Steve Hamilton
Bassist. Composer. Educator.
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“Steve Hamilton is a great bass player.” – John Pattituci
Steve Hamilton is a jazz bassist and composer hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He has been active on the Canadian music scene for over 35 years as a Jazz bassist, and has also played with Symphony Orchestras, Chamber groups, and New Music ensembles as well as Musical Theatre.
Biography
Steve Hamilton has been an active member of the Manitoba music scene for over 30 years, as a music educator and bassist. Steve is a versatile bass player with wide experience playing Jazz, Classical, New music and Theatre. He has played with the Winnipeg Symphony, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Winnipeg Chamber Music Society, Royal Winnipeg Ballet Touring Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony, Groundswell, Brandon Chamber Players, Rainbow Stage and the Gilbert & Sullivan Society.
Steve has been an active member of the Winnipeg Jazz scene playing with the likes of Ron Paley, Knut Haugsoen, Michelle Gregoire, Walle Larson, Ken Gold, Glenn Buhr, Martha Brooks and the Winnipeg jazz Orchestra. Steve has a degree in Classical Double Bass from the University of Manitoba. He has done additional studies with Joel Quarrington at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto and with Hal Robinson at the Peabody Conservatory. In 1997 Steve was awarded a Manitoba Arts Council Grant to study with Marc Johnson in New York. He has also studied with Dave Young, Michel Donato, Mike Richmond, Elaine Elias, John Patitucci, Peter Erskine and Nathan East..
Steve has been a Band Director in the St James Assiniboia School Division since 2002. He has taught at John Taylor Collegiate since 2010. Steve is a well-respected bass teacher, producing many talented students over the years; some have gone on to study at Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music. He is known for his comprehensive and holistic teaching style. Steve was awarded the Xerox Jazz Educator of the Year in 2008. He has also taught at Brandon University, International Music Camp, Manitoba Conservatory, Canadian Mennonite University, University Of Manitoba Preparatory Studies and the University of Manitoba Jazz Camp.
Over the years Steve has had the chance to play with many visiting jazz artists such as Scott Hamilton, Jon Faddis, Eddie Henderson, Jim McNeely. Jimmy Greene, Quincy Davis, Derrick Gardner, Jon Gordon, Jon Challoner and Ranee Lee.
Music
An Evening’s Journey Into Night
“Masterful and Soulful.” – Linda Manzer
An Evenings Journey Into Night
Steve Hamilton– Composer, 6 String Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass, Percussion
Greg de Denus– Piano, Keyboards
Kelly Marques– Drums, Percussion
Recorded June 2000
“An Evenings Journey into Night” is the first album release from Canadian Jazz bassist Steve Hamilton. After 35 years on the scene playing jazz, classical, new music, theatre and working with singer songwriters. We are finally able to see his own creative output. The evocative album title gives an indication of what lies within on this album.
Hamilton draws on his varied experiences with jazz, classical and world music, creating music that is organically fused, defying description and categorization. This music has cinematic, journey like quality that captures your attention from the first notes, melodically strong, at times hypnotic.
“This music is really a snap shot of what is meaningful to me as an artist. Strong melodic writing comes first. I wanted to create music that cinematically and emotionally draws the listener in. Even though there is a lot of variety on this recording, there is a still an artistic thread that connects the arc of the album as a whole. My influences cover the whole history of Jazz, the Western classical tradition and other musics from across the globe. It is a big deal to me is to organically meld these influences in a personal, creative and seamless way”.
Hamilton splits his time between acoustic bass, (many times playing bowed parts that give the music a orchestral element.) and his 6 string bass made by master luthier Linda Manzer. The instrument is a semi acoustic instrument turned like a guitar and octave down. At times it is hard to tell what this instrument is due to its unique sound. This instrument plays a major role throughout the album, where it takes centre stage in pieces like An Evening Journey into Night, Point of Departure, As We Speak, Like an Arrow and Nocturne.
Steve Hamilton 