Steve Raybine is a virtuoso vibraphonist; percussionist; composer/arranger; instructor and clinician. He received degrees from the prestigious Eastman School of Music, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Iowa. As the co-founder, co-musical director, and performer/composer of the critically-acclaimed progressive jazz ensemble AURACLE, he toured the United States and Europe and recorded two albums (Glider and City Slickers) on Chrysalis Records. During his eight-year tenure with Auracle, Raybine performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland; Frankfurt Jazz Festival in Frankfurt, Germany; and the Sopot Jazz Festival in Sopot, Poland. He has played at prominent jazz venues including Dontes, the Baked Potato, the Lighthouse, the Other End, the Paradise, and the Roxy.
As a Los Angeles studio musician in the mid-1970's, he played for episodic and commercial television soundtracks at MGM, Universal, and Paramount recording studios, and was affiliated with ATV Publishing Corp. Raybine's freelance performance credits include Ed Shaughnessy, Dizzy Gillespie, Rick Braun, Ndugu Chancler, Michael Feinstein, Jack Jones, Roger Williams, Karrin Allyson, Dave Brubeck, as an opening act for Stanley Jordan, the Kansas City (MO) Jazz Conference, the Omaha Big Band, as well as local and regional orchestras. Raybine has taught Jazz Studies and Percussion at Universities for over ten years with lectures and performances featured on Nebraska Public Radio and Nebraska Educational Television. He has presented research papers at the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) conferences, which were published in conference proceedings. Raybine has had numerous articles published in Percussive Notes and Sticks and Mallets. In 1997, he received the Jazz Educator of the year Award for the State of Nebraska from the National Band Association. Raybine is a Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) composer, an artist and clinician with Ludwig/Musser, endorses Mike Balter Mallets, and is the owner of SAR Music, LLC.
Steve Raybine and his band
perform his original contemporary jazz music which incorporates urban funk,
rhythm and blues, pop and Latin music elements. His melodically-appealing music
has been featured on over 63 national and international radio stations. In addition,
his music has been showcased on the nation's number one smooth jazz online radio
station, www.smoothjazz.com, and XM satellite radio. His first CD release was
entitled Steve Raybine: Balance Act. His new CD, Bad Kat Karma, was released
in late June, 2005, on BAD KAT Records, LLC. It was listed as one of the top
50 jazz CD's in the U.K. for 2005 on the radio show, Fusion Flavors. Steve and
his band debuted at the 2003 Genuine Jazz Festival in Breckenridge, Colorado.
His band has played local festivals and venues in Nebraska, Iowa and Colorado,
including the West Omaha Jazz and Gospel Festival, Jazz on the Green, The Soiled
Dove, and appeared again at the 2005 Genuine Jazz Festival. Steve has recently
performed as a sideman for Rick Braun at The Taste of Colorado (Denver), the
Thornton Winery in Temecula, CA, and the 2006 Omaha Riverfront Jazz and Blues
Festival.