Steven Van Zandt established himself as a songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer before he stepped out as a solo artist in 1992, adopting the stage name Little Steven and fronting Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul. One of the architects of the trademark New Jersey sound as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, and as a mentor to Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, Little Steven embraced a potent mixture of Jersey-style rock and blue-eyed soul on the Disciples of Soul's debut album, 1992's Men Without Women. He fashioned an international hard rock sound on 1984's rabble-rousing Voice of America and added funk and hip-hop influences on 1987's Freedom No Compromise. Steven put the Disciples of Soul on the back burner in favor of solo efforts and work with Springsteen, but they returned with 2017's Soulfire and continued with 2018's Soulfire Live! and 2019's Summer of Sorcery.