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Sven Anderson: Doc's Holiday
by Jack Bowers
Teachers are often unaware of the impact they have on students' lives and careers. That is clearly the case with pianist Sven Anderson's album, Doc's Holiday, whose title number is dedicated to Marvin (Doc) Holladay, one of Anderson's teachers many years ago at Michigan's Oakland University. Holladay, who has been on holiday" in Ecuador with his wife, Diane, since 2006, says that not only was he completely unaware of the dedication, at age ninety-three he was unable to recall Anderson ...
read moreStéphane Spira, Giovanni Mirabassi: Improkofiev
by Thomas Fletcher
Dwelling on previous influences and past concepts to construct a fresh approach to an idea is a common approach in jazz. The title of this album indicates a pathway into the art of giving classical repertoire some jazz characteristics. Introduced to Prokofiev around 2005 by a Turkish jazz presenter and radio host, Stéphane Spira was fascinated by the Russian composer's dense and rich harmonies. As soon as I heard the Violin Concerto," says Spira, I was struck by ...
read moreSpirabassi: Improkofiev
by Jack Bowers
There haven't been many jazz quartets whose front line consists solely of a soprano saxophone (Wayne Shorter's is the only one that springs readily to mind). The cleverly named Spirabassi pairs French-born soprano saxophonist Stephane Spira with Italian-bred pianist Giovanni Mirabassi in a group whose other members are bassist Steve Wood and a second Frenchman, drummer Donald Kontomanou, with Yoann Loustalot's radiant flugelhorn added on Part 1 of the album's centerpiece, the Improkofiev Suite." Spirabassi is also the name of ...
read moreStephane Spira: Improkofiev
by Edward Blanco
French soprano saxophonist Stephane Spira and Italian-born pianist Giovanni Mirabassi recorded their first album together back in 2009. Improkofiev is the pair's first collaboration since then. After a ten-year period spent in New York, where he developed a flourishing musical career, Spira returned to France and continued his jazz career, reuniting with friend Mirabassi. This album is the duo's attempt to recapture their shared past and a provide little reinvention in both their lives and music. The co-leaders ...
read moreBrad Felt Nu Quartet Plus: First Call
by John Barron
Veteran Detroit jazz musician Brad Felt has been championing the role of the euphonium and tuba as front-line instruments for over thirty years. Felt has an extensive sideman résumé, having performed with notable artists such as Roy Brooks, Martha Reeves and Howard Johnson's Gravity. First Call is an introduction to Felt's progressive jazz ensemble Nu Quartet Plus, featuring saxophonist and longtime musical associate Steve Wood.
Felt composes with an intriguing playfulness, building on rhythmic motifs and cleverly engaging euphonium and ...
read more"I hope you know how much I appreciated the time we spent together in assessing & upgrading my musical abilities. Without a doubt your personality & ability to communicate put you among the elite teachers." —Dennis Furman, former student and financial planner
"Steve is a consummate musician. His knowledge of the history of the art form, the dramatis personae and the repertoire is formidable
Primary Instrument
Saxophone, tenor
Location
Detroit
Willing to teach
Intermediate to advanced
Credentials/Background
EDUCATION Steve has studied music at Oakland University and at the University of Michigan where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975. At Oakland, he was a student in one of the country’s first jazz education programs which was directed by jazz great Marvin “Doc” Holiday. In addition to his university training, Steve studied with world famous trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and performed in his Jazz Development Workshop
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Improkofiev
From: ImprokofievBy Steve Wood