Michael Jefry Stevens

Michael Jefry Stevens

“Michael Jefry Stevens is a fluid player who finds his comfort level not only on the cool side but also through free jazz and instant improvisation. His touch is both delicate and hard hitting, stopping short of bombast when he ventures into the latter. His phrasing has an elegance, and while he does take a line at a tangent he does not let this alter his focus. Stevens suspends time and harmony; his lines arch and curve and fall in a splash of color. He unleashes bolts of thunder with his left hand and clasps melody in scintillating runs.”  Jerry D’Souza, All About Jazz

“Stevens is a sensitive pianist who ekes out droplets of sparkling gems or volumes of rushing waves having a lyrical foundation and a complex consistency. He constructs vivid imagery by getting into the core of each piece and expounding intuitively with his reconstructions.”  Frank Rubolino, Cadence Jazz Magazine

Recordings & Performances

“Stevens’s playing remains ever-versatile, alternating between comping changes and fistfuls of chromatic clusters.” – Christian Carey, Splendid Reviews

Michael Jefry Stevens and Todd Write playing  performing “Sometime Ago”

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Press Photos

Contact

Michael Jefry Stevens
mjsjazz@mac.com
(917) 916-1363

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Mountain Song

Style: Swing

Grade: 4

I wrote this song while I was living in Brooklyn, NY and spending quite a bit of time in Woodstock, NY.  This is the closest thing to a “country music” song I have ever written.

Mountain Song

$1.95

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Alisiah

Style: swing
Grade: 1

For My Brother

Style: Ballad

Grade: 2

The harmonies move quite slowly in this ballad.  The most challenging aspect of the piece is the 2/4 bars.

For My Brother

$1.95

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Lei’s Song

Style: Waltz

Grade: 2

This is one of my favorite compositions.  Written in 3/4 time, but with phrases grouped in three’s, four’s and other odd groupings this is a very unique piece.  Also, it is made up entirely of minor 7 chords.

Lei’s Song

$3.95

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The Beauty That We Are

Style: Ballad

Grade: 1

This ballad is quite easy to play.  The changes move very slowly giving the student plenty of time to navigate the harmonic landscape.

The Beauty That We Are

$1.95

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The Moffett Family

Style: Blues

Grade: 2

This piece was composed in the early 1980's and dedicated to Charnett Moffett and his family band. I played with the band for one year. The tune is a simple form containing only dominant chords. The feel is very bluesy.

The Moffett Family

$2.95

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Red's Blues

Style: blues
Grade: 1

 This is a very simple “swing” composition with a bluesy feel but not in a Blues form. The changes are very simple.  The head is a question-and-answer with the melody and the rhythm section. Very simple piece and lots of fun.  A good piece to introduce the blues scale.

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Song for Rio

Style: latin
Grade: 3

 

I wrote this bossa nova after visiting Rio in 1959.  This a fun to play and the bridge of the song is quite chromatic.

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Memorial

Style: latin
Grade: 4

This piece features a Latin feel written out in the piano part.  The changes are pretty standard and move slowly enough for the student to navigate quite easily. The bridge of the tune is a fun release from all the harmonic movement in the beginning section of the composition.

The Innocence of Spring

This medium swing tune consists of an extended melody and long form.  The harmonies are very chromatic and include some hybrid chordal structures as well.

The Innocence of Spring

$3.95

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Kulturshock

Style: Swing

Grade: 5

This is a very adventurous composition. The harmonies are very difficult and the rhythms are quite unusual. A great challenge for the advanced player.

Kulturshock

$3.95

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Four Wheeler

Style: Swing

Grade: 2

An open swing feel features a chromatic chord sequence and several polychords.  The changes move quickly making the piece difficult for the soloist to navigate. The melody is not difficult but overall the piece is challenging.

Four Wheeler

$3.95

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A Summer's Morning

Style: Ballad
Grade: 3

A Summer’s Morning is a ballad with a very short 8 bar form. The changes all revolve around ii-V-I sequences in both major and minor keys.  A good piece for both beginners and intermediate players.

The Beauty That We Are

Style: ballad
Grade: 2

This ballad is quite easy to play.  The changes move very slowly giving the student plenty of time to navigate the harmonic landscape.