John Steiner is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator living in San Francisco. He has two piano collections on the Philomuse label:

 

Out of the Blue  (2002)

 

and

 

Into the Green  (2009).

 

 

In addition to performing his own compostions – both solo and otherwise – John records and tours regularly with the cyber-pop band The Venusians, and with the Pakistani fusion group Shabaz.

 

John’s work as a film composer includes scores for Jump Fence by Al Hernandez, which was featured on the PBS series American Independents; Chemistries by Davin Gee; and ABC Movie of the Week Deadly Vision. His work in theater includes stints with Opera Piccola and performance artist Rinde Eckhert. In the pop world, John has recorded, produced, and toured with Jennifer Holiday, New Edition, Bobby Brown, and Patti Austin.

 

Originally from New York City, John began his professional career as a keyboardist for the pop singing group New Edition. In 1985, the band – and John – went west to Los Angeles; it was there that he met longtime friend and collaborator J S Kingfisher, who later produced Out of the Blue and Into the Green.

John moved to San Francisco in 1989, where he earned a B.A. in Music from San Francisco State University. He is the composer and pianist for the San Francisco Center for Spiritual Living, and the First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael. He also teaches piano, guitar, and bass.

 

John’s compositions draw inspiration from many quarters, including American pop and jazz, the music of India and Pakistan, and the Romantic, Impressionist, and Minimalist traditions.

Much of John’s music has a meditative quality. During a piano concert in December 2008, John began taking suggestions from the audience regarding their moods or thoughts, and creating impromptu musical improvisations based on them. This has now become a regular feature of his performances; one of these improvisations, Peace, can be found on Into the Green.

Says John, “I feel most connected to the flow of spirit when improvising. My intention is to bring healing vibrations to the world through my music.”

And that he does.

 

John Steiner offers the following links for your browsing pleasure:

 

The Venusians

Instrumental music that fuses alluring melodies with ambient / atmospheric / cinematic textures, artfully arranged on a bed of pulsating beats.

Notable venues: Cancun, Mexico and Kona, Hawaii

 

Riffat Sultana, Shabaz, Ali Khan Band

A fusion of Pakistani vocals, rhythms and ragas blended with American rock and funk music.
Ravi Shankar meets James Brown.

Notable performances: Montreal Jazz Festival, Sierra Nevada Music Festival, Celebrate Brooklyn, Harmony Festival

 

Bogofusion

World fusion dance trance jazz african.

Notable performances: US State Department, Harry Truman’s concert grand piano, California Academy of Sciences