Steve Masakowski

Professor of Music and Coca Cola Endowed Chair; Jazz Guitar

Contact Information:
    E-mail: smasakow@uno.edu
    Office Number: (504)280-5438

Steve Masakowski has long been regarded as one of the top Jazz artists from New Orleans. Born and raised in New Orleans, Steve has played guitar with most of the city's greatest musicians including Alvin "Red" Tyler, Ellis Marsalis, Earl Turbinton, and James Black. He has also performed with Grammy Award winning artists Bobby McFerrin, Nicholas Payton, and Dianne Reeve at major festivals around the world. As a recording artist, he has released numerous CD's including two on the presigious Blue Note Records label.

He has been an active member of the composer for the award winning New Orleans Jazz group Astral Project; visit their site for more information, www.astralproject.com. He has twice been voted "Best Guitarist", and won "Best Contemporary Jazz Group" three times by Gambit and Offbeat magazines and authored the book Jazz Ear Training-Learning to Hear Your Way Through Music for Mel Bay Publications. He is frequently recognized by Down Beat magazine as Talent Deserving Wider Recognition. Steve has participated in numerous Jazz clinics and workshops at major univeristies, and is currently on the faculty at the University of New Orleans where he holds the position of Coca-Cola Endowed Chair of Jazz Studies.