Steven Feifke

Steven Feifke
Background information
Birth nameSteven Feifke
Born (1991-06-21) June 21, 1991 (age 33)
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator
Websitewww.stevenfeifkemusic.com

Steven Feifke (born June 21, 1991) is an American jazz pianist, composer, orchestrator, and arranger.[1][2] In 2023, Feifke became the youngest musician to win The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble at The 65th Annual Grammy Awards.[3]

Early life and education

Feifke was born in Lexington, Massachusetts. He attended Lexington High School and the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School.[1] He attended NYU where he received a degree in Jazz Studies and Economics. He obtained a Master of Music in Jazz Composition from the Manhattan School of Music.[4]

Musical career

He has played with Chad Lefkowitz Brown,[5][6] Steve Tyrell,[7] Santino Fontana,[8] Randy Brecker,[9] Benny Benack III,[10] Bryan Carter, and Alexa Tarantino.[11][12][13]

Feifke lectured on orchestration and harmony at Yale University.[14] He developed a curriculum which integrated the American civil rights movement with jazz pedagogy for Arts Mid-Hudson.[15] Feifke also served as a Guest Artist-in-Residence at Moravian College.[16] Feifke serves on the faculty for The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and Berklee College of Music.[17][18]

Competitions

Feifke is a Winner of the David Baker Prize[19] of the Ravinia Music Festival, Second Place in the BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize,[20] and has twice been a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition.[21][22]

Composition

As a composer and orchestrator, he has written for artists such as Danny Janklow, Michael Dease, Ulysses Owens, Chris Norton, and Chad Lefkowitz-Brown.[23][24] Feifke's debut album Peace in Time was released in 2015 featuring artists such as Andrew Gould and Jimmy Macbride.[25][26]

Feifke has written original works for television and film media; his music can be heard on an episode of Jerry Seinfeld’s hit Netflix show “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”[27] featuring former President Barack Obama.[28] Feifke was commissioned by Catskill Jazz Factory to compose an orchestral piece that debuted at the New Generation Festival in Florence, Italy.[29]

Endorsements

Feifke is a Yamaha Performing Artist.[30]

Discography

As leader

Album artist Title Year Label
Steven Feifke Peace in Time 2015 Independent
Benny Benack III & Steven Feifke Season's Swingin' Greetings 2019 Ring Road Recordings[31]
Steven Feifke Kinetic 2021 Outside in Music[32]

As sideman

Album artist Title Year Label Notes
The 8-Bit Big Band Backwards Compatible 2021 Independent Sideman
Raviv Markovitz Pulse 2020 Independent Sideman
Chad LB Virtual Big Band Quarantine Standards 2020 Sound Frame Sideman, arranger
Alexa Tarantino Clarity 2020 Posi-Tone Sideman, composer
John Lake Seven Angles 2020 Outside In Music Sideman
Danny Janklow World's Collide 2019 Outside in Music[33] Sideman
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and Sonic Magic Live at The Bridge 2019 Independent[34] Sideman
The 8-Bit Big Band Choose Your Character! 2019 Independent Sideman
The Birdland Big Band The Birdland Big Band Live! 2018 Birdland Records Arranger
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Standard Sessions 2018 Independent[35] Sideman
Andrew Gould First Things First 2018 Outside in Music[36] Sideman, composer
Chris Norton Mr. Chris Norton 2018 Unknown[37][38] Arranger
OSU Jazz Orchestra Solid Gold 2018 Oklahoma State University Jazz Studies Arranger
Alexander Claffy Standards: What Are You Doing With Your Life? 2018 SMK Jazz Arranger
The 8-Bit Big Band Press Start! 2018 Independent Sideman
Joe Benjamin and a Mighty Handful Swing Migration 2017 Independent[39] Arranger
Ulysses Owens Falling Forward 2017 Spice of Life Records[40] Sideman
Gordon Webster ft. Charles Turner This. 2017 Independent Arranger
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Onward 2017 Independent[41] Sideman, arranger
Matthew Muneses Threshold 2015 Independent Sideman
Bryan Carter Big Band Teaching Music Through Performance in Jazz 2016 Independent Sideman
New Century Jazz Quintet In Case You Missed Us 2015 Vivid Sound Arranger
Jeremy Cicurel Is It You: A Tribute to Ray Cicurel 2015 Independent Sideman
Derek Ganong Of Lesser Parts 2013 Independent Sideman

