Recent Recordings
I USED TO BE ANONYMOUS:
anon·y·mous
1 : not named or identified
< an anonymous author >
<they wish to remain anonymous >
2 : of unknown authorship or origin
3 : lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability
Steve Elmer, Piano/Composer
The title for this CD came about as follows. A well-known jazz piano player liked the way I played but couldn’t understand why nobody knew who I was. He shared this thought with a mutual friend and said to her: “Steve Elmer is the most anonymous piano player in New York.” Well, I used to be anonymous.
I started off as a drummer. I also taught music. That was a long time ago. Then I did many other things that had nothing to do with music. Now I devote as much time as I can to playing the piano, composing, and making music that satisfies my soul.
FIRE DOWN BELOW:
This trio swings at all tempos. Their joy is palpable.
Jazz Improv Magazine
Hide, Shingo, and I started playing together in 2005. It was an instant musical match. We made our first CD in 2006. It was called “I Used To Be Anonymous.” Listeners enjoyed our music a lot and we received many wonderful reviews. As a result, we were invited to do a three-week, 2,500-mile tour of Japan in February and March of 2007. Now in 2008 we are releasing our second CD, “Fire Down Below,” and hope that you find it stimulating and provocative. We love making music together and are delighted to be able to share our most recent effort with you. Thanks for listening. Steve Elmer
Welcome
News
GIGS
Sunday, June 14
7:00-10:00
Steve Elmer, Piano
with The Creole Cookin' Jazz Band
Hot Music, Dixeland, and Swing
of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s
Arthur's Tavern
57 Grove Street,NYC
212-675-6879
www.arthurstavernnyc.com
Thursday, June 18
6:00-10:00
The Steve Elmer Trio
Steve Elmer, Piano/Composer
Hide Tanaka, Bass
Shingo Okudaira, Drums
Houston's
54th Street and Third Avenue
New York City
212-888-3828
The Steve Elmer Trio On You Tube
"This I Dig Of You"
(Hank Mobley)
Viewed 1,379 times as of May 12, 2009
STEVE ELMER INTERVIEW
Jazz Improv Magazine (pp. 45-47)
Jazz Improv, November 2008
SPECIAL FREE MP3 DOWNLOADS
"Aaronology"
"Keep Your Eye On The Ball"
Steve Elmer
at All About Jazz
"Aaronolgy" has been selected as a free MP3
download 4,730 times and
"Keep Your Eye On The Ball" 2,426 times as of May 12, 2009.
Welcome to Steve Elmer Jazz
Thanks for visiting my website. I hope you find it stimulating and satisfying. You can read about how I got started in music and some of my experiences along the way. You can also listen to samples of my piano playing and my original compositions. You can read what other people have said about my music or you can simply look at some pictures of me and some of the musicians I play with now and have played with in the past.
Whatever choice you make, I’d love to know what you think. Just go over to the the CONTACT page and send me a message.
NEW: Gabriel Ricard's review and commentary on "Constant Lee," "Aaronology," and "Tanaka's Hideout" from "Fire Down Below." Scoll down to the end of the page of the following link to listen to all three tracks.
Three Songs by The Steve Elmer Trio
NEW: Steve Elmer Channel (BeBopElmo) on YouTube. Please visit me on YouTube and see the five clips I've posted (more on the way) of The Steve Elmer Trio, a solo piano track, a Japanese folk song with Mika Tsukiyama, Hide Tanaka, and me. on piano, and two special performances by Kirpal Gordon (original words) and me (piano). You can also check out my YouTube favorites and the other channels I've subscirbed to.
Click Here for Steve Elmer Channel (BeBopElmo) On YouTube
JAZZ IMPROV INTERVIEW: Please take a moment to read an interview I gave to Jazz Improv Magazine in the November 2008 issue. First take a look at the entire cover page. The interview starts on page 43 and is finished on page 45. Click here to download a free PDF copy. Jazz Improv, November 2008.
Also, don't forget to listen to some sample tracks from my new CD, "Fire Down Below," The Steve Elmer Trio. All you have to do is click on CD Baby.Com. If you have an I-Pod, you can also visit Apple iTunes at The Steve Elmer Trio at the Apple Store."
Reviewers have taken notice of "Fire Down Below." Here are a few comments:
"Forget the big names; Fire Down Below, the new album by pianist and composer Steve Elmer and his excellent trio, will knock your socks off. Monkishly playful in terms of style (especially in GA's Jambalaya), Elmer is unfailingly compelling when he solos. His band is also first rate. Hide Tanaka contributes a beautiful arco bass solo on Constant Lee, and Shingo Okudaira is a powerful driver on drums throughout. Ultimately what may be most impressive about Elmer is his compositional skill; these are great tunes and they just keep coming. The title cut is an absolute knock-out with a wonderfully catchy head, and then it's off to the races. With lightning speed and absolute harmonic precision, Elmer makes Big Brown seem like a turtle. When he slows down to a gorgeous ballad like Lasting Love, he is is equally impressive in his subtlety. And, most importantly, he is totally unpredictable. If you've never heard of Steve Elmer it's your loss."
RochesterCityNewspaper.com, August, 2008
"Fire Down Below is a disc that grabs you from the beginning with a high dynamic and energy level. The musicanship of the trio is top-notch and the band obviously has built a comfortable rapport. The benefits of this are tight ensemble playing that simply has nowhere to hide within the unforgiving format of the piano trio. The real payoff, of course, is how great Fire Down Below sounds."
Jazz Improv Magazine, August, 2008
"The pianist penned ten originals for these 2008 sessions. Constant Lee is an intense reworking of the chord changes to What Is This Thing Called Love, dedicated to Lee Konitz. GA's Jambalaya is a loping, playful tune with an infectious hook. Fire Down Below races to the finish in a furious workout, while the low key, blusey Tanaka's Hideout was conceived as a feature for his bassist, who shows his humorous side during his engaging solo. This is a rewarding date by a veteran player deserving of wider recognition."
AMG All Music Guide (allmusic.com), August, 2008,
"Elmer has a lot to say, packing the tracks with fully fleshed-out textures...and the tunes provide effective templates for the trio's dense, cohesive sound. Tanaka's bass is particularly prominent in the mix and Okudaira's contribution is immense."
All About Jazz - New York, July, 2008
Finally, thanks again for taking the time to visit. I appreciate it and look forward to seeing you again soon.
--Steve Elmer