Biography

A busy producer, composer, and session musician in New York City, Steve’s credits span many areas of the music & recording business -- including major jazz and pop artists, television, feature films, commercials, multimedia, and education. As a jazz vibist, he has co-released three CDs with acclaimed Nashville guitarist, Pat Bergeson.

Steve has recorded with artists such as Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Ornette Coleman, Pat Martino, Regina Belle, They Might Be Giants, Roberta Flack, and SpyroGyra. He appeared on Steely Dan's Two Against Nature, which received 4 Grammy Awards including Album-of-the-Year. He also composes music for many television series, films, TV commercials and trailers, and is a long-time producer/arranger for the Walt Disney Company, with credits on an array of projects related to over forty feature film releases.

Steve grew up in Connecticut and was a member of an award-winning high school ensemble that produced many fine musicians (including pianist Brad Mehldau). As a teenager, he began studying with artists Bob Moses, Dave Samuels, and David Friedman. Shortly thereafter, he was fortunate to meet jazz icon Steve Swallow, who took him on as one of his very few composition students. As an undergraduate at Yale University, Steve continued studies with composer Anthony Davis, who emphasized the work of Duke Ellington.

Steve has received awards from Berklee College of Music and IAJE, and has been featured and reviewed in magazines such as Mix, Downbeat, JazzTimes, The Village Voice, JazzEd, Video-Systems and Modern Drummer.

Steve Shapiro is a Yamaha performing artist, and plays Mike Balter Signature mallets.