Steve Berndt

Steve Berndt is a trombonist, vocalist, composer, arranger, producer, actor and teacher based in Ottawa, Canada.

Steve began performing musically as a vocal soloist in elementary school music competitions in the Ottawa region and chose the trombone as his main instrument in high school. Steve decided to pursue a career in music after being chosen by Chuck Mangione for inclusion in the 1976 Canadian Stage Band Festival All Star Band and attending The Stan Kenton Creative World Clinic that summer hosted at Toronto’s York University. Steve then enrolled in the music program at Toronto’s Humber College, graduating in 1982. In 1983, Steve settled in Ottawa after returning to join a swing cover band called The Blue Current Preserve.

In 1989 Steve formed The Jivewires, a “jump blues” band patterned after the satirical style of the early R&B groups from the late 40’s/early 50’s. Steve and bassist Kurt Walther wrote and arranged compositions for the band that recorded 5 albums of original music over 25 years as well as an album of Louis Jordan favorites called “Jives Do Jordan”. “I Hate TO”, a song from the band’s first album “No Vacancy” that satirized Canada’s love/hate relationship with Toronto, gained the band national airplay on CBC and a first national media interview on CBC’s “Gzowski & Company”. The Jivewires have toured throughout central Canada, the UK and the northeastern US, appearing in major festivals as well as concert & club dates. “Jazz, Blues & Dancin’ Shoes”, a track from 2015’s “Drive Me Sane” received ongoing rotation on CBC Radio 1’s “Tonic” with Tam Tamishiro.

In 1997 Steve joined Rudeboy, a 2nd wave Ska band that produced two albums and topped the Canadian college radio charts in 1998 with their first effort “Shut Up And Dance”. Performing in the band as “Stevie B. Bones”, Rudeboy played venues in Central Canada and toured western Canada after the second recording “Rudeboy 2”. Rock/pop music icon Gene Simmons was impressed with the band and considered Rudeboy for a recording contract in 2009. Rudeboy enjoys a cult following that continues to grow despite disbanding in 2014.

Starting in 2008 Steve had the honour of touring with Detroit’s Legendary Funk Brothers as a trombonist, joining the original Motown session musicians in front of huge crowds at outdoor concert venues and festivals. Steve performed with the Funk Brothers at their last performance, an appearance at the Dreamcatcher Charitable Foundation gala in Hamilton Ontario in 2011.

In 2011 Steve and vocalist Christine Fagan formed a group to perform a review of songs by the legendary Tom Waits. Naming the project “Songs From A Drunken Piano”, the group’s main goal is to perform their own arrangements of Tom’s material that are completely different from his original recordings. The band consists of singers and multi-instrumentalists incorporating a very wide variety of musical styles and instruments.

In 2012 Steve asked Steinway Pianist Brian Browne to accompany him on a jazz vocal/piano recording project. Steve produced a two album set of standards with one original composition as the title track for each. “Déjà Vu” was well received being listed in the Ottawa Citizen’s 2012 top ten jazz recordings and gaining rotational airplay on “Tonic”, CBC Radio 1. In 2014 as a follow up to “Déjà Vu” Steve recorded “All Over Again”, that recording receiving the same exposure on CBC and receiving a very favourable review in the LA Jazz Scene by legendary jazz critic Scott Yanow.

In 2016 Steve formed Safe Low Limit, an experimental jazz quartet using only bass clef pitched instruments playing original compositions and cover material in an eclectic variety of styles. Comprised of trombone, cello, tuba and drums the band got viral exposure with a CBC article reporting on a debut concert they performed at the bottom of a drained swimming pool in Vanier Ontario. Safe Low Limit recorded a first album named “High On Low” in 2018 after playing festivals and club dates in the Ottawa region. An original composition “Chasing The Rainbow” has received rotational airplay on CBC’s Saturday Night Jazz with Laila Biali.

OTTAWA LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Known & loved throughout the Latin diaspora, Cuban virtuoso pianist Miguel De Armas moved to Ottawa and quickly established himself in the local music scene. It is my great honour to be included in the lineup for his big band project, The Ottawa Latin Jazz Orchestra. Having recorded a first album in 2022, the band is a killer group, a joy in which to play the trombone and will hopefully tour Cuba at some point in the future.

HEART OF HEARTS
After a long delay due to a number of complications including the pandemic, Steve finally completed his first solo jazz album in the Spring of 2024. Backed by Steve Boudreau on piano, Ken Kanwisher on bass, Michel Delage on drums and an equally stellar cast of top Ottawa & Montreal musicians, “Heart Of Hearts” features 9 original compositions and 3 covers of 70’s pop hits. Look for a social media blitz and a Fall 2024 release.