Jeremy Steig

One of the earliest and finest jazz-rock flutists, Jeremy Steig was an outstanding soloist. He mastered the entire flute family, including bass, and also played piccolo well. He had a similarly rich, classically pure tone and timbre as <a href="spotify:artist:1Gth2y1RbGSA0OU0Ajdjhr">James Newton</a> or <a href="spotify:artist:2Mb147hrrMIoAy425UZkhv">Hubert Laws</a>, and used almost as many devices, such as tongue fluttering, humming, and swirling lines. But he wasn't as blues- or swing-oriented, and his associations included working in the early '60s with <a href="spotify:artist:4Qk0lWGeXydDvfrDufDQ9p">Richie Havens</a> and heading Jeremy & the Satyrs in 1967. Steig's father is the famous artist William Steig; he began playing recorder at six and took flute lessons at 11. Steig attended the High School of Music and Art. He played with <a href="spotify:artist:2k1Qcdf3sOJYCNZEPus58Y">Gary Peacock</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4HCwj3Nt6DTTmJCpHuQOeM">Paul Bley</a> in the early '60s, then led a jazz-rock combo in 1967 backing <a href="spotify:artist:39GVRVaqlKh7JL8Yl5ZKcb">Tim Hardin</a> before heading his own groups. Steig played with Mike Manieri and <a href="spotify:artist:6HBVTGmPHytchERPb8YGPr">Eddie Gomez</a> in the '60s, and <a href="spotify:artist:50zRydJXfkLzGIOj9mITfy">Jan Hammer</a> in 1970. He began using electronics and synthesizers in the '70s, and toured Europe both as a soloist and heading quartets and quintets. He recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:6HBVTGmPHytchERPb8YGPr">Gomez</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0umoeIflP3pWEefnX9lvx4">Joe Chambers</a> in the late '70s, and subsequently did sessions with the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:0BGJPkAPaWo8416uGeHrJL">Mike Nock</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5qDF2llrbUP7mxxdBQs6D3">Karl Ratzer</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6P6IXsZWyS49AUbhGCvvLK">Nana Vasconcelos</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2h4ndKS2vRWeFLpq8ARu0D">Ray Barretto</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:42zoEf7IcpDSvdQjcrSpHl">Steve Gadd</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7rDjbKTLlpNYJRWMm7QVxU">Jack DeJohnette</a>. Steig died in Yokohama, Japan in April 2016 at the age of 73. ~ Ron Wynn, Rovi