Steve Colson

ADEGOKE STEVE COLSON, pianist and composer, actor has performed internationally as a leader of jazz ensembles ranging from trios to orchestras. Recent acting credits include his appearance as Sal Finestra's piano player on the latest HBO hit show, Vinyl, produced by Mick Jagger and Directed by Martin Scorsese. Born in Newark and raised in East Orange, NJ, he received his degree from Northwestern University School of Music and lived in Chicago for a decade before returning to the East Coast where he now resides. November 13, 1989 was proclaimed Adegoke Steve Colson Day by the City of Newark in honor of the premiere of his multi-media work, Greens, Rice, and a Rope, at Newark Symphony Hall during the national celebration of New Music America. A critically acclaimed figure in modern jazz, Steve's compositions are finding their way into the "jazz standard" repertoire and are being performed and recorded by some of today's jazz greats as well as by his own group. He became a member of The Association for Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in the early 70s, a musicians' collective that has influenced music internationally in the 20th and 21st Century. By 1978 he was elected Chairman of The AACM. During his tenure as Chairman and then Business Manager, the 12th Anniversary and 13th Anniversary International Summerfests were produced in Chicago in 1978 and 1979 bringing the international press and fans of the music to Chicago from all over the globe. Steve's music has been compared to that of Monk, Mingus, and Ellington as well as Ives, Berio, and Stravinsky. He appears in 2 films and has written received several commissions and awards for composition from organizations with interests in the arts. He has traveled internationally, performing with many talented artists. Those with whom he has worked or featured in his presentations include Muhal Richard Abrams, Pheeroan AkLaff, Kelvyn Bell, Ed Blackwell, John Blake, T.K. Blue, Andrew Cyrille, Baikida Carroll, Anthony Davis, Richard Davis, Rachelle Farrell, Joe Ford, Chico Freeman, Rafael Donald Garrett, Benny Golson, Michael Gregory, Craig Harris, Billy Hart, Mark Helias, Fred Hopkins, Joseph Jarman, Leroy Jenkins, Oliver Lake, George Lewis, Branford Marsalis, Steve McCall, Andy McCloud, Makanda Ken McIntyre, Rene McLean, T.S. Monk, David Murray, Hannibal Peterson, Max Roach, Marlena Shaw, Tyshawn Sorey, Dakota Staton, Henry Threadgill, James "Blood" Ulmer, Chris White, Reggie Workman, Rev. Frank Wright, and many others. Steve arranged, orchestrated and conducted the music of Willie "The Lion" Smith for the national Lost Jazz Shrines project, an outgrowth of a United States Congressional Resolution declaring Jazz a "national treasure." Collaborating with artist Willie Cole and writer/activist Amiri Baraka. Steve also acted the role of "The Lion" in Baraka's play for this celebration in addition to scoring and conducting the music. The Lion's" music and life were celebrated represented the City of Newark, N.J., (one of eleven cities). The concert and play were aired on PBS. This is one of several television presentations of Steve's work in the U.S and abroad. Steve worked as Music Director for Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, by Canadian playwright Djanet Sears, with a cast that included the legendary Carmen de Lavallade, and he performed as an actor and in the band with Amiri Baraka and Max Roach's bopera, 'The Life and Life of Bumpy Johnson'. Steve was also commissioned by The New Jersey Chamber Music Society and brought in literary collaborators Amiri Baraka and Richard Wesley. The second book of their series, "...as in a Cultural Reminiscence...," was the first jazz orchestra work premiered at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) during opening season. Steve has been an educator throughout his career. When the Artists in Residence program was conceived by The National Endowment for the Arts (1981) he was one of 23 jazz artists selected nationwide to pilot the Jazz Artists in the Schools Program. He has given workshops in the U.S. and abroad, and teaches at Bloomfield College where his courses include World Music, Music in U.S. The African American Influence, Intro to Jazz, and Piano. Steve's work is on American, European and Japanese record labels including Columbia/Sony, Evidence, and Black Saint. On his latest CD leading a band, 'The Untarnished Dream,' he leads a trio featuring jazz masters Andrew Cyrille and Reggie Workman, with wife Iqua on several vocal tracks. This CD, on the Colsons' own Silver Sphinx label, ranked high in the Jazz Critics Poll. Their prior Silver Sphinx CD, 'Hope for Love', was nominated for a Grammy. In November 2011 their label's 1979 Colson Unity Troupe LP "Triumph!" was re-released out of London as a part of Soul Jazz Records Freedom Rhythm & Sound collection; book, compilation and re-issue series. His work has been discussed in countless blogs, newspapers, periodicals, and in several books Adegoke Steve Colson's Solo Piano recording 'Tones For' was released November 20, 2015 on his label, Silver Sphinx. Among the praise received internationally, the CD was picked as The Jazz Times' Editor's Choice for the March 2016 edition. Jazz Times is one of two long time premier Jazz Magazines published in the United States. ADEGOKE STEVE COLSON DISCOGRAPHY ADEGOKE STEVE COLSON SOLO PIANO "Tones For" Silver Sphinx SS12404 ADEGOKE STEVE COLSON & IQUA COLSON "Triumph!" Silver Sphinx SS01 "No Reservation" Black Saint BSR 0043 "Hope for Love" Silver Sphinx SS12402 " Untarnished Dream" Silver Sphinx SS12403 " Freedom Rhythm & Sound - Revolutionary Jazz and The Civil Rights Movement" Soul Jazz Records SUR CD219 " Triumph!" (re-issue From Soul Jazz / London) Universal Sound US CD40 STEVE with THE DAVID MURRAY OCTET "New Life" * Black Saint BSR 0100 *One of the top 10 records of the decade ('80's): Gary Giddins/Village Voice STEVE with THE ANDREW CYRILLE QUINTET "My Friend Louis" Disk Union DIW 858 "African Love Supreme / Ode to the Living Tree" Venus Jazz TKCZ279098 "Ode to the Living Tree" Evidence ECD 22185-2 STEVE with THE BAIKIDA CARROLL QUINTET "Door of the Cage" Soul Note 121123-2 "Marionettes on a High Wire" OmniTone 12101 STEVE with THE BUTCH MORRIS ENSEMBLE "Conduction Collection - #25, 26" New World/Cross Currents 80478 STEVE with KAHIL EL'ZABAR, JOSEPH JARMAN, MALACHI FAVORS & KALAPARUSHA MAURICE McINTYRE Bright Moments -"Return of the Lost Tribe" Delmark DE-507 STEVE with THE KEVIN COOK QUINTET "Music for My Love Ones" Artistic Soundz ASE0001 ARTISTS' RECORDINGS WHICH FEATURE STEVE COLSON'S COMPOSITIONS " Encounter" - Trio Three Passin' Thru 41212 Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille "Now's The Time" - New York Unit King Records KICJ 108 Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Richard Davis, John Hicks, Tatsuya Nakamura 'One with the Wind' - Hannibal Marvin Peterson Muse MCD 5523