desert night music
steve smith

about steve

Steve Smith is a musician, composer, performer, teacher. His music reflects the many influences his life, from his beginnings in Virginia as the son of a musician to his current home in the desert southwest. You can observe these influences in his musical compositions, performances and multi-instrumental prowess as he conquers everything from Bluegrass and Oldtime, to Jazz, chamber, Celtic and New Age music.

Steve has performed professionally for over 20 years and has toured in 45 states, 7 European countries, Cuba, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has appeared in the national touring company cast of the Harry Chapin musical "Cotton Patch Gospel" as an actor and multi-instrumentalist. He also appeared in the off-Broadway production hit "The Robber Bridegroom".

Five of Steve's tunes from his CD Desert Night were used in the Veterans Day premier of "A New Mexico Story: The Bataan Death March to The Atomic Bomb" on PBS. Steve appeared in the movie "Via Con Dios" and most recently composed and performed the music for a production of the Sam Sheppard play "Curse of the Starving Class" with Joseph Mancilla.

Steve hosts "The Back Porch" a weekly radio show found on Las Cruces, New Mexico's public radio station KRWG-FM 90.7. On his show (aired from 6 to 8 pm Sunday evenings) Steve plays traditional Bluegrass, Oldtime, Celtic, Blues, Singer Songwriter, and Folk music of the world.

Steve's tune Ocotillos can be heard on the Butch Baldassari Trio's American Portraits (SoundArt Recordings), and Whisker Head's Ride to Lenningrad (co-wrote with Missy Raines and Jim Hurst) on Raines' My place in the Sun. As the Crow Flies and In the Shadow of the Past has been featured on The Weather Channel and Delta and American Airlines. Other music Steve composed can be heard on a number of commercials and jingles.

In addition to his regular groups, Steve has shared the stage with Robin and Linda Williams, Jim Hurst and Missy Raines, Stephen Bennett, Bill Evans, Charlie Provenza, Nosostros, Eliza Gilkyson, Anna Egge, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Joe Carr and Alan Munde, Tony Trischka, Eddie and Martha Adcock, Hot Rize, New Grass Revival, Allison Krauss, Ed Gerhardt, Bill Monroe, and Curt Warren. He is a former member of the group Cloud Valley and the Nothin' Doin' band.

Steve is on the board of directors for the Chamizal Festival in El Paso, Texas, is a founding member of the Southern New Mexico Music and Dance Society, and teaches at Camp Bluegrass in Levelland, Texas. Along with a busy performance schedule, Steve maintains a regular teaching studio for mandolin, guitar and 5-string banjo and does session work on guitar and mandolin.

Steve currently performs solo or with a number of different groups:

• Steve Smith & Hard Road
• Steve Smith Trio
• The Steve Smith Quintet, his instrumental group (original and jazz standards)
• Ballyheigue Trio (Irish)
• Junior Hot Cell (celtic world fusion)
with children's entertainer Dan Crow