Bio
Steve’s dream of becoming a vocalist began at a very young age as he was sifting through his mother’s 78 RPM records. She had quite a varied collection of talented vocalists, but it was soon clear that Steve’s favorite was Frank Sinatra. To Steve, Sinatra was the ultimate storyteller. He communicated the essence of life to each individual listener like no singer had done before. Today, Steve retells the stories that Sinatra and so many other extraordinary artists have explored, conjuring the essence of the great masters of the Songbook without impersonation. The arrangements and performances are creatively transformed, leaving no question in the audience’s mind as to who is on stage touching each of them, personally, with unforgettable stories.
Steve, a dentist by trade, launched his career as a vocalist when a patient, Rod Warner, brought Steve into the studio and produced his first album, a primer of Sinatra standards titled There’s a Song in My Heart. His sophomore release, a full-length album, Ridin’ the Beat, reached deeper into the Great American Songbook with handpicked melodies that formed a dynamic set. That album, co-produced by Warner and bassist/arranger Dan Prindle, ultimately went on to receive excellent reviews from the critics and public alike. It charted #2 in the College Music Journal’s Top Jazz Adds and enjoyed considerable radio play.
Since then, Steve has pursued an ambitious performance schedule with headlining dates throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. He has also devoted several years to working with noted singer and vocal coach Eric Arceneaux and is in intense training with Connecticut’s Lady of Jazz, the incomparable Dianne Mower. Today, Steve is providing cutting edge health care at his successful dental practice and now has released his third, most ambitious recording project yet, Hats off, which was recorded live in studio and features arrangements by Dan Prindle and Nick Borges; production by Nate Christy and Dan Prindle; direction by Nat Christy and engineering and editing by Nate Christy and Mark Alan Miller. As Steve recently said in an interview, “The creativity demanded by a fluid jazz arrangement is no less than what is required for the art of dentistry. Ultimately, it’s the people in my life who I care for, perform to, and connect with that I find most important; far beyond any material achievement, it’s that interconnection between human souls which excites me and keeps me driving forward.”
