Herb Ellis rehearsing with the U.S. Navy Commodores (circa 1979)

Steve has performed 
with these jazz giants:

on guitar:
Howard Alden
Gene Bertoncini
Charlie Byrd
Herb Ellis
Tal Farlow
Mundell Lowe
Joe Negri
John Pisano
Bucky Pizzarelli
John Pizzarelli
Emily Remler
Vinnie Raniolo
Frank Vignola

on piano:
Bill Charlap
​John Eaton
​Larry Eanet
Eddie Higgins
Marian McPartland
John Sheridan
​Tadataka Unno

on bass:
Keter Betts
Joe Byrd
Milt Hinton
Hassan Shakur

on drums:
Louie Bellson
Paul Humphrey
Dennis Mackrell

on horns:
Harry Allen
Adrian Cunningham
Lou Donaldson
​Frank Foster
Scott Hamilton
Jon-Erik Kelso
Ken Peplowski
Tommy Newsome
Marvin Stamm
Stanley Turrentine
Grover Washington Jr.

on violin:
Claude "Fiddler" Williams

And accompanied 
legendary vocalists:

Ernie Andrews
Rosemary Clooney
Ethel Ennis
Giacomo Gates
Etta Jones
Carmen Lundy
Della Reese
Diane Shuur
Margaret Whiting
Joe Williams


Biography 
  
Steve has appeared in concert twice with the "Great Guitars". Once, back in the 1980's with Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd, (subbing for Barney Kessel), and recently with Bucky Pizzarelli and Frank Vignola.

Steve is a 24 year veteran of the U.S. Navy Band. In his first 6 years, he performed in various "fleet" bands; touring throughout the country. He then spent the next 18 years in Washington D.C. as guitarist/featured soloist with The Commodores, the U.S. Navy's premiere jazz ensemble.  Steve retired in 1997, remaining in the area for the next 28 years, performing with a variety of groups. 
 
Venues where Steve has performed include The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, An Die Musik, Bertha's, Keystone Korner, and The King of France Tavern.. He twice performed in Europe at the prestigious "Jazz In Marciac" Jazz Festival in Marciac, France.
 
Steve was a faculty member at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C. for five years and presently teaches guitar privately.  As a clinician, Steve has given Master Classes in guitar and rhythm section techniques at the Armed Forces School of Music, James Madison University, Elon University, as well as various colleges and high schools.
 
Steve can be found on numerous recordings, including six of his own. In 1987, his first, "Big Brass Bed Blues" received a 4 1/2-star rating from Downbeat Magazine, which called him "...fluent, assured, directly communicative...definitely one to watch". (May 1987 issue)

His latest project, "Between Friends", is collaboration with long time friend and master 7 string guitarist Steve Herberman.  Released on the "Mainstay Music" label.

​
 
Steve has also shared the stage with some of the finest
musicians from the New York, Wash. D.C./ Baltimore area,
such as:

Guitarists - Dave Chappell, Danny Gatton, Mike Gellar, Steve Herberman, Jan Knutson,  
                  Tom Lawrence, Justin Lees, Vince Lewis, Tom Mitchell, Geoff Reecer, 
                  C. T. Smith, Donato Soviero, Bart Stringham, Rick Whitehead, Paul Wingo
 

Pianists - Harry Appleman, Jarry Ascione, Wade Beach,  Deanna Bogart,
                Bob Boguslaw, Amy Bormet, Bob Butta, Jay Cooley, Bob Diener,
                Ron Elliston, Tim Ford, Ellsworth Gibson, Chris Grasso, Bill Harris, 
               Joe Holt, Fred Hughes, Alex Jenkins, Allyn Johnson, David Kane, 
               Dan Lamaestra, Dick Morgan, Mike Noonan, Robert Redd, Stef Scaggari, 
               Tim Whalen, Wayne Wilentz  
                 

Bassists - Tom Baldwin, Herman Bernie, Bob Bowen, Michael Bowie, Tommy Cecil,
                 Victor Dvoskin, James Fowler, Scott Giambusso, Eric Harper, Lou Hinds, 
                 David Jernigan, Bahgwan Kahlsa, James King, Paul Langosch, Randy Mattson                   Max Murray, Steve Novosel, RandyPendleton,John Pineda,                                       John Previti, Hamilton Price,  Peter Revell, Eric Scott, Amy Shook,
                Dallas Smith, Cheney Thomas, Dave Wundrow
              
Organist - Charles Covington

Vibraphonists - Charles Bubeck, John Cocuzzi, Lenny Cuze', Jon Metzger. Mike Noonan,
                         Chuck Redd

Drummers - Nasar Abadey, Mike Aubin, Leonard Cuddy, Phil Cunniff, Ryan Diehl,
                    Barry Hart, Jerry Jones, Ken Kimery, Bertell Knox, Mike Kuhl, Harold Mann,
                    Tony Martucci, Chuck Redd, Mike Shepherd, Dominic Smith, Mike Smith,   
                    Percy Smith, Brooks Tegler, John Thomakos, Steve Walker

Percussionist - La Mont Mitchell, Sam Turner

Horns - Chris Battestone, Phil Berlin, Larry Boozer, Paul Carr, Ron Diehl, John Doughton,              Dick Glass, Ron Hocket, John Jensen, Ron Kearns, Marshall Keys, Marty Nau,                  Scott Silbert, Bruce Swaim, Robert Vedder
​
Vocalists - Deanna Bogart, Felicia Carter, Sharon Clark, Sara Jones, Sue Mathews,
                 Susan Mooring, Tacha Coleman Parr, Dick Smith, Ronnie Wells

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