Steve Khan

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Steve Khan (2009)

Steve Khan (born April 28, 1947 in Los Angeles ) is an American fusion guitarist . The Japanese journal Jazz Life named Khan one of the 22 most important jazz guitarists of all time.

Live and act

Khan comes from a family of musicians. The son of the songwriter Sammy Cahn received piano lessons from the age of five, but later switched to drums , which he played with the Chantays and in other bands. During his studies (music and psychology) at the University of California, Los Angeles , he switched to guitar in 1966; he took private lessons from Ron Anthony.

In 1969 he moved to New York , where he played with James Brown , Aretha Franklin , Diane Schuur and Blood, Sweat & Tears as well as with George Benson , Hubert Laws , Bob James , Don Grolnick , Billy Cobham and Tom Scott . His engagements with the Brecker Brothers (until 1977) and with Steely Dan contributed to the fact that his qualities as a studio guitarist became clear. Since 1974 he has also performed as a guitar duo with Larry Coryell . From 1977 he presented his own albums; he also toured with the "CBS All Stars". From 1981 he toured with his own group "Eyewitness". Between 1983 and 1985 the three albums Eyewitness, Casa Loco and Blades were released, and in 1990 the fourth and final album Public Access.

In 1986 he was a member of Joe Zawinul's "Weather Update" before touring with "Elements" and with Mike Mainieri . His album Local Color (1987) with Rob Mounsey was nominated for a Grammy . He was involved in Miles Davis ' recording of the album Amandla (1989). In 1994 he toured Europe with Anthony Jackson and Dennis Chambers (The Suite Case. Live in Cologne). A Japan tour with Dave Samuels ' project A Tribute to Cal Tjader gave both of them the idea of founding the Caribbean Jazz Project together with Dave Valentin , on whose first two albums (New Horizons, 2000; Paraiso, 2001) he was involved.

Since the mid-1990s he played in a trio with John Patitucci and Jack DeJohnette , which most recently presented the album Borrowed Time . In recent years he has released Parting Shot , Subtext and Backlog, a trilogy of albums that dealt with Latin American sounds.

Khan also works as a music educator, publicist and producer; he has written textbooks such as Pentatonic Khancepts or Contemporary Chord Khancepts (both 2002). Khan's transcriptions of solos by other musicians, such as Wes Montgomery or John Scofield , can also be found on his website .

Discographic notes

  • Tightrope (1977)
  • Blue Man (1978, solo album)
  • Arrows (1979, solo album)
  • Evidence (1980, solo album)
  • Eyewitness (1981)
  • Modern Times (1982), with Anthony Jackson , Steve Jordan, Manolo Badrena
  • Casa Loco (1984), with Anthony Jackson, Steve Jordan, Manolo Badrena
  • Blades (1985)
  • Public Access (1990)
  • Headline (1992)
  • Crossings (1994)
  • The Collection (1994, compilation from the albums Tightrope, The Blue Man and Arrows )
  • You Are Here (1997)
  • The Green Field (2005)
  • Borrowed Time (2007), Tone Center Records
  • The Suitcase (2007), ESC Records, with Anthony Jackson, Dennis Chambers
  • Parting Shot (2011), Tone Center Records, with Anthony Jackson, Dennis Chambers
  • Public Access (2011), with Anthony Jackson, Dave Weckl , Manolo Badrena
  • Let's Call This (2014), Universal Classic & Jazz, with Ron Carter , Al Foster
  • Subtext (2014), Shrapnel Records
  • Backlog (2016) ESC Records, with Rubén Rodríguez, Bobby Allende, Marc Quiñones, Mark Walker and Rob Mounsey, Randy Brecker , Mike Mainieri, Bob Mintzer , Tatiana Parra
  • Patchwork (2019)

Lexigraphic entries

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Portrait (AllAboutJazz)
  2. ↑ Interview with Khan about Amandla
  3. ^ Review of The Green Field
  4. ↑ Discussion of Borrowed Time
  5. ↑ Steve Khan: Backlog (Review). February 17, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Khan, Steve
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American fusion musician
DATE OF BIRTH April 28, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH los Angeles