Steven Feifke

Steven Feifke
Feifke at Mezzrow jazz club, 2019
Feifke at Mezzrow jazz club, 2019
Background information
Born (1991-06-21) June 21, 1991 (age 35)
Lexington, Massachusetts, U.S.
GenreJazz
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
  • arranger
  • orchestrator
InstrumentPiano
Years active2010s–present
Websitestevenfeifkemusic.com
Education

Steven Feifke (/ˈfaɪf.ki/ FIFE-kee; born June 21, 1991) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and orchestrator. In 2023, at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, he became the youngest musician to win the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble.

Early life and education

Feifke was born in Lexington, Massachusetts. He attended Lexington High School and the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School. Following this, he attended New York University, where he received degrees in Jazz Studies and Economics. He obtained a Master of Music in Jazz Composition from the Manhattan School of Music.

Career

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

He has performed with Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Steve Tyrell, Santino Fontana, Randy Brecker, Benny Benack III, Bryan Carter, and Alexa Tarantino.

Feifke is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Composition

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

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, featuring former President Barack Obama. Feifke was commissioned by Catskill Jazz Factory to compose an orchestral piece that debuted at the New Generation Festival in Florence, Italy.

Awards and competitions

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
Steven Feifke Kinetic 2021 Outside in Music

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 Sideman
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and Sonic Magic Live at the Bridge 2019 Independent 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 Sideman
Andrew Gould First Things First 2018 Outside in Music Sideman, composer
Chris Norton Mr. Chris Norton 2018 Unknown 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 Arranger
Ulysses Owens Falling Forward 2017 Spice of Life Records Sideman
Gordon Webster ft. Charles Turner This. 2017 Independent Arranger
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Onward 2017 Independent 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. ↑ Feifke, Steven (March 22, 2024). Harmony Unleashed // Steven Feifke & Russ Anixter (Video) – via YouTube.
  2. 1 2 Griffin, Grace. "A hometown tradition as jazz pianist Steven Feifke returns to Regattabar for 11th year". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Steven Feifke". JAZZIZ Magazine. July 8, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ Reid, Levan (February 21, 2023). "Local jazz pianist Steven Feifke makes history at the Grammys - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Alumni: Alumni News". Manhattan School of Music. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  6. ↑ "The Steven Feifke Trio at the Underbrook – Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective". campuspress.yale.edu. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Hudson Valley Youth Jazz Orchestra". shautjazz. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  8. ↑ Furst, Kaitlyn. "Ten Questions for Jazz Artist Steven Feifke". The Comenian. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Steven Feifke | School of Jazz and Contemporary Music". www.newschool.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Ravinia Steans Music Institute (RSMI) kicks off Bridges Composition Competition Winners Concert". Ravinia Backstage. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Chad Lefkowitz-Brown: Onward". downbeat.com. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  12. ↑ "The Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Quartet at the Underbrook – Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective". campuspress.yale.edu. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Steve Tyrell Back to Cafe Carlyle for 15th Holiday Season". www.theaterpizzazz.com. December 4, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  14. ↑ 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 April 21, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ "Randy Brecker & The Chad LB Quartet – Litchfield Jazz Festival". Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Benny Benack III & Steven Feifke Big Band". Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  17. ↑ Boyd, Herb. "Alexa Tarantino: Clarity". Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Steven Feifke and Alexa Tarantino". Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  19. ↑ "New York City musicians Alexa Tarantino & Steven Feifke present Sunday Livestreams via Crowdcast". Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Yamaha Artists Services, New York". www.yamaha.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  21. ↑ Newsdesk, BWW (June 28, 2019). "Birdland Presents The Freddy Cole Quartet And More Week Of July 8 And 15". Broadway World. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  22. ↑ Forster, Chris (November 22, 2018). "Materializing Ulysses". Oxford Scholarship Online. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190840860.003.0007.
  23. ↑ Jazz, All About. "Steven Feifke: Peace In Time album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  24. ↑ Sunier, John. "Steven Feifke, piano (septet) – Peace In Time – self". Audiophile Audition. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  25. ↑ Just Tell Him You're the President, retrieved July 29, 2020
  26. ↑ 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.
  27. ↑ "New Generation Festival announces 2019 programme". Rhinegold. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Steve Feifke wins 2020 David Baker Prize". Jazz After Hours. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  29. ↑ Blumenfeld, Larry (July 6, 2016). "Helping Jazz Composers Think Big". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Hancock Institute of Jazz". Hancock Institute of Jazz. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  31. ↑ Staff, James H. Burnett III Globe. "Hitting all the key notes – The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  32. ↑ Track, Inside. "Season's Swingin' Greetings". JAZZIZ Magazine. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Steven Feifke | Kinetic | Album". Outside in Music. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Danny Janklow | Worlds Collide". Outside in Music. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Chad LB & Sonic Magic – Live at The Bridge". Discogs. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  36. ↑ Unknown (October 16, 2018). "Republic of Jazz: Chad Lefkowitz-Brown – Standard Sessions (SOUND FRAME RECORDS 2018)". Republic of Jazz. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  37. ↑ Jazz, All About. "Andrew Gould: First Things First album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Mr Chris Norton". Bryan Davis. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Frank Basile Discography". www.jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Swing Migration, by Joe Benjamin & A Mighty Handful". Joe Benjamin & A Mighty Handful. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Ulysses Owens Jr.'s New Album "Falling Forward" | News | Regal Tip". www.regaltip.com. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  42. ↑ "CHAD LEFKOWITZ-BROWN – Onward". Jazz Views. Retrieved April 24, 2020.