Jerry Steinhilber Trio - 4 Suites (2023)

Jerry Steinhilber’s mid-western roots are an influential component in his admirable work ethic and relentless quest for knowledge in all things music. His studies at Berklee College of Music offered a sturdy foundation that led him to continue his performance education with jazz greats Jeff Hamilton, Alan Dawson, Bob Gullotti, and Joe Hunt, as well as Comprehensive Study of Snare Drum Technique with the legendary Murray Spivack. Gunther Schuller and David Baker (Indiana University) were influential teachers in Steinhilber’s composition and arranging studies, as were Gary Burton and Dean Anderson with his study of mallets.

Stein (as the jazz community, his students, and his friends affectionately call him) counts appearances with Joe Lovano, George Garzone, Kenny Werner, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dave Holland, Von Freeman, Ravi Coltrane, Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, Jeff Clayton, Dave Leibman, Eric Marienthal, Branford Marsalis, Conte Candoli, Steve Rodby, Russ Gershon, Larry Grey, Mike Kokur, Jeremy Kahn, Kelly Sill, Larry Kohut, John McClean, and Jim Trompeter among the many jazz innovators he has performed and/or recorded with over the years.

Stein has always been a believer that music education provides a strong foundation not only for those interested in the music business, but in the business of life. He thrives on sharing his knowledge, philosophy, and technique, all garnering him accolades with students of all levels throughout his career. Lessons in performance, percussion ensembles, and marching percussion instruction & arranging continues to keep his calendar full. And numerous music students have benefited from his clinics and master classes in establishments of higher learning that include The New England Conservatory of Music, UMass, Harvard University, IU, University of WA, Western Washington University, Capilano University, and VanderCook College of Music.

But it’s his club, concert, festival, TV, and dozens of off-Broadway theater performances that excite his many jazz fans. As a fairly recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest, Stein instantly began igniting the imaginations of jazz enthusiasts and students alike with his appearances. And his latest power trio - with Josh Cook on tenor saxophone and King Dahl on bass - is a passionate project at the forefront of his current musical explorations that features his unique approach to arranging.

The Jerry Steinhilber Trio tantalizes the senses of their audience members, not with the expected “standard after standard” set list, but with distinctive mash-ups of influential jazz masterpieces that interweave a combination of well-known compositions with works deserving wider appreciation within the jazz canon. This Trio is a welcomed addition to Jazz Festivals, Club Dates and Master Classes.

Steinhilber’s own compositions punctuate the trio’s well-received live sets along with heavy doses of collaborative improvisation.