Steve Nelson (vibraphonist)

Last updated
Steve Nelson
Born (1954-08-11) August 11, 1954 (age 69)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s) Vibraphone, marimba
Labels Red, HighNote, Sunnyside, Criss Cross

Steve Nelson (born August 11, 1954) is an American jazz vibraphonist and marimba player. In addition to his solo work, Nelson is known for collaborating since the 1990s with bassist Dave Holland's Quintet and Big Band.

Contents

Nelson graduated from Rutgers University with both master's and bachelor's degrees in music, and his teaching activities have included positions at Princeton University and Montclair State University. [1] He has appeared at concerts and festivals worldwide and has made recordings as the leader of his own group. He has performed and recorded with Kenny Barron, Bobby Watson, Mulgrew Miller, David "Fathead" Newman, Johnny Griffin, and Jackie McLean.

In 2023, he appeared in Nathan Siegelaub and Ania Gruszczyńska's short documentary film Sparni, which was produced for the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and followed one of his students from Montclair, young aspiring vibraphonist Pierce "Sparni" Sparnroft. Some scenes in the film depict Nelson instructing Sparni while on campus. [2] [3]

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Dave Holland

With David "Fathead" Newman

With others

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Altschul</span> American drummer

Barry Altschul is a free jazz and hard bop drummer who first came to notice in the late 1960s for performing with pianists Paul Bley and Chick Corea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Potter (jazz saxophonist)</span> American jazz musician and composer

Chris Potter is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Barron</span> American jazz pianist (born 1943)

Kenny Barron is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Belgrave</span> American jazz trumpet player

Marcus Batista Belgrave was an American jazz trumpet player from Detroit, born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He recorded with numerous musicians from the 1950s onwards. Belgrave was inducted into the class of 2017 of the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in Detroit, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulgrew Miller</span> American jazz pianist

Mulgrew Miller was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. As a child he played in churches and was influenced on piano by Ramsey Lewis and then Oscar Peterson. Aspects of their styles remained in his playing, but he added the greater harmonic freedom of McCoy Tyner and others in developing as a hard bop player and then in creating his own style, which influenced others from the 1980s on.

Marvin "Smitty" Smith is an American jazz drummer and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Drummond</span> American jazz musician

Ray Drummond is an American jazz bassist and teacher. He also has an MBA from Stanford University, hence his linkage to the Stanford Jazz Workshop. He can be heard on hundreds of albums and co-leads The Drummonds with Renee Rosnes and Billy Drummond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Waits</span> American musician

Frederick "Freddie" Douglas Waits was a hard bop and post-bop drummer.

Earl Theodore Dunbar was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and educator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Smulyan</span> American jazz baritone saxophonist

Gary Smulyan is a jazz musician who plays baritone saxophone. He studied at Hofstra University before working with Woody Herman. He leads a trio with bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Kenny Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Washington (musician)</span> American jazz drummer

Kenny Washington is an American jazz drummer and music writer born in Staten Island, New York. His brother is bassist Reggie Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk Lightsey</span> American jazz musician

Kirkland "Kirk" Lightsey is an American jazz pianist. He was born 15 February 1937

Hiram Winard Harper is an American jazz drummer.

Ralph Peterson Jr. was an American jazz drummer and bandleader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Wilson (jazz musician)</span> American jazz multi-instrumentalist (born 1961)

Steve Wilson is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, who is best known in the musical community as a flutist and an alto and soprano saxophonist. He also plays the clarinet and the piccolo. Wilson performs on many different instruments and has performed and recorded on over twenty-five albums. His interests include folk, jazz, classical, world music, and experimental music. Wilson is currently on the faculty of New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. He was elected as an American Champion by the National Flute Association. Wilson has maintained a busy career working as a session musician, and has contributed to many musicians of note both in the recording studios, but as a sideman on tours. Over the years he has participated in engagements with several musical ensembles, as well as his own solo efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Washington</span> American jazz double bassist

Peter Washington is a jazz double bassist. He played with the Westchester Community Symphony at the age of 14. Later he played electric bass in rock bands. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in English Literature, and performed with the San Francisco Youth Symphony and the UC Symphony Orchestra. His growing interest in jazz led him to play with John Handy, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Frank Morgan, Ernestine Anderson, Chris Connor and other Bay Area luminaries. In 1986 he joined Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers and moved to New York City. Beginning in the 1990s, he toured with the Tommy Flanagan trio until Flanagan's death in 2001, and has played with the Bill Charlap trio since 1997. He was a founding member of the collective hard bop sextet One for All and is a visiting artist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Tony Reedus was an American jazz drummer.

Alex Sipiagin is a Russian jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David "Happy" Williams</span> Trinidadian jazz double-bassist (born 1946)

David "Happy" Williams, is a US-based Trinidadian jazz double-bassist, who was a long-time member of Cedar Walton's group. Williams has also worked with many other notable musicians, including Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, Stan Getz, Kenny Barron, Duke Jordan, Monty Alexander, Frank Morgan, Hank Jones, Charles McPherson, Larry Willis, George Cables, Abdullah Ibrahim, David "Fathead" Newman, Sonny Fortune, John Hicks, Louis Hayes, Jackie McLean, Clifford Jordan, Abbey Lincoln, Ernestine Anderson, and Kathleen Battle.

Essiet Okon Essiet is an American jazz double-bassist.He is the leader of the group "Intercontinental Bush Orchestra", founded in 1995.

References

  1. Dave Holland.com Archived 1999-02-04 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Sparni - DocFest '23". Columbia Journalism School. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  3. Lehren, Marilyn Joyce (14 February 2024). "Documentary Spotlights Promising Montclair State University Vibraphonist". Montclair State University. Retrieved 25 March 2024.