Keith Ganz
Web Site
August 2001

First Steps
Extravaganza
2001

Reviewed by
Don Williamson

Steven Ganz was born on July 20, 1968 in Forest Hills, New York but grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. At the age of five Steve began playing the family piano by ear, teaching himself ragtime tunes and setting up chordal vamps over which he would improvise. His passion for music was evident even this early on, once smashing the windows in his bedroom when his mother denied his piano playing privileges.

Steve Ganz started playing saxophone at 11 years old, and knew he had found his voice, transcribing solos of many of the greats almost immediately after learning the fingerings on the horn. Throughout high school, he won many soloist awards at college sponsored jazz festivals, as well as the citywide electronic music award for the Greensboro public school system. Steve also led professional bands during this period that won many awards in local band competitions.

Steve attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Chemistry, but spent countless hours in the music building practicing. He performed lead tenor with the UNC Jazz ensemble all four years. When Claudio Roditi and Bill Kirchner came to perform with the big band for a festival in 1989, Claudio asked Steve to perform with his own small group, performing in a concert hall in Chapel Hill. Claudio told the audience that Steve was a "burning young tenor saxophonist." Bill Kirchner told Steve he could get him a scholarship to Eastman School of music, but instead Steve moved to New York, enrolling in the New School's Jazz and Contemporary Music program. Steve was placed in one of the top ensembles. Joe Chambers, in whose ensemble Steve played, said that, "Steve plays like a veteran." Steve then began performing first tenor with veteran drummer Charli Persip's Supersound band. Charli referred to Steve as an "emerging tiger." With this band, Steve performed at Birdland, Metropolis, The Five Spot, and Iridium, all major jazz venues. Steve Ganz began teaching a transcription class at the New School in 1992. At 24 years old, he was the youngest teacher employed by the school. Since that time, Steve has performed in the NY area with many top professionals, including Russell Malone, Essiet Essiet, Carlton Holmes, Darryl Hall, Ron Affif, David Berkman, Ugonna Okegwo, Sean Smith, Alvester Garnett, and many others. In the 1996 Thelonius Monk Jazz competition for saxophone, Steve made a very favorable impression, placing fifteenth overall.

Guitarist Keith Ganz was born in Suffern, New York but grew up in North Carolina where as a child he experimented with piano, saxophone, bass, drums and guitar. In addition to playing in school bands and taking piano lessons, he spent much time writing, performing and recording his own music.

Attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990, Keith performed with the UNC Jazz Ensemble, winning the music department's soloist award in 1993. After graduating Keith remained in Chapel Hill and continued to perform full time, leading his own jazz groups until 1998 when he moved to New York.

Since arriving in New York City in August of 1998, Keith has already had the pleasure to perform with dozens of renowned jazz artists including Russell Malone, Chris Potter, Joel Frahm, David Berkman, Scott Lee, Sean Smith, Diane Hubka, and Judy Silvano. Keith is also a member of several acclaimed groups including the Sean Smith quartet and the As-Is Ensemble, which was honored as the house band for the Blue Note jazz club in NYC during the summer of 2000. Keith is featured on numerous recent recordings including: Sean Smith quartet, Poise; As-Is Ensemble, Presenting the Low Burn; Leif Arntzen Band, Channeling Chet; Doug Largent trio, Bauchnabel; and a series of duo albums with bassist Sean Smith and vocalists Lee Ann Westover and Danielle Gasparro.