Jazz Nights: Steve Sandberg Trio

Steve Sandberg Trio

Steve Sandberg - piano

Ken Filiano - bass

Juan Felipe Mayorga - drums

Pianist/composer/raconteur Steve  Sandberg mashes up classical music, world music and jazz with the  excitement of virtuosic improvisation and stories fueled by a lifetime  of adventure on the international music scene. He has played with Bebel  Gilberto, David Byrne, Dizzie Gillespie, Mario Bauza, and performed at  Birdland, Mezzrow, the Cairo Jazz Festival and many other well-known  venues. He is looking forward to presenting a program that includes jazz  standards (Billy Strayhorn, Wayne Shorter) and originals, including  pieces from his Dream Music Project (setting his listeners’ dream to  music.) There may even be a spontaneous band improvisation inspired by a  dream of an audience member. He is looking forward to returning to  Vic’s Jazz Cafe with a new trio that includes virtuoso bassist Ken  Filiano and drummer Juan Felipe Mayorga (currently playing for the  Broadway show Hamilton). stevesandbergmusic.com

Steve Sandberg is an eclectic musician with a lifetime of experience in many worlds of music. He is a three-time Emmy-nominated composer whose scoring, songwriting  and musical direction for “Dora the Explorer”, “Go, Diego, Go!” and  “Dora and Friends” helped make these shows the landmarks they are in  children’s television worldwide. He began classical piano studies at age 4 and won a BMI composers award  before attending Yale University, where he majored in musical theory and  composition.  At Yale, his studies with noted African art theorist  Robert Farris Thompson inspired him to immerse himself in the world of  Afro-Caribbean music.  Upon returning to NYC he played with, arranged  and composed for some of the great salsa artists of the 1970s and 1980s,  including Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, and Daniel Ponce (featuring Tito  Puente).  A highlight of this period was an appearance in Rio and São  Paolo opening for the legendary João Gilberto in a duo with vocalist  Bebel Gilberto. He also toured with David Byrne (“Rei Momo”) as  keyboardist and vocalist. Steve has conducted and arranged on Broadway (Chronicle of a Death  Foretold) and for many regional and Off-Broadway theatres, including the  New York Shakespeare Festival.  He has written music for the theater,  film, and HBO and MTV.