PROJECTS

The Fonda/Stevens Group

"Over the past fifteen years and the course of nine CD's, the Fonda/Stevens Group has evolved into one of Jazz/improvised music's most accomplished ensembles.
Straddling the line between post-bob and free, they have come up with consistently satisfying albums. What's impressive is how these four create a cohesive unit without grandstanding egos getting in the way." - Cadence Magazine

With over 20 years of performing together in various ensembles, this powerful acoustic NYC based jazz ensemble features the music of bassist Joe Fonda and pianist Michael Jefry Stevens performing with master percussionist Harvey Sorgen and the brilliant modern jazz trumpet legend Herb Robertson. In addition, the group also performs as the F/S Group Trio with occasioinal guest artists. Past guest artists have included Daunik Lazro and Szilard Mezei.
The group has performed 20 European tours in the past 11 years (1997 - 2008) including radio broadcasts for BRTN (Belgium), Saarbrücken Radio (Germany), WDR Radio Köln (Germany), Radio Bremen (Germany), Radio Zurich (Switzerland), Radio Nürnberg (Germany) VPRO Radio Amsterdam (Holland) and has been featured artist at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival (Canada), Halo Jazz Days (Brugge, Belgium), Jazzmeille Thuringen (Weimer, Germany), Jazzkroe Gent (Belgium), Westfalisches Musikfest 1998 (Munster Germany), Edgefest (Ann Arbor, MI) and recently appeared at the Cerkno Jazz Festival in Slovenia in May 2007.

"Michael - You and your band are awesome. Several people came up to tell me
how your concert last week was one of the most enjoyable events they've ever
experienced at the Vermont Jazz Center; the music conveyed a deep sense of
purpose, humor and warmth, plus it was delivered with a superb sense of
musicianship and communication. Thank you for the gift!"
April 4, 2008

Eugene Uman
Artistic and Educational Director
Vermont Jazz Center

"You guys' music is still reverberating here in Brandon. Many thanks. It
was a smash. What brilliant musicians and music."
Fran Bull - April 4, 2008
Gallery In the Field
Brandon, VT

View F/S Group Electronic Press Kit

Play Movie FS Group live in Vermont 2002(interlude)
Play Movie FS Group live in Vermont 2002 (tpt-bass solos)
Play Movie FS Group live in Vermont 2002 (Cotton)
Play Movie FS Group trio live in Serbia 2006(Borrowed Time)
Play Movie FS Group trio live in Serbia 2006(Soon to Know)
Play Movie FS Group trio live in Serbia 2006(What about the Future)

PlayThe Stalker
Play Lei's Song
Play The Search
PlayA Question of Love

The Fonda/Stevens Group "TRIO"

The F/S Group "Trio" is an extension of the F/S Group. The trio's first tour took place in Poland in 2006. In 2007 the trio toured Eastern Europe with guest arrtist Szilard Mezei. The trio is a continuation of the F/S Group with the intention of performing with a diverse mixture of artists from around the world and features Harvey Sorgen on drums, Joe Fonda on bass and Michael Jefry Stevens on piano.

Play Movie FS Group trio live in Serbia 2006(Borrowed Time)
Play Movie FS Group trio live in Serbia 2006(Soon to Know)
Play Movie FS Group trio live in Serbia 2006(What about the Future)

PlaySoon to Know
Play Andrea
Play From the Source
PlayBreak Song

Conference Call

This international quartet has been together since 1998 and features German composer and woodwind virtuoso Gebhard Ullmann, bassist Joe Fonda, pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, and George Schuller on drums performing original music by all of the group members. The group has performed numerous tours in Europe as well as the USA including performances at the Guelph International Jazz Festival, Seattle¹s Earshot Jazz Festiva, the Braga Jazz Festival in Portugal (2005), and most recently the Nattjazz Festival in Bergen, Norway and the Bolzano Jazz Festival in Italy in June of 2006. The quartet has released CD¹s on Soul Note Records, Leo Records and their latest CD "Live at the Outpost Performance Space" was released on 482 Music.
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View Conference Call's Electronic Press Kit

