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Steve Oliver
Steve Oliver is a California based guitarist & vocalist. He creates and performs music in a wide variety of styles including Jazz, Pop, Latin and World Music.
Growing up in Walnut Creek, California, Oliver started out playing in progressive rock oufits in high school. Influenced by acts such as Genesis and Yes, his band Fragile Glass released one LP entitled “Farewell Father Analogue” before disbanding. Oliver played steady gigs in and around central California as a one-man-band. While gigging around the Bay Area, Steve attracted the attention of Steve Reid, former percussionist with The Rippingtons, who recruited him to join his new project Bamboo Forest. Oliver was the lead vocalist and guitarist for Bamboo Forest and many of the tunes on the first two albums are Oliver / Reid compositions. Reid eventually persuaded Oliver into the spotlight and helped the young guitarist produce his own CD.
Steve’s debut album “First View” was highly regarded in the Smooth Jazz community. He received plenty of airplay on radio stations throughout the country with tunes like “Highway One”, “First View” and “Midnight at the Oasis”. The record landed on many critics’ top ten lists and Steve was awarded Best New Artist from Smooth Jazz News.
The follow up album “Positive Energy” was successful, thanks to the single “High Noon”. The album reached the top 20 on Billboard’s album chart and the single reached as high as number 3 on the smooth jazz singles chart. “High Noon” became a staple for the format and is still heard in heavy rotation all over the country and in Canada.
Oliver has released two albums since then including “3D” and “Radiant” on the KOCH records label, scoring radio play with songs such as “Chips and Salsa”, “Good to Go” and “Tradewinds”.
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