Steve Masakowski
| Steve Masakowski | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen Alphonse Masakowski |
| Born |
September 2, 1951 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, educator |
| Instruments | Guitar, keytar |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Labels | Blue Note |
| Associated acts | Astral Project |
| Website | www |
| Notable instruments | |
| Switch pick, keytar, custom seven-string guitars | |
Steve Masakowski (born September 2, 1954) is jazz guitarist, educator, and inventor. He invented the guitar-based keytar and the switch pick and has designed three, custom-built seven-string guitars. He developed an approach to playing the guitar by using his pick design, allowing him to switch from fingerpicking to flatpicking.
He has released solo albums and has worked with Johnny Adams, Mose Allison, Dave Liebman, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., Carl Fontana, Rick Margitza, Bobby McFerrin, Nicholas Payton, Dianne Reeves, Sam Rivers, Woody Shaw, Alvin Tyler, and Bennie Wallace. Since 1987, he has been a member of the band Astral Project.
He has twice been voted Best Guitarist and included as a member of Astral Project in the Best Contemporary Jazz Group three times by Gambit and Offbeat magazines in their annual reader's polls. He has published lessons in Guitar Player magazine and wrote the book Jazz Ear Training – Learning to Hear Your Way Through Music for Mel Bay Publications. He has also been recognized by Down Beat magazine as Guitar Talent Deserving Wider Recognition.
Stephen Alphonse Masakowski was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 2, 1954. He became interested in music at the age of 14, when he took up the bass guitar in order to play in Truth, a rock band he co-founded which was based on Cream. In high school, having become attracted to composing, he also started to play guitar to learn harmony. At age 17, and having been exposed to the album Spaces by Larry Coryell, he began taking guitar lessons. His teacher introduced him to the music of Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, and Lenny Breau, who he considers his influences.
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