Photo by Rudy Lu

Steve has been playing trumpet professionally for over 20 years. Early in his career he performed with and learned from some of the best musicians in the Albany area including Nick Brignola, Mike Canonico, Rennie Craine, Mike Wicks, George Muscatello, and Brian Patneaude.  

Steve moved to New York in 1999 to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University. After graduating he worked in the office of Second Floor Music for two years as assistant to world-renowned jazz trumpet player/arranger/producer Don Sickler. This office was on 28th St, formerly tin pan alley. While on staff at Second Floor, he interacted with such legends as Jim Hall, Renee Rosnes, Charli Persip, Ray Bryant, and Rudy Van Gelder, and worked on many SFM publications including "The Thelonious Monk Fake Book", "Sing Jazz!", and Charli Persipi's "How Not To Play Drums." Steve also freelanced around Manhattan, working at such jazz clubs as Kavehaz, Louis, and The Garage, and honed his chops while frequenting many jazz jams around the city including those at Smoke, The Lenox Lounge, Smalls, and Cleopatra's Needle.

Steve has been hired to perform with: Curtis Fuller, Fathead Newman, Claudio Roditi, Brent Fisher, Vince Dimartino, Ray Vega, Allen Ferber, Lee Konitz, John Fedchock, Rufus Reid, Frank Stallone, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Kristin Chenoweth, Johnny Mathis, and Frankie Valli. He was on staff in the pit of The Cohoes Music Hall from 2004-2006 where he played 2nd trrumpet for West Side story, lead trumpet for A Chorus Line, Annie, La Cage Au Follex, and Ain’t Misbehavin’. He currently performs with: the Empire Jazz Orchestra, the Big Soul Ensemble, the Sensameya Latin Jazz Band, the Ragtime Windjammers, the Phil Allen Concert Jazz Band, The Silver Arrow Band, Mike Thomas, The Downtown Horns, the George Muscatello Quartet, the Dave Fisk Quartet as well as many projects under his own name.

Discography (As a sideman):

Mike Mellia: Universal Thoughts (MFR) 2002, Senemaya: Shake It (Lakesound) 2009, Keith Pray's Big Soul Ensemble: Live at the Lark Tavern 2009, Joel Brown: Places (Rock Stream) 2011, Colleen Pratt: I Thought About You (Nova) 2012, The Empire Jazz Orchestra: Accentuate The Positive (EJO 005) 2014, The Empire Jazz Orchestra: Out of the Mist (EJO 006) 2016, Phil Allen Concert Jazz Band: North Greenbush Blues (PGM 101) 2017