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Steve traded his skateboard for a Synsonics/JC Penney guitar (with built-in, 9 volt-powered speaker) as a teen in the early 90s.. After playing recreationally in college at Emporia State University, his first step into the professional jazz world came in the living room of noted jazz pedagogue, author, and guitarist Dr. Wayne Goins at Kansas State University. Wayne’s unique approach as a professional first, academic second, inspired Steve to pursue the music further by moving to New York where he was lucky to study with luminaries in the field like Benedetto Artist Jack Wilkins, Mark Whitfield, Peter Bernstein, Mark Sherman, and Jim Ridl. Steve moved to Chicago in the spring of 2016 and began teaching and playing full time, further refining his craft with the help of local jazz heavies Scott Hesse, Jim Trompeter, Ernie Adams, and Henry Johnson. His debut album, Persistence, was released in August of 2022 and has met with excellent reviews from around the world, including four stars from Downbeat. Since 2012 his primary instrument has been a custom Benedetto 16B