For the latest songs, albums, videos, playlists, and artist news, bite into our music blog Crossfade.
Steve Messick
- Avg user rating:
Out of 9 votes - Similar Artists: Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Chet Baker
Out of 9 votes
- Location: Seattle, Washington, United States
- Genre: Jazz » Neo-Bop
Editor's review
Sprightly and tuneful--yet never smooth--Steve Messick's compositions recall an era when jazz routinely fused the artistic explorations of bebop with the catchiness of R&B. As performed by his band of fellow Seattle musicians, these tunes spark some fine improvisations and spirited interplay.
Biography
Steve Messick is a Seattle jazz and classical bassist, composer, and bandleader.
Steve is a member of Orchestra Seattle, conducted by George Shangrow. Orchestra Seattle performs regularly at Meany Hall, Town Hall, and Benaroya Hall.
In 2002, Steve Messick and pianist David Franklin founded the New Bop Brigade, a modern jazz quintet that performs original post-bop compositions by Messick and Franklin. The music focuses on melodic horn lines over complex chord changes and is inspired by the works of Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock during the mid 60's. The NBB features Chris Stover on trombone, Travis Ranney on sax, David Franklin on piano, Steve Messick on bass, and Ken French on drums.
In 1999, Steve released his debut jazz cd, Transmissions From Planet Bass, which features Seattle artists Jay Thomas on trumpet, Travis Ranney on sax, John Hansen and David Franklin on piano, and Jon Wikan on drums. Transmissions From Planet Bass also debuts Steve as a jazz arranger and composer with original compositions "I Love You Too", which is based on Cole Porter's "I Love You", and "Blues For Janet", a jazz blues with syncopated interaction between the horns and the rhythm section, as well as arrangements of "Groove Merchant", "Jersey Bounce", "A Child is Born", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Jeannine", and "Old Devil Moon".
