Wynton Marsalis Live At Blues Alley CD

It was the late Rosemary Clooney who taught Steve to live each song in the moment. Both performing on stage and recording with her, he learned first-hand how to give songs life, vibrancy and clarity. 'Songs are written about a single moment in time - a thought that comes to your mind of an experience or memory. I think of each song I sing as a scene from a play,' he once said. As Steve developed his own contemporary style, he sought to retain deep roots in the old school tradition and acknowledges teachers and cabaret stars like Julie Wilson, Marilyn Lovell, Margaret Whiting and Kay Starr for their influence.

The debut of BLAME IT ON MY HEART was released after a period of time Steve spent writing songs about his life's experiences. "I had found another way to express myself in addition to singing", he says. Many of these songs were written with his then writing partner, Ken Klar. 'Mr. Play It Safe', 'Someday I'll Find You', 'Lover's Lament', 'You Were Mine', 'Sarah', 'Blame It On My Heart', 'How Could You Walk Away' and 'Grace Street' were all written with Klar. Also included is a beautiful piano/vocal arrangement of Don McLean's 'Vincent' arranged by Dan Wells and Stephen Bishop's 'Separate Lives' arranged by Bill Schneider.