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Steve Williams
Member Since: 2012 | Location: Washington | Page Views: 786 
About Me
Composer, arranger, saxophonist and clinician
Composer, arranger and saxophonist Steve Williams is a native of Pensacola, Florida and currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area. He has enjoyed a fifty-year career in music. Since 2014, Steve has been the lead alto saxophonist of The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the official jazz ensemble of The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C. The group performs historically significant jazz works from the Smithsonian's extensive music library. For the SJMO's 2020 album Bernstein Reimagined, Steve contributed a pair of arrangements based upon Leonard Bernstein's Mass and adapted for Jazz Ensemble. From 1994 until his military retirement in 2020, Steve was a member of The United States Navy Band Commodores and also that group's lead alto saxophonist. He was its Music Director from 2003 through 2009. As a member of the Navy Band, Steve backed guest artists James Taylor, Snooky Young, Chris Potter, Bill Watrous, Lew Tabackin, Ryan Kisor, Charles McPherson, Seamus Blake, Jane Monheit, Marvin Stamm, James Moody, Bob Mintzer, Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker, Dick Oatts, Ernie Watts and many others. Steve has appeared on several albums including the Latin Grammy winning (2008) Caribbean Jazz Project/ Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band featuring Dave Samuels. In August 2012, Steve released his own album on OA2 Records entitled Steve Williams and Jazz Nation. The album features a 17-piece big band, world-renowned jazz clarinetist Eddie Daniels and Steve's original songs and arrangements. In the 1980s, Steve free-lanced in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. During those years, he backed artists as diverse as Joe Williams, Rita Moreno, The Temptations, Boots Randolph, Jim Neighbors, Wayne Newton, Bobby Shew, Mel Torme, Floyd Cramer, Al Hirt, Hal Linden and many others. He also toured with The Glenn Miller Orchestra and other road groups. A band he co-lead was a semi-finalist in the 1987 Hennessy Cognac Jazz Search. Steve has performed as an independent contractor with The Baltimore, Richmond, Annapolis, Ft. Worth and Pensacola Symphony Orchestras. He has written around 70 arrangements for Big Band. Some of his original music is published by Pro Jazz Charts (http://www.projazzcharts.com). Steve is a graduate of The University Of North Texas where he was a two year member of the world renowned One O'Clock Lab Band. He also holds a Masters degree from Rowan University.
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This page was last updated on 2026-08-11.
