Steve Holt (born 1954) is a Canadian

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 ...

pianist.

Early life and education

Born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, in 1954, Holt exhibited musical ability in early childhood, playing piano at the age of four. By the time he was a teenager, Holt was a regular on the Montreal club scene. Holt remained self-taught until he entered

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

. There, he was taught by pianist Armas Maiste, whose

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

playing influenced him. Holt also became a student of

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

, traveling regularly to New York City for private lessons with the pianist. Holt graduated from McGill in 1981 with that university's first

Bachelor of Music A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

major in

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 ...

Performance A performance is an act or process of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Performance has evolved glo ...

, and taught jazz improvisation there.

Later life and career

In 1983, Holt's debut album, ''The Lion's Eyes'', was released. It was nominated for a

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

. He has worked with jazz musicians

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 ...

, Eddie Henderson, and

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

. Holt moved to Toronto in 1987 and worked as an equity analyst. For a time, he also continued playing clubs at night. Further albums were released in the 1990s: ''Christmas Light'' (1991); ''Just Duet'' (1992); and ''Catwalk'' (1994). In 1999, Holt returned to concentrating on music full-time. Three years later, his fifth album, ''The Dream'', was released. He then moved into music production, and stopped performing jazz live until 2014. Following a move to the countryside, his interest in jazz performance returned. In 2017, he opened a health food store in Warkworth, Ontario, that operates as a jazz venue once a week. After a 20 year absence from the recording field, Holt released a new album in April 2025. The album, IMPACT, featured several new compositions and a new band, The Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet.

Discography

* 1983: ''The Lion's Eyes'' (Plug) * 1991: ''Christmas Light'' (Inner Music) * 1992: ''Just Duet'' ( Sackville) with Kieran Overs * 1993: ''Catwalk'' (Sackville) * 2001: ''The Dream'' (Trilogy) * 2025: ''Impact'' (Inner Music) Singles * 2002: ''We Need You'' (Trilogy) * 2002: ''Just to Be With You'' (Trilogy) * 2003: ''Soon'' (Trilogy)

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holt, Steve 1954 births Living people Canadian jazz pianists Musicians from Montreal Post-bop pianists Jewish Canadian musicians Canadian male jazz composers Canadian jazz composers McGill University School of Music alumni Canadian pop pianists Canadian male singers Canadian financial analysts Anglophone Quebec people 21st-century Canadian pianists 21st-century Canadian male musicians Sackville Records artists Canadian male singer-songwriters 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian male jazz pianists 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters