Steve Khan (born Steven Harris Cahn; April 28, 1947) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

guitarist.

Career

Steven Harris Cahn was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. His father, lyricist

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...

, "loved to hear any and all versions of his songs". He took piano lessons as a child and played drums for the

surf rock Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...

band

the Chantays The Chantays, sometimes billed as Chantay's, is an American surf rock band formed in Orange County, California. They are known for their 1963 hit instrumental "Pipeline". Their sound combines electronic keyboards with surf guitar, creating a uni ...

. The band's guitarist exposed him to the albums ''Tough Talk'' by The Crusaders and ''Movin' Wes'' by

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a ...

. In his late teens he quit the drums and started playing guitar. He was a member of the R&B band Friends of Distinction, recorded with keyboardist Phil Moore, then played on the album ''Bullitt'' by

Wilton Felder Wilton Lewis Felder (August 31, 1940 – September 27, 2015) was an American saxophone and bass player, and is best known as a founding member of the Jazz Crusaders, later known as the Crusaders. Felder played bass on the Jackson 5's hits "I Want ...

("one of my heroes"). Despite his father's advice to avoid a career in the music business, he graduated from UCLA with a degree in music composition and theory. Early in his career, Khan changed the spelling of his surname in order to "create a separate identity from isfamous father" and because he was "so hurt and angry with him for so many childhood things." In the early 1970s, he performed in an acoustic guitar duo with

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist, widely considered the "godfather of fusion". Alongside Gábor Szabó, he was a pioneer in melding jazz, country and rock ...

and was a member of the

Brecker Brothers The Brecker Brothers were a jazz fusion music duo consisting of siblings Michael and Randy. Michael played saxophone, flute, and EWI, and Randy played trumpet and flugelhorn. The brothers attended Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pennsylva ...

band. As a session musician, he appeared on albums by

Ashford & Simpson Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting, production and recording duo composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carol ...

Rupert Holmes Rupert Holmes (born David Goldstein; February 24, 1947) is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles " Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and " Him" (1980). He is also know ...

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

, and

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...

. He was signed to Columbia Records through the efforts of

Bobby Colomby Robert Wayne Colomby (born December 20, 1944) is a jazz-fusion drummer, record producer and television presenter. He is best known as an original member of the group Blood, Sweat & Tears, which he co-founded in 1967. He has also played with many ...

and Bob James. On his first three albums ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'' (1977), ''The Blue Man'' (1978), and ''Arrows'' (1979), he was trying "to single-handledly keep alive the sound of the original Brecker Brothers band." His next album was ''Evidence'' (1980), which contained an eighteen-minute medley of songs by

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

. He has also produced recordings for fellow guitarists

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, re ...

Biréli Lagrène Biréli Lagrène (born 4 September 1966) is a French jazz guitarist who came to prominence in the 1980s for his Django Reinhardt–influenced style. He often performs in swing, jazz fusion, and post-bop styles. Biography Lagrène was born in S ...

, and

Bill Connors Bill Connors (born September 24, 1949) is an American jazz guitarist who was a member of Chick Corea's band Return to Forever. After leaving Return to Forever, he recorded three acoustic albums and then four electric albums as a leader/soloist." ...

, as well as pianist

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias (born 19 March 1960) is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger. Biography Elias was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on 19 March 1960. She started studying piano when she was seven, and at age twelve she was transcribing ...

Awards and honors

* Grammy Award nomination, ''Local Color'' (1987) * Grammy Award nomination, ''Borrowed Time'' (2007) * Named to list of "22 All-Time Greatest Jazz Guitarists", ''Jazz Life'' magazine (1998)

Discography

As leader

As sideman

Books

* ''Pentatonic Khancepts'' (Alfred Music, 2002) * ''Contemporary Chord Khancepts'' (Alfred Music, 1996) * ''Wes Montgomery Guitar Folio'' (Jamey Aebersold, 1973) * ''Pat Martino: The Early Years'' (Alfred Music, 1991)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Steve 1947 births Living people 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists American jazz guitarists Columbia Records artists Antilles Records artists Novus Records artists American session musicians Jazz musicians from New York City American lead guitarists Guitarists from Los Angeles Jewish jazz musicians Jewish American musicians Jazz musicians from California Steps Ahead members GRP Records artists 21st-century American Jews