Play Movie C Call live in Buffalo, NY (10/2006) performs LIttle Pete's Diner by M. Stevens
Play Movie C Call live in Buffalo, NY (10/2006) performs Dreirle by Gebhard Ullmann
Play Movie C Call live in Buffalo, NY (10/2006) performs As I Wait by Joe Fonda
Play Movie C Call performs For Me by Joe Fonda live in Norway 7/2006
Play Movie C Call performs "Back to School" by George Schuller in Norway 7/2006
Play Movie C Call live in Norway performing "Could this be a Polka" by Michael J. Stevensr
Play Movie C Call live in Syracuse, NY (10/2006) performs 29 Shoes by Gebhard Ullmann
Play Movie C Call live in Syracuse, NY (10/2006) performs Shining Star by Gebhard Ullmann
Play Movie C Call live in Syracuse, NY (10/2006) performs Quirky Waltz by Michael Jefry Stevens

Play Could this be a Polka
PlayConference Call (Ulmann)
Play Little Pete's Diner
Play Poetry in Motion

Stevens, Siegel & Ferguson

An acoustic piano trio in the style of Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans and Ahmad Jamal, "Stevens, Siegel & Ferguson" perform a repertoire consisting of highly indivualized arrangements of jazz standards as well as uniquely crafted originals. The trio has been together for 17 years and has released 5 cds on the Imaginary Jazz Record Label. Personnel includes Jeff "Siege" Siegel on drums, Tim Ferguson on bass and Michael Jefry Stevens on piano.

View SSF Electronic Press Kit

Play Movie live from Birdland in Vienna (Interface -(2007)
Play Movie live from Jazz Club Erfurt (Momentum by Tim Ferguson -(2007)
Play Movie live from Jazz Club Erfurt (Jeepers Creepers -(2007)
Play Movie live from Jazz Club Erfurt (2007)
Play Movie live at Jazz Club Buelach part 2 (2007)
Play Movie live at Jazz Club Buelach (2007)
Play Movie live at Jazz Club Ludwigsburg(2007)
Play Movie live at Jazz Club Ludwigsburg(2007)
Play Movie live at Rhodes College performing Green Dolphin Streetl - Memphis, TN (2006)
Play Movie live at Rhodes College performing "Shifting Sands" by Jeff Siegel - Memphis, TN (2006)

www.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPlQP_Q-Zng - SSF Trio Live from Brugge (You Tube) March 2007.

Play Crazy He Calls Me
Play Get out of town
Play The Last Embrace
Play Bicycle Built for Two
Play Go Down Moses
PlayThis Nearly was Mine
Play Almost a Rhythm Tune

The Griffith - Stevens Quartet

For the past decade vocalist Miles Griffith and pianist Michael Jefry Stevens have been working together in a variety of projects including "The Songbook Project" and "New Ting" both of which feature a combination of original music and arranged jazz standards. This new quartet project builds on this long-standing musical relationship and includes the brilliant Swiss drummer Dieter Ulrich and one of the premier bassist/composers on the scene today, Peter Herbert from Austria. This mulit-cultural quartet performs a combination of original music, improvised music, and standard jazz repertoire.
The quartet just finished their first European tour in February and will be touring Europe again in March 2008.

Play videos of the Griffith/Stevens Quartet live in Europe from February, 2007
Play Movie Reborn
Play Movie Jonathan Max
Play Movie Caravan
Play Movie Safe in my Arms
Play Movie Lost Love
Play Movie Blues
Play Movie Losing Streak

Play videos of MIles live in Europe
Play Movie Baby Ain't I Good to You
Play Movie Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child

Play videos of Miles live from NYC at the IAJE convention with "New Ting" 2007
Play Movie Excerpt 1

FROM SONGBOOK PROJECT

Play the stalker
Play jonathan max
Play reborn

NEW TING

Play oh mama
Play love theme

Vocal Workshop Live from Basel, Switzerland
>www.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yir9JyjPkWw&mode=related&search=
- Miles Vocal Workshop on YouTube

