Bio
"One of the most extraordinary musicians in jazz...his solo on Monk’s “Trinkle Tinkle” made you not want to breathe until it was done." – Ben Ratliff
Described as “the most completely realized and original performer on the vibraphone,” Steve Nelson began his career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania choosing an instrument not often seen on the bandstand. He was introduced to the vibraphone in high school by George A. Monroe, a steel worker by day, and a gifted vibraphonist in the Milt Jackson tradition. Along with early instruction in jazz, Monroe also taught him the piano. Steve dedicates "Blues for George A." to his teacher on his album, Full Nelson.
“It opened everything up for me. He taught me in a very hands-on type of way like, ‘Put this finger here, then put this finger there; now play that chord.’ That’s the kind of learning you cannot get in a classroom with 50 keyboards and a teacher in front of you. I learned from all the older cats in Pittsburgh. I had wonderful Sundays of learning tunes, substitute chords and a whole lot more before I’d ever set foot in a music school.” –– Steve Nelson
A career spanning five decades, Steve has distinguished himself by making consequential contributions to the improvisatory development of his instrument, as well as the tradition of jazz. By the early '70s he was performing regularly and honed his skills alongside local Pittsburgh luminaries as drummers Roger Humphries and J.C. Moses, trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, saxophonists Eric Kloss and Nathan Davis. He completed his Master's at Rutgers University's Jazz Studies program helmed by Kenny Barron, music education pioneers bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Ted Dunbar. Steve's debut recording was James Spaulding Plays the Legacy of Duke Ellington, and throughout the early '80s he worked with Kenny Barron, David "Fathead" Newman, Bobby Watson, and was featured in the George Shearing big band. Steve has been the instrumentalist of choice for the most iconic jazz artists as Kenny Barron, Jackie McLean, Lewis Nash, James Williams, Curtis Lundy, and Mulgrew Miller (Wingspan Sextet) and Dave Holland (Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band) with whom he has shared decades long collaborations through composing, performing and touring. Steve continues to tour and record with Donald Brown, Renee Rosnes, Geoffrey Keezer and Jeremy Pelt, among others.
“The reason I use a vibraphone in my quintet and big band is because Steve exists. He’s an original thinker who comes to conclusions one wouldn’t expect, and he has used our compositions as a vehicle to break new ground for the instrument.” ––Dave Holland
Recognized for his inventive and fluidly harmonic approach and chromatic quality, Steve is acknoeledged as one of the pre-eminent modernist vibraphone and marimba players. He has appeared on numerous recordings and performed at concert venues and festivals worldwide including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at the Lincoln Center, JVC Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Netherlands International Jazz Festival, Village Vanguard, and festivals across Asia and Australia. He has over a dozen original recordings as a bandleader, and has lent a distinct compositional signature to several albums of legendary bandleaders. Steve is currently a member of 2025 Grammy Nominated Kenny Barron Quartet. In 2021, Steve received a commission from the Doris Duke Foundation supported New Jazz Works program.
He is a dedicated and beloved educator with prior positions at Princeton University, William Paterson University, and Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He appears on the documentary Sparni, as mentor to a talented vibraphone student struggling with mental health.