Steve Rosenbloom Big Band

Biography

Steve Rosenbloom is a Montreal-based alto and soprano saxophonist, jazz composer, and bandleader who has maintained a dual career as both a creative musician and a licensed psychoanalyst and psychology professor at McGill University's Department of Psychiatry. Beginning his compositional work in the mid-1980s, Rosenbloom has been an active performer on the Montreal jazz scene for over 25 years, establishing himself as a committed voice in Canadian jazz through his dedication to the big band idiom. His career has been marked by a unique ability to balance his professional work in mental health with his artistic pursuits, allowing him to develop a distinctive compositional voice that honors the traditions of big band jazz while infusing contemporary sensibilities.

Throughout his career, Rosenbloom has built an impressive discography that demonstrates his evolution as a composer and arranger. His early collaborative albums include works with major Canadian jazz musicians such as Wray Downes, Dave Turner, and Guido Basso on projects like "Last Call at Café Alto" (1994), "Midnight Martini" (1998), and "Deditations" (2000), the latter two released on Justin Time Records. He has also recorded six CDs with the Claremont Standards Band, three albums with fellow composer Richard Karmel, appeared on singer Mira Choquette's "Something Cool," and led the Steve Rosenbloom Vocal Jazz Quartet. His most significant project to date is the 2024 album "San Francisco 1948," recorded with a 16-17 piece big band ensemble, which represents a personal milestone as one of the rare big band albums featuring compositions exclusively written by a single individual.

Rosenbloom's artistic philosophy centers on the synthesis of historical big band traditions with modern compositional complexity. His work reflects decades of mentorship and collaboration, beginning with early guidance from Gerry Danovitch and continuing through partnerships with accomplished arrangers Christopher Smith, Michael Johancsik, and Alex Francoeur. The "San Francisco 1948" project exemplifies his commitment to sustaining and evolving the big band tradition, assembling Montreal's finest jazz musicians to create arrangements that blend bold brass voicings with intricate reed textures, showcasing his keen understanding of orchestration and ensemble interplay.

Fun Facts

• Steve Rosenbloom maintains a remarkable dual career as both a licensed psychoanalyst and psychology professor at McGill University's Department of Psychiatry while simultaneously being an active jazz musician and composer—a unique balance of professional and artistic pursuits.
• The album 'San Francisco 1948' is a personal milestone for Rosenbloom, as very few big band albums feature music exclusively written by a single individual composer, making this project particularly distinctive in the big band canon.
• Rosenbloom has been composing music since the mid-1980s but didn't begin his active performance career on the Montreal jazz scene until the early 1990s, demonstrating a deliberate and thoughtful approach to developing his artistic voice.
• The 'San Francisco 1948' album was recorded in May 2024 with a meticulously assembled 16-17 piece ensemble of Montreal's finest jazz musicians, representing the culmination of Rosenbloom's decades-long journey in composition and arranging.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Gerry Danovitch - Early compositional guidance and mentorship (Foundational influence on Rosenbloom's compositional development) [Mid-1980s onwards]

Key Collaborators

• Christopher Smith - Arranger and co-composer on San Francisco 1948; trombone section member (San Francisco 1948 (arrangements and trombone)) [2024]
• Michael Johancsik - Arranger, tenor saxophonist, and clarinet player; key collaborator on modern arrangements (San Francisco 1948 (arrangements and saxophone/clarinet)) [2024]
• Alex Francoeur - Arranger, tenor saxophonist, and clarinet player; partnership in refining compositional craft (San Francisco 1948 (arrangements and saxophone/clarinet)) [2024]
• Jules Payette - Lead alto saxophonist and flutist in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Allison Burik - Alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Benjamin Deschamps - Baritone saxophonist and clarinetist in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Lex French - Trumpet player in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Andy King - Trumpet player in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Benjamin Cordeau - Trumpet player in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Cameron Milligan - Trumpet player in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Mathieu Van Vilet - Trombone section anchor in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Thomas Morelli-Bernard - Trombonist in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Taylor Donaldson - Trombonist in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Eric Harding - Pianist in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band rhythm section (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Mike De Masi - Bassist in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band rhythm section (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Jim Doxas - Drummer in Steve Rosenbloom Big Band rhythm section (San Francisco 1948) [2024]
• Dave Turner - Collaborator on early albums as major Canadian jazz musician (Last Call at Café Alto (1994), Midnight Martini (1998), Dedications (2000)) [1994-2000]
• Guido Basso - Collaborator on early albums as major Canadian jazz musician (Midnight Martini (1998), Dedications (2000)) [1998-2000]
• Richard Karmel - Fellow composer; collaborative album partner (Three collaborative albums) [1990s-2000s]
• Mira Choquette - Singer; Rosenbloom performed on her album (Something Cool) [1990s-2000s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Samba for Esther (San Francisco 1948)
2. In a Boppish Sort of Way (San Francisco 1948)
3. Mosley (San Francisco 1948)
4. Call from the Orient (San Francisco 1948)
5. Light and Easy (San Francisco 1948)
6. Fiesta for Paquito (San Francisco 1948)
7. San Francisco 1948 (San Francisco 1948)
8. Mexican Holiday (San Francisco 1948)
9. Asher's Song (San Francisco 1948)

External Links

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