Jeremy Steig (1942-2016)

Jeremy was just a teen when his life’s path suddenly became clear to him. He soon jumped headlong into the jazz scene of Greenwich Village in the 1960s, where musicians could make a living by simply passing a hat. He was also shaped by the influences of his talented and eccentric family—including his father, cartoonist William Steig (the New Yorker and Shrek!); his mother, Liza, a brilliant painter; and his aunt, anthropologist Margaret Mead. For the liner notes of his debut album FLUTE FEVER (Columbia 1964), Jeremy explained that playing the flute was the only way he knew to express his frustration, a sort of “impotent anger” he’d felt since he was a kid. A born improviser, he could capture each moment of inspiration by picking up his instrument. He was one of the rare jazz flutists whose sole instrument was the flute. After a brief period as the leader of the pioneering "jazz rock" group Jeremy and the Satyrs, he went on to play and/or record with Bill Evans, Paul Bley, Art Blakey, Richie Havens, Johnny Winter, Eddie Gomez, Ray Mantilla, Tommy Bolin and others across genres. Jeremy considered himself to be an improviser, not necessarily a jazz musician. He dedicated his whole life to creating flute music that was new and inspirational to many flute players throughout the world. He also was an artist and painted many of the covers of his LPs. In 2007, he released his first solo album, Pterodactyl, a collection of overdubbed recordings of some of the flute ensemble pieces he had been writing since the 1980s – but, naturally, one CD wasn't enough. The sheet music available here is of three of the unreleased pieces. These tunes depend on the lead flute's creative solos over simple rhythms and humorous but somewhat disquieting harmonies. To find out more about Jeremy Steig, please visit: https://www.jeremysteig.info