Member Since: 3/18/2007
Band Website: stevehowell.ws
Band Members: Joe Osborn, Darren Osborn, David Osborn, Dave Hoffpauir, Chris Michaels, Jim Caskey
Influences: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mance Lipscomb, Blind Willie Johnson, Ramblin' Henry Thomas, Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Willie Brown, Kid Bailey, Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Skip James, Bo Carter, John Miller, Duck Baker, Jamie Findlay, Chet Atkins, Lenny Breau, Bucky Pizzarelli, George Van Eps, Jim Hall, Joe Pass, Johnny Smith, Ted Greene, Frank Vignola, Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, Fats Waller, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Kurt Weill, Mose Allison, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Hampton Hawes, Geoff Muldaur, Ry Cooder, Dave Van Ronk, Dan Hicks, Taj Mahal, Doc Watson, Joe Osborn, Doug Sahm, The Gourds, Nick Lowe, Geraint Watkins, Ian McLagan, Don & Juan, the guys I am fortunate enough to play with, and many, many more.....
Bookings: Bruce Flett (318.773.3034 or [email protected] )
Steve Howell's Reviews
“It has a steady beat, soft and cool, plenty of melodies, each as crisp as the next, played with incredible perfection, the thing that takes you wherever it wants, whenever it wants and you never even feel the time is dragging, it's that beautiful....Played by a quartet of virtuosos in a laid-back, easy style. A quartet that serves you a sharp-dressed music, concise, but careful — notice that I didn't say sterile! Mustn't get it wrong! A gentle and fresh music that we would like to hear more often, a music in which each instrument shines like the sun, where everything is all happiness and precious. Steve Howell is a warm singer and excellent guitarist...it's all great, it's all rolling in silk, a listening gem that's a long way from the noise and the fury. A pearl recommended for aficionados of beautiful guitar, but also for all blues lovers who still know where the blue note comes from......â€
- Blues & Co. Magazine (France) Jan. 2007
“Wow. Talk about your complete breath of fresh air! This is an awesome, awe inspiring collection of classic old tunes remodeled and reinterpreted by Steve Howell and company. Fantastic renditions of some time honored classic tunes. Howell shows a delicate balance of respect and admiration for his source material while still taking it to a new place for us. A wonderful album of great work.â€
- Southwest Blues (April 2006)
“Howell and his sidemen display an obvious comfort with the material and guitar fans will enjoy the warm tones he coaxes from his Benedetto archtop. Howell's vocals easily glide over the music, but with enough character to make these interpretations his own. Engineered and mixed at Shreveport's Sandbox Recording Studio, the cd's crisp production lets all instruments shine, sure to please even the most discriminating high-end audio enthusiasts. This easy-going and enjoyable release will certainly gain Howell wider recognition. Simply put, this is how the pros do it.â€
– Living Blues Magazine
“The natural ease of Steve’s Chet Atkins-styled picking and the jazz trio format seamlessly blends these artifacts of Americana together. The intros to “Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams†and the absolutely gorgeous cover of Satchmo’s “When it’s Sleepy Time Down South†convey so much emotion on their own that the verses are almost anticlimactic. When he switches into a higher register...., as on Blind Teddy Darby’s “I Never Cried (Built Right On The Ground),†Steve finds a gentle yearning that suits him well, sort of a cross between Clapton and Alan “Blind Owl†Wilson. There’s true gold just beyond the pastoral horizon of “Out Of The Past...â€
- OffBeat Magazine
"Steve Howell simply shines on his new release. Country, Blues and Jazz sounds that feature the guitar and vocal workings of a master musician. "Out of the Past" features a variety of music styles that are clean and uncluttered and are more than enjoyable to listen to. Steve presents his songs with an uncommon feel for the past music of days gone by. This album is excellent and should make waves throughout the music industry."
- Roots Music Report
"Steve plays these songs his way. He has been playing them for years, but he does it without changing them. That's where his heart is. Of all my fingerpicking friends, Steve is the fingerpickingest."
- Joe Osborn (legendary bassist who has played on hundreds of Top 40 pop, rock and country hits)
“Howell’s arch-top picking, marked by a lovely melodic sensibility, is immaculate, his vocals relaxed and honest. Songs like Charley Patton’s Moon Going Down†and Blind Teddy Darby’s “I Never Cried†surprisingly work as well in the small band arrangements created by Howell and Joe Osborn on bass.â€
- Blues Revue, February March 2006
“The [Texas] guitarist/ vocalist’s preference for roots music and vintage Tin Pan Alley in an intimate trio setting affords a rare, close-up opportunity to hear Joe Osborn work his masterful way with a song.â€
– Bass Player magazine ‘BP RECOMMENDS’ section, January 2006
"Out of the Past" is a delightful acoustic journey back in time to the Great American songbook. A must listen disc for today's songwriters and pickers alike."
- James "The Blues Hound" Nagel - 90.1 KPFT Houston, TX
Sounds Like: Steve Howell
Record Label: Out Of The Past, LLC
Type of Label: Indie