Biography
Steve Nieve, born Steven Nason on February 19, 1958, in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England, studied composition and piano at the Royal College of Music. At age 19 in 1977, he successfully auditioned as keyboardist for Elvis Costello and the Attractions, rising to fame in the late 1970s with his distinctive keyboard styling that defined the band's sound on albums like This Year's Model (1978), Armed Forces (1979), Imperial Bedroom (1982, featuring his orchestrations), Blood and Chocolate (1986), and All This Useless Beauty (1996).[1][4][7] The Attractions were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, and Nieve continued with Costello in the Imposters, earning Grammy nominations in 2002 and 2004 for Cruel Smile, Delivery Man, and Monkey to a Man, plus a win in 2019 for Look Now.[1]
Nieve's musical style blends classical training with rock, pop, and opera, evident in his solo works such as Keyboard Jungle (1983), the opera Welcome to the Voice (2000, recorded 2007 with libretto by Muriel Teodori), Mumu (2000), Raining Somewhere (2003), Windows (2004), Lazy Point (2010), ToGetHer (2014, a song cycle with various vocalists), and Fuji~Rama (2019).[1][3] He has collaborated extensively across genres, including with the Brodsky Quartet, Paul McCartney, Anne-Sofie von Otter, Chet Baker, Robert Wyatt, Allen Toussaint, and Burt Bacharach, while residing in France with his wife and collaborator Muriel Teodori.[1][3]
Nieve's legacy endures through his integral role in Costello's career over four decades, his own compositions bridging classical and popular music, and performances with his Steve Nieve Band featuring Ajuq and guests like Glen Tilbrook at events such as Fuji Rock Festival (2009, 2014). He also tours a piano-and-stories show, Steve Nieve Plays Elvis Costello.[1]
Fun Facts
- Nieve's real name is Steven Nason, adopting 'Steve Nieve' (pronounced 'naive') as his stage name.[4]
- He composed orchestrations for Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom (1982) and much of The Secret Songs (2005).[1]
- Nieve released an opera, Welcome to the Voice, premiered at Theatre du Chatelet (2008) with Sting in a lead role.[1]
- His Steve Nieve Band performed at Fuji Rock Festival in 2009 and 2014 with rotating guests like Glen Tilbrook.[1]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Royal College of Music - Studied composition and piano (Classical training foundational to career) [Pre-1977]
Key Collaborators
- Elvis Costello - Keyboardist in Attractions and Imposters, orchestration, frequent performer (This Year's Model (1978), Armed Forces (1979), Imperial Bedroom (1982), Look Now (2018 Grammy win)) [1977-present]
- Muriel Teodori - Wife and librettist (Welcome to the Voice (2000), ToGetHer (2014)) [2000-present]
- Ajuq - Band member in Steve Nieve Band (vocals, drums) (Fuji Rock Festival performances, Steve Nieve Plays Elvis Costello) [2000s-present]
- Sting - Vocalist on recordings and opera (Welcome to the Voice (2007), ToGetHer (2014)) [2000s-2010s]
- Paul McCartney - Collaboration on recordings and stage (Various Costello-related projects) [1980s-present]
- Burt Bacharach - Collaboration on recordings (Costello projects) [1990s-2000s]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| The Art of Anne Sofie von Otter | 2025-05-07 | Album |
| Welcome to the Voice | 2007-01-01 | Album |
| Lazy Point | 2011-08-31 | Album |
| Welcome to the Voice | 2007-01-01 | Album |
| ToGetHer | 2013-10-08 | Album |
| Piano Day 2024 | 2024-03-28 | Album |
| Piano Day 2023 | 2023-03-29 | Album |
| Piano Day 2022 | 2022-03-09 | Album |
| Together | 2014-03-07 | Album |
| Different Every Time | 2014-01-01 | Album |
| ToGetHer | 2013-01-01 | Album |
| ToGetHer | 2013-01-01 | Album |
| Anne Sofie von Otter - in my element (2 CDs) | 2008-01-01 | Album |
| Welcome to the Voice | 2007-01-01 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Broken Bicycles (Waits) . Junk (McCartney) (For The Stars)
- No Wonder (For The Stars)
- You Still Believe In Me (For The Stars)
- This House Is Empty Now (For The Stars)
- For The Stars (For The Stars)
- I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Live In Toronto, Ontario, Massey Hall / June 16, 1999
- Passionate Fight (from the song cycle "Correspondence") (Ute Lemper - Punishing Kiss)
- Toledo - Live In Tokyo, Japan, Nakano Sunplaza Hall / February 08, 1999
- In The Darkest Place - Live In Melbourne, Australia, Athenaeum Theatre / February 16, 1999
- God Give Me Strength - Live In Toronto, Ontario, Massey Hall / June 16, 1999
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Steve Nieve has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 15, 2025 | 01:56 | Hanukkah on 27from Lazy Point | The Dean's Listw/ Dean Ellis |