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM

Play Love is a many splendid thing
Play In a mellow tone
Play Just one of those things

http://web.mac.com/mjsjazz/iWeb/Griffith-Stevens/Griffith-Stevens%20Quartet.html= Griffith/Stevens Web Site

Brian "Breeze" Cayolle Quartet

The Brian “Breeze” Cayolle Quartet features “Breeze” on saxophone, clarinet and vocals and Bob Sunda on bass and vocals.
Brian Cayolle and Bob Sunda both settled in Memphis from their hometown of New Orleans after the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. These multi-talented New Orleans musicians are joined by native Memphian James Sexton on drums and former New Yorker Michael Jefry Stevens on piano and electric keyboard. The quartet creates a highly individualized sound combining the Cajun rhythms of New Orleans, the funky Memphis sound and the hard driving pulse of New York City. Together the group performs a wide variety of music from classic “New Orleans” jazz standards, to down-home funk and blues, to the more modern jazz standards of Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul.



Play Don't Go To Strangers
Play Save Your Love for Me
Play Memphis Monday Morning

Eastern Boundary Quartet

EASTERN BOUNDARY ls a new colllaboration with my long time partner Joe Fonda. This quartet features two of Hungary's finest improvisers and composers: Drummer Balazs Bagyi and Saxophonist Mihaly Borbely. The group performed together for the first time in May 2007 and will tour Eastern Europe in May 2008. You can listen to excerpts from our recent CD release and watch some videos from our most recent performances below:

Play Tuzugras
Play Song for my Mother
Play Improvisation
Play The End Game

Play Movie Live from Budapest 5/2007 part 3
Play Movie Live from Budapest 5/2007 part 1
Play Movie Live from Budapest 5/2007 part 2

For more information check the following links:
www.balazsbagyi.com/magyar/kapcsolat - Balazs Bagyi
www.mihalyborbely.hu/ - Mihaly Borbely

IN TRANSIT

IN TRANSIT is a new quartet project featuring myself in collaboration with three of Switzerland's most talented improvisers: Juerg Solothurnmann on saxophones, Daniel Studer on bass and Dieter Ulrich on drums. The quartet just released our debut CD "Moving Stills" on Unit Records and will be touring Europe in October 2007.
Download In Transit Bio Page

Play Movie live at Moods - Improvisation #1 (10/26/2007)
Play Movie live at Moods - Improvisation #2 (10/26/2007)
Play Movie live at AMR - Improvisation #3 (10/25/2007)
Play Movie live at AMR - Improvisation #4 (10/25/2007)
Play Movie live at AMR - Improvisation #5 (10/25/2007)
Play Movie live at AMR - Improvisation #6 (10/25/2007)

Play Still
Play Twitters
Play Canto Lunitaco
Play Adagio

Michael Jefry Stevens - solo piano and educational workshops

Download Teaching Brochure with list of available workshops I am available for solo piano performances and educational workshops. The repertoire includes both an eclectic mixture of jazz standards (Wayne Shorter, Ellington, Strayhorn, Bill Evans, Monk), my original compositions, and free improvisation. My debut solo CD "Portrait in Red" was released on Cactus Records in 2002 to coincide with my 50th birthday European tour. My 2nd and most recent solo piano CD ("The Survivor's Suite") was released in 2002 on the Jazz'halo Tonesetters label and features a live performance at De Werf in Brugge, Belgium. This was the last concert of my 50th birthday solo piano tour.

View Michael Jefry Stevens' Electronic Press Kit

Play Movie solo piano : "For Galo" live from Brugge (11/2001)
Play Movie solo piano : "Ask Me Now (Monk)" live from Brugge (11/2001)
Play Movie solo piano : "Music Callada #1 (Mompou)" live from Brugge (11/2001)
Play Movie solo piano : "Blue and Green" live at ISIM Conference in Ann Arbor, MI (12/2006)

Play For Galo
Play Ask Me Now
Play Musica Callada #1
Play Frenzy
Play Dervish