References

  1. ^ a b Griffin, Grace. "A hometown tradition as jazz pianist Steven Feifke returns to Regattabar for 11th year". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  2. ^ "Steven Feifke". JAZZIZ Magazine. 2015-07-08. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  3. ^ Reid, Levan (2023-02-21). "Local jazz pianist Steven Feifke makes history at the Grammys - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
  4. ^ "Alumni: Alumni News". Manhattan School of Music. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  5. ^ "Chad Lefkowitz-Brown: Onward". downbeat.com. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  6. ^ "The Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Quartet at the Underbrook – Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective". campuspress.yale.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  7. ^ "Steve Tyrell Back to Cafe Carlyle for 15th Holiday Season". www.theaterpizzazz.com. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  8. ^ Vegas, Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center 361 Symphony Park Avenue Las; NV. "Santino Fontana with Bryan Carter, Steven Feifke, and Charlie Rosen". Nevada Public Radio. Retrieved 2020-04-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Randy Brecker & The Chad LB Quartet – Litchfield Jazz Festival". Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  10. ^ "Benny Benack III & Steven Feifke Big Band". Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  11. ^ Boyd, Herb. "Alexa Tarantino: Clarity". Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  12. ^ "Steven Feifke and Alexa Tarantino". Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  13. ^ "New York City musicians Alexa Tarantino & Steven Feifke present Sunday Livestreams via Crowdcast". Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  14. ^ "The Steven Feifke Trio at the Underbrook – Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective". campuspress.yale.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  15. ^ "Hudson Valley Youth Jazz Orchestra". shautjazz. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  16. ^ Furst, Kaitlyn. "Ten Questions for Jazz Artist Steven Feifke". The Comenian. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  17. ^ "Steven Feifke | School of Jazz and Contemporary Music". www.newschool.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  18. ^ "Ravinia Steans Music Institute (RSMI) kicks off Bridges Composition Competition Winners Concert". Ravinia Backstage. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  19. ^ "Steve Feifke wins 2020 David Baker Prize". Jazz After Hours. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  20. ^ Blumenfeld, Larry (2016-07-06). "Helping Jazz Composers Think Big". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  21. ^ "Hancock Institute of Jazz". Hancock Institute of Jazz. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  22. ^ Staff, James H. Burnett III Globe. "Hitting all the key notes – The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  23. ^ Newsdesk, BWW (2019-06-28). "Birdland Presents The Freddy Cole Quartet And More Week Of July 8 And 15". Broadway World. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  24. ^ Forster, Chris (2018-11-22). "Materializing Ulysses". Oxford Scholarship Online. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190840860.003.0007.
  25. ^ Jazz, All About. "Steven Feifke: Peace In Time album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  26. ^ Sunier, John. "Steven Feifke, piano (septet) – Peace In Time – self". Audiophile Audition. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  27. ^ Just Tell Him You're the President, retrieved 2020-07-29
  28. ^ Seinfeld, Jerry (host) (30 December 2015) "Just Tell Him You're the President". Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Season 7. Episode 1. Netflix, Embassy Row, Sony Pictures Television.
  29. ^ "New Generation Festival announces 2019 programme". Rhinegold. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  30. ^ "Yamaha Artists Services, New York". www.yamaha.com. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  31. ^ Track, Inside. "Season's Swingin' Greetings". JAZZIZ Magazine. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  32. ^ "Steven Feifke | Kinetic | Album". Outside in Music. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  33. ^ "Danny Janklow | Worlds Collide". Outside in Music. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  34. ^ "Chad LB & Sonic Magic – Live at The Bridge". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  35. ^ Unknown (2018-10-16). "Republic of Jazz: Chad Lefkowitz-Brown – Standard Sessions (SOUND FRAME RECORDS 2018)". Republic of Jazz. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  36. ^ Jazz, All About. "Andrew Gould: First Things First album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  37. ^ "Mr Chris Norton". Bryan Davis. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  38. ^ "Frank Basile Discography". www.jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  39. ^ "Swing Migration, by Joe Benjamin & A Mighty Handful". Joe Benjamin & A Mighty Handful. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  40. ^ "Ulysses Owens Jr.'s New Album "Falling Forward" | News | Regal Tip". www.regaltip.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  41. ^ "CHAD LEFKOWITZ-BROWN – Onward". Jazz Views. Retrieved 2020-04-24.