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Steve Nelson

Described as “the most completely realized and original performer on the vibraphone,” Steve Nelson began his career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania choosing an instrument not often seen on the bandstand. He was introduced to the vibraphone in high school by George A. Monroe, a steel worker by day, and a gifted vibraphonist in the Milt Jackson tradition. Along with early instruction in jazz, Monroe also taught him the piano. Steve dedicates "Blues for George A." to his teacher on his album, Full Nelson .

A career spanning five decades, Steve has distinguished himself by making consequential contributions to the improvisatory development of his instrument, as well as the tradition of jazz. By the early '70s he was performing regularly and honed his skills alongside local Pittsburgh luminaries as drummers Roger Humphries and J.C. Moses, trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, saxophonists Eric Kloss and Nathan Davis. He completed his Master's at Rutgers University's Jazz Studies program helmed by Kenny Barron, music education pioneers bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Ted Dunbar. Steve's debut recording was James Spaulding Plays the Legacy of Duke Ellington, and throughout the early '80s he worked with Kenny Barron, David "Fathead" Newman, Bobby Watson, and was featured in the George Shearing big band. Steve has been the instrumentalist of choice for the most iconic jazz artists as Kenny Barron, Jackie McLean, Lewis Nash, James Williams, Curtis Lundy, and Mulgrew Miller (Wingspan Sextet) and Dave Holland (Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band) with whom he has shared decades long collaborations through composing, performing and touring. Steve continues to tour and record with Donald Brown, Renee Rosnes, Geoffrey Keezer and Jeremy Pelt, among others.

Recognized for his inventive and fluidly harmonic approach and chromatic quality, Steve is acknowledged as one of the pre-eminent modernist vibraphone and marimba players. He has appeared on numerous recordings and performed at concert venues and festivals worldwide including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at the Lincoln Center, JVC Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Netherlands International Jazz Festival, Village Vanguard, and festivals across Asia and Australia. He has over a dozen original recordings as a bandleader, and has lent a distinct compositional signature to several albums of legendary bandleaders. Steve is currently a member of 2025 Grammy Nominated Kenny Barron Quartet. In 2021, Steve received a commission from the Doris Duke Foundation supported New Jazz Works program.

He is a dedicated and beloved educator with prior positions at Princeton University, William Paterson University, and Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Steve Nelson: Ceora

by Carl Medsker
July 22, 2025

For those who love the bright, ringing sound of the vibraphone, this is something of a golden age. In addition to an abundance of talented musicians dedicated exclusively to the vibraphone, numerous percussionists also employ mallet instruments over an expansive range of styles. On the double CD A Common Language (Timeless Records, 2025), veteran Steve Nelson interprets fifteen well-known standards accompanied by Joris Teepe on bass and Eric Ineke on drums. The trio setting allows Nelson to shine across a ...

Album Review

Nicole Glover: Plays

by Paul Rauch
July 25, 2024

Tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover has been having an impact on modern jazz since she was a tenor phenom coming out of Portland, Oregon, before arriving in the New York metro area to study and eventually have a career in jazz. She was often seen at festivals playing with several different artists, prompting the obvious questions of who she was and “Where in the dickens did she suddenly appear from?" In 2024, such notions are a thing of the ...

Album Review

Kenny Barron: Beyond This Place

Read "Beyond This Place" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
June 10, 2024

Kenny Barron, = 3659}}, the mastermind behind Beyond This Place, leads us on a journey through the corridors of jazz. As of of the genre's most outstanding pianists, Barron is accompanied by an ensemble of formidable talents, including alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, double bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake. Together, they orchestrate an exploration of Barron's legacy and the ever-evolving landscape of jazz. This meticulously selected nine-track session opens with “The Nearness ...

