos, always happy to sing her praises, saying, “D.D. Bastos wrings every bit of emotion from every song she sings. She is a showstopping entertainer.”