Steve Holt was born in Montreal, Canada, on April 9, 1954, and began to play the piano at the age of four. At the age of seventeen and self-taught, he began his professional career playing the clubs in and around Montreal. Since that time, Steve has [+]Steve Holt was born in Montreal, Canada, on April 9, 1954, and began to play the piano at the age of four. At the age of seventeen and self-taught, he began his professional career playing the clubs in and around Montreal. Since that time, Steve has built an international reputation as one of Canada's premier Jazz pianists, having worked with, among others, Archie Shepp, Larry Coryell, Eddie Henderson, Pat Labarbera, James Moody, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and Michel Urbaniak.
It was not until the age of twenty-two that Steve began formal music studies; he entered McGill University and graduated with distinction in 1981 as McGill's first-ever Bachelor of Music majoring in Jazz performance. It was also during this period that Steve travelled regularly to New York to study piano with world-renowned pianist Kenny Barron. Also in 1981, Steve was appointed to McGill's Faculty of Music as instructor of Jazz improvisation. In 1983, Steve produced his debut recording, The Lion's Eyes. The LP won critical acclaim around the world, and was one of the five final JUNO nominations for best Jazz album that year. Jazz Times called it "a well-crafted album of music played to the hilt by all concerned". During the next several years, Steve played the Montreal Jazz circuit, taking time out to participate in many of Canada's Jazz festivals. Steve was also an active studio musician, as a performer and arranger for radio and television commercials and third party recordings. In October 1987, Steve moved to Toronto, where he currently lives and works.
Toronto-born bassist Kieran Overs has been active on the jazz scene for the past 20 years. Working in Toronto as a sideman with such name artists as Chet Baker, Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Dewey Redman, Barry Harris,George Shearing and Mel Torme, Kenny Wheeler, Sonny Greenwich, Kenny Barron, Junior Mance and Harold Mabern Jr., and touring internationally with Moe Koffman/Dizzy Gillespie (1982 to 1989) and Jane Bunnett, he has established a solid reputation in Canadian jazz. To his credit, Overs has 3 CD's on the Unity label as leader/producer and many more as a sideman. He is currently leading a quartet and a nonet. Travelling extensively Overs has performed in Europe and the U.S.with Jane Bunnett, Sheila Jordan and Jeanne Lee, pla
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