Album Review

Tomas Janzon: Nomadic

by Jack Bowers
June 1, 2023

Nomadic, Tomas Janzon's sixth album as leader, is a pleasant, easy-going session that benefits greatly from the presence, on half a dozen tracks, of the superb vibraphonist Steve Nelson who adds substance and color to what is essentially a quartet or trio session wherein Janzon's mellow guitar carries much of the weight. There are eleven tracks in all, the first four and last four by Janzon, separated by McCoy Tyner's tranquil “Search for Peace," Sonny Rollins' no-more-than-lukewarm ...

Liner Notes

David Hazeltine: Inversions

by C. Andrew Hovan
April 30, 2023

It's often said that those with enviable skills make the most sophisticated actions look easy. Be it glass blowing or ice-skating, what appears to be within the grasp of the novice often involves an underlying complexity not readily apparent at first. The same could be said of higher forms of music such as classical and jazz. What might seem simplistic or straightforward on the surface, actually involves a highly refined degree of mastery that's akin to a magician's flick of ...

Album Review

Louis Hayes: Crisis

by Jack Bowers
December 18, 2021

Louis Hayes--who has been a force in jazz drumming for more than sixty years, anchoring legendary groups led by Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Peterson, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, among others--has assembled a quintet of New York City's finest for Crisis, wherein he pays musical tribute to some of his jazz colleagues, past and present, including Freddie Hubbard, Joe Farrell, Lee Morgan, Bobby Hutcherson and two members of his working unit, vibraphonist Steve Nelson and bassist Dezron Douglas.

Album Review

Falkner Evans: Marbles

by Jack Bowers
August 8, 2020

On his fifth recording as leader, pianist / composer Falkner Evans has expanded his group size from trio (the first three) and quintet (the fourth) to sextet with vibraphonist Steve Nelson added on three of the album's ten numbers, the first nine of which were written by Evans. Even though this was a one-off, Evans' teammates are skillful enough to make it sound like a working ensemble. One reason for this is that the rhythm section (bassist Belden Bullock, drummer ...

101

Performance / Tour

Jazz Pianist Mulgrew Miller & Vibist Steve Nelson Birthday Celebration At Smoke Jazz & Supper Club

Source: Dorothy Riley
August 4, 2011

New York, NY—- Beginning with the “Harlem Renaissance" of the 1920's and 1930's, spanning all the way to the present day, New York City, and Harlem, in particular have always been the natural home of jazz music. Now pianist Mulgrew Miller and his longtime collaborator, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, bring their music to the Smoke Jazz & Supper Club Lounge, located on the southern edge of New York's fabled Harlem neighborhood. The show, billed as a “Birthday Celebration," will take place ...
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268

Recording

Veteran Saxophone Master Steve Elson Releases Mott & Broome

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
April 15, 2009

Steve Elson is Mr. Saxophone. He plays the soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones with equal amounts of energy and preciseness, not to mention his additional range with the clarinet. With the release of Mott & Broome on Lips and Fingers Music scheduled to drop April 28, 2009, Elson has good reason to be excited.

Mott & Broome is destined to be another jazz classic to remember. Elson wrote all thirteen tracks on the recording, which offers a nice blend of ...
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141

Education

Dave Holland Conducts Fall Residency with Steve Nelson

Source: All About Jazz
September 6, 2005

Jazz Bassist Dave Holland Returns to NEC for Residency, September 20 -22

Performs in Concert September 21 with Vibraphonist Steve Nelson, Coaches Student Performance September 22

Presents Free Masterclasses September 20 and 21

Jazz bassist Dave Holland, Visiting Artist-in-Residence, returns to New England Conservatory September 20 for a fall residency that includes concerts and masterclasses. He will be joined by vibraphonist Steve Nelson in one performance and one class, both on Wednesday the 21st. He will coach students who perform ...
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“The reason I use a vibraphone in my quintet and big band is because Steve exists. He’s an original thinker who comes to conclusions one wouldn’t expect, and he has used our compositions as a vehicle to break new ground for the instrument.” ––Dave Holland

"One of the most extraordinary musicians in jazz...his solo on Monk’s “Trinkle Tinkle” made you not want to breathe until it was done." – Ben Ratliff