Biography
STEVE KAISER, jazz bassist
Versatility and professionalism best describe this twenty-year veteran of the New York and International Music Scene. A vocalist almost from birth, Steve grew up in a musical and theatrical household. "My grandparents were actors and entertainers. They made a vocal duet recording together in 1919.” “When I was eleven, I discovered jazz while listening to my new shortwave radio. The show was the Voice of America Jazz Hour and the broadcast was being beamed overseas to Eastern Europe and Russia. I strained to hear the music through the static and interference.
Sometimes I’d actually put my ear to the speaker. The music was Billie Holiday, Errol Garner and Miles. I was hooked.” “I wanted to play an instrument. Music lessons were too much of a luxury for my family so my voice became my instrument. I sang everything I heard. I sang tenor sax solos, trumpet, piano, drums and even bass solos. People thought I was nuts!! Then I started learning lyrics and standard tunes. I discovered Ella and Nancy Wilson and Johnny Hartman to name a few. I sang all the time and when I wasn’t singing I was listening to and thinking about music. I even did a pretty good imitation of the Beatles for my high school friends.”
“Electric bass became my first instrument followed very quickly by upright acoustic bass. My upright became my other major creative outlet. Instrumental gigs followed and when players and club owners realized I could sing too, I quickly came into demand for doing both. It’s unusual and difficult to play an upright bass and sing. Just ask Jay Leonhart!”
“For the last twenty some odd years I’ve done every kind of performing date known to man. I’ve done all of the clubs in New York often as a singer/ bassist as well as a featured vocalist. I’ve done parties and corporate work, recordings and commercials.”
“In 1998 I joined the Tim Ouimette big band as featured male vocalist. I performed with the band for several years. We performed every Monday night at Ye Olde Tripple Inn in Manhattan. The band also did corporate events and swing dances. In July of 2001 I created a series of theme shows starting with a “Mercer and More” performance. It was an evening of vocal jazz featuring the lyrics of Johnny Mercer. I did the show at a wonderful Manhattan night spot called Chez Suzette with a top notch New York artists. I had a ball doing it. I even played and sang on some of the tunes in the show. The series ran for several years. I’m doing many other small group vocal performances in a variety of rooms around New York and, of course I also continue my career as bassist and vocalist/ bassist. Recently I've begun doing vocal coaching with jazz singers. I love sharing my gift and I love having something to give back to upcoming artists. This keeps the music alive and vital.
“I have two recordings out and they feature me solely as a vocalist. The first is, “You Are There.” with Grammy Nominated piano great, Fred Hersch. I met Fred and worked with him as producer and A&R director several times during my ten-year stint with Chesky Records. The recording features a classic jazz quintet with alto sax. I chose little recorded jazz classics such as Billy Strayhorn’s “Daydream” and Michel LeGrande’s lovely, “You Must Believe In Spring.” I followed this with “Too Hip For the Room” featuring guitarist Gene Bertoncini and bassist Michael Moore. This is an intimate recording of unusual and exquisite standards recorded late at night at Christ and St. Stephen’s Church in Manhattan.”
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