Guitarist Steve Cardenas began his musical career in Kansas City and has been an integral part of the New York City jazz community since 1995. Steve has performed and recorded with many well-known and highly esteemed musicians. Notably, he was a longstanding member of the Paul Motian Electric Bebop Band, Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, the Steve Swallow Quintet, as well as Joey Baron‘s, Killer Joey. Steve is currently a member of Ben Allison and Think Free, John Patitucci Electric Guitar Quartet, Jon Cowherd Mercy Project and Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project. He has toured extensively throughout Europe, North and South America and Asia, performing at international music festivals, theaters and clubs. Steve also leads his own trio and has released four recordings as a leader including Charlie & Paul, released on Newvelle Records.
Steve is also a well-respected educator. He is on faculty at The New School For Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City where he directs the Thelonious Monk Ensemble, Improv Ensemble and the Guitar Duos class, as well as offering individual lessons. He has also been on faculty at the California Institute of the Arts, Siena Summer Jazz Workshop, Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony, Stanford Jazz Workshop and Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. Additionally, Steve is co-author, along with editor Don Sickler, of The Thelonious Monk Fakebook, Hal Leonard Publishing. The Thelonious Monk Fakebook marks the first time all of Monk’s compositions have appeared in one volume, many of them appearing for the first time.
