Steve Holt

Jazz musician Steve Holt got his start in music at an early age. Piano lessons started at age four, and by his teens he was a regular on the club circuit in his native Montreal. Music was his passion, particularly jazz instrumentals, so Holt aimed to make it his professional calling. He majored in jazz performance at the prestigious McGill University, graduating with the first-ever Bachelor of Music degree. Opportunities to teach jazz improvisation at his alma mater soon followed, but Holt continued to study music for his own enjoyment. He traveled regularly to New York City to meet with pianist Kenny Barron for special instruction, and his craft as a pianist soon took shape. In 1983, Holt's debut recording, The Lion's Eyes, was a critical favorite and later earned a Juno for Best Jazz Album. He went on to work with artists like Eddie Henderson, Archie Shepp, and Larry Coryell for the remainder of the 1980s while balancing a day job. A pianist at heart, but also a top-ranked consumer analyst, Holt issued the holiday effort Christmas Light in 1991. Just Duet appeared the following year. Catwalk, which was released in 1994, marked Holt's most comprehensive material to date; however, he desired to do music full-time. In 1999, Holt left the corporate world behind in order to make his love for piano his primary focus. Trilogy released Holt's fifth album, The Dream, in mid-2002. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide