Steve Czarnecki

The powerful, swirling, sounds of the Hammond B-3 organ have provided the backbone for the music of keyboardist Steve Czarnecki. His six-piece band, featuring vocalist Nate Pruitt, guitarists Mike Renwick and Bill Schrey, saxophone player Bob Johnson and drummer Dan Sabanovich, rank among the leading interpreters of the classic repertoire of Hammond B-3 masters including Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff and Jimmy McGriff. He recorded his first Hammond B-3 album, Soul/Jazz Quintet, in 1997, after releasing two prior solo piano albums, When I Dream Of You and Sunnyside Up.His second Hammond B-3 collection, Soul Rendezvous, followed in 2002. A vital contributor to the San Francisco Bay area's jazz community, Czarnecki moved into the area to attend Stanford University in the 1970s. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in psychology, he began to focus on more creative endeavors, taking music classes at De Anza College and Hayward State University. He became staff accompanist at Cabrillo College. Czarnecki has continued to seek new avenues of musical expression. He was a founding member of a funk-soul band Sprang-a-Lang and helped to launch an on-going jazz jam session at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, serving as director of the sessions for seven years. In addition to working with his own group, Czarnecki has performed with such stellar jazz musicians as Robben Ford, Mark Ford, Dave Garibaldi, Alphonse Mouzon, Kenny Rankin, Ernie Watts and Barney Kessel. A private piano and organ teacher since 1976, Czarnecki is equally skilled as a guitar instructor. At one time, he provided lessons to Stanley Jordan at Draper's Music School in Palo Alto. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide