If you don’t know who the Porcaro brothers are, just peruse any popular album from the 70s and 80s, and chances are Jeff (drums), Mike (bass) and/or Steve (keyboards) played on it. Paul McCartney, Steely Dan, Peter Frampton, Pink Floyd, Boz Scaggs, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Yes, even Michael Jackson — they all called one or the other of the Porcaros to join them in the studio. When they weren’t busy doing sessions or writing songs for others, the brothers played together, at various points, in Toto.
Tragically, Jeff and Mike passed away in 1992 and 2015, respectively, leaving their youngest brother Steve to carry the legacy. The keyboardist has been in and out of Toto over the years, but since returning in 2009, he’s become a more integral part of the band. At the same time, the man who wrote Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” developed a desire to release a record of his own. His 2016 debut solo effort Someday / Somehow is the perfect vehicle for Porcaro, whose keyboard prowess has often been an overlooked component of the Toto sound (listen to his work on “Africa”).
Someday / Somehow comprises a talented cast of players. Through the magic of technology, brothers Jeff and Mike join Steve on one song (Mike actually plays all the bass lines on the album). Steve Lukather, Marc Bonilla and Jimmy Haun handle the guitar work. Drummers include current Toto stickman Shannon Forrest, Toss Panos and Robin DiMaggio, while most of the percussion falls on Lenny Castro. As for vocals, Porcaro took the lead on seven songs, while Michael McDonald, Jamie Kimmett, Mabyuto Carpenter and Michael Sherwood are all featured on the rest of the tracks.
Having seen Porcaro with Toto and at the Official Keith Emerson Tribute Concert, I was more than happy to check out the album and chat with him. What follows is a loose and friendly conversation where we got into the nuts and bolts of Someday / Somehow, as well as his keyboard work, vocals, songwriting, influences, and, of course, brothers. You could say that Steve Porcaro is doing everything he can to meet and exceed his family’s reputation for musical excellence.
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