Biography
Saxophonist Steve Cole emerged as a leading figure in contemporary jazz by crafting a crossover approach rooted in the R&B, pop, and blues traditions of his native Chicago. He first attracted notice in the late 1990s through performances with guitarist Brian Culbertson and the release of albums such as Stay Awhile in 1998 and NY LA in 2003. Both as a solo artist and as part of the all-star Sax Pack alongside Jeff Kashiwa and Kim Waters, Cole maintained strong chart presence with projects including Turn It Up in 2016, the neo-soul-inflected Gratitude in 2019, and Smoke and Mirrors in 2021.
Born in 1970, Cole was raised in Chicago by a father who played clarinet and saxophone on a semi-professional level. He received classical training from childhood, starting on clarinet before switching to tenor saxophone in high school. At Northwestern University he pursued classical saxophone studies while earning a degree in economics and later completing an M.B.A. It was during those years that he redirected his focus toward jazz, funk, blues, and R&B. Regular club work quickly positioned him as a favored sideman on the Chicago scene. In addition to appearances with Junior Wells and Bob Mamet, he gained wider visibility through his association with Chicago-native keyboardist Brian Culbertson. That partnership produced his debut album, 1998’s Stay Awhile, whose three hit radio singles led to Cole receiving the Prism Award for Best New Artist at the 2000 Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards.
Cole reemerged in 2002 with Between Us, again produced by Culbertson and featuring the singles “Got It Going On” and “From the Start” plus a cover of TLC’s “Waterfalls.” The album followed an especially active stretch during which he remained in high demand as a sideman, contributing to recordings by Dave Koz, Marc Antoine, Peter White, Rick Braun, and Larry Carlton, among others. The next year he issued NY LA, once more with Culbertson, and broadened his sound through collaborations with saxophonist David Mann, vocal duo Sonic Soul, bassist Will Lee, guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., percussionist Lenny Castro, and former Miles Davis keyboardist Darren Johnson. He continued with the lyrical Spin in 2005 and the laid-back True in 2006.
In 2008 Cole reached the top of the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart with “Fallin’ for You,” taken from the debut album by his smooth jazz trio Sax Pack, which also included Jeff Kashiwa and Kim Waters. A year later the group delivered The Pack Is Back! Cole then resumed solo activity with the orchestral covers album Moonlight, interpreting songs associated with James Taylor, Burt Bacharach, Sarah McLachlan, Paul McCartney, and others. Two years afterward came the contemporary funk- and smooth jazz-oriented Pulse. In 2015 he rejoined the Sax Pack for their third album, the aptly titled The Power of 3.
Cole issued his eighth studio album, Turn It Up, in 2016, highlighted by the single “Mirage.” Gratitude followed in 2019, reflecting a renewed sense of purpose after a family health scare, and included the single “Neo Sol.” On his tenth studio album, 2021’s Smoke and Mirrors, he worked once more with longtime co-writer and producer Michael Mann, while additional contributions came from trumpeter Trevor Neumann, guitarist Bernd Schoenhart, bassist Mark Egan, and others.
Born in 1970, Cole was raised in Chicago by a father who played clarinet and saxophone on a semi-professional level. He received classical training from childhood, starting on clarinet before switching to tenor saxophone in high school. At Northwestern University he pursued classical saxophone studies while earning a degree in economics and later completing an M.B.A. It was during those years that he redirected his focus toward jazz, funk, blues, and R&B. Regular club work quickly positioned him as a favored sideman on the Chicago scene. In addition to appearances with Junior Wells and Bob Mamet, he gained wider visibility through his association with Chicago-native keyboardist Brian Culbertson. That partnership produced his debut album, 1998’s Stay Awhile, whose three hit radio singles led to Cole receiving the Prism Award for Best New Artist at the 2000 Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards.
Cole reemerged in 2002 with Between Us, again produced by Culbertson and featuring the singles “Got It Going On” and “From the Start” plus a cover of TLC’s “Waterfalls.” The album followed an especially active stretch during which he remained in high demand as a sideman, contributing to recordings by Dave Koz, Marc Antoine, Peter White, Rick Braun, and Larry Carlton, among others. The next year he issued NY LA, once more with Culbertson, and broadened his sound through collaborations with saxophonist David Mann, vocal duo Sonic Soul, bassist Will Lee, guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., percussionist Lenny Castro, and former Miles Davis keyboardist Darren Johnson. He continued with the lyrical Spin in 2005 and the laid-back True in 2006.
In 2008 Cole reached the top of the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart with “Fallin’ for You,” taken from the debut album by his smooth jazz trio Sax Pack, which also included Jeff Kashiwa and Kim Waters. A year later the group delivered The Pack Is Back! Cole then resumed solo activity with the orchestral covers album Moonlight, interpreting songs associated with James Taylor, Burt Bacharach, Sarah McLachlan, Paul McCartney, and others. Two years afterward came the contemporary funk- and smooth jazz-oriented Pulse. In 2015 he rejoined the Sax Pack for their third album, the aptly titled The Power of 3.
Cole issued his eighth studio album, Turn It Up, in 2016, highlighted by the single “Mirage.” Gratitude followed in 2019, reflecting a renewed sense of purpose after a family health scare, and included the single “Neo Sol.” On his tenth studio album, 2021’s Smoke and Mirrors, he worked once more with longtime co-writer and producer Michael Mann, while additional contributions came from trumpeter Trevor Neumann, guitarist Bernd Schoenhart, bassist Mark Egan, and others.
Albums
What Joy Is Found
2017
Tell Me
2013
Another Love
2009
True
2006
Spin
2005
NY LA
2003
Between Us
2000
Stay Awhile
1998
Singles
