Best-known for his work as the original guitarist with Fattburger, Steve Laury is a surprisingly versatile and powerful guitarist. Originally influenced by blues players and then Wes Montgomery, Laury started on guitar when he was 11 but did not take it seriously until he had turned 18. A few years later, he moved to San Diego where he met Carl Evans and Mark Hunter; Fattburger resulted. Laury remained in the group for over five years. He launched his solo career in the early 1990s with Stepping Out, the first of several recordings for Denon that displayed his accessible yet reasonably adventurous style. Despite some health problems that he has battled successfully, Steve Laury seems to have a potentially significant future. ~ Scott Yanow