steve howell

Biography

Steve Howell is a fingerpicking guitarist and singer born in Marshall, Texas, who has dedicated over six decades to preserving and reinterpreting early American blues, folk, and jazz traditions.[1][7] His musical awakening occurred in 1965 at age thirteen when he first heard Mississippi John Hurt's fingerpicking country blues style, an experience that fundamentally redirected his musical path away from conventional strumming toward the complex fingerstyle techniques that would define his career.[1][2] This revelation opened a gateway to exploring the rich lineage of acoustic blues masters including Blind Willie McTell, Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Son House, and Rev. Gary Davis, while simultaneously developing a deep appreciation for how rural blues traditions merged with urban horn-oriented jazz to create the traditional New Orleans sound of the early twentieth century.[1]

Fun Facts

• Howell served in the US Navy in the early 1970s and was stationed in South Wales, an experience that exposed him to different musical traditions outside his Texas roots.[9]
• He has recorded 13 studio albums as of 2025, with his most recent being 'Yeah Man' released in February 2025, demonstrating remarkable longevity and consistent output over his six-decade career.[1][3]
• Howell's creative philosophy emphasizes delivering songs 'honestly and musically' while allowing the tunes themselves to reveal their timeless value, reflecting his deep reverence for traditional material rather than ego-driven reinterpretation.[1]
• He recorded four tracks for the 'Yeah Man' album in Santa Fe, New Mexico, representing a departure from his usual recording routine and adding geographic diversity to his production process.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Mississippi John Hurt - Primary musical inspiration and catalyst for Howell's artistic direction; hearing Hurt's fingerpicking style at age 13 became the defining moment that shaped his entire musical philosophy (Mississippi John Hurt's fingerpicking country blues recordings) [1965 onwards]
• Blind Willie McTell - Key influence in Howell's exploration of rural acoustic blues traditions and fingerstyle guitar techniques (Traditional blues repertoire) [1965 onwards]
• Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong - Jazz influences that shaped Howell's understanding of improvisation and musical sophistication alongside his blues foundation (Various jazz standards and recordings) [1960s onwards]

Key Collaborators

• Fats Kaplin - Longtime collaborator and multi-instrumentalist who brings fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and bouzouki to Howell's recordings and performances (Multiple studio albums and live performances) [Decades of collaboration]
• Chris Michaels - Electric guitarist and vocalist who collaborates on studio recordings and performances (Yeah Man (2025), Been Here And Gone, and other recent albums) [Recent years]
• Jason Weinheimer - Bass and keyboard player contributing to Howell's band arrangements (Yeah Man (2025), Been Here And Gone) [Recent years]
• Dave Hoffpauir - Recording collaborator and musician on recent studio projects (Been Here And Gone and other recent recordings) [Recent years]
• Brownie McGhee - Blues legend with whom Howell has shared the stage (Live performances) [Career performances]
• Country Joe and the Fish, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets, Bugs Henderson, Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones - Artists for whom Howell has opened as a supporting performer (Live performances) [Various periods throughout career]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Kansas City Blues (A Hundred Years from Today)
2. Going Back to Florida (A Hundred Years from Today)
3. Who's Been Here? (A Hundred Years from Today)
4. Me & My Uncle (Friend Like Me)
5. I've Got the Blues, Can't Be Satisfied (A Hundred Years from Today)
6. Lulu's Back in Town (A Hundred Years from Today)
7. Basin Street Blues (A Hundred Years from Today)
8. Limehouse Blues – After You've Gone (A Hundred Years from Today)
9. Do Nothing 'Til You Hear from Me (Long Ago)
10. Nothin' but the Blues (Long Ago)

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)