A longtime mainstay of the Los Angeles music scene, saxophonist
Steve Berlin enjoyed perhaps his greatest prominence as a member of
Los Lobos, although he was also a sought-after producer and session player. Born September 14, 1955 in Philadelphia, he first surfaced with the
Blasters, and officially joined
Los Lobos in 1984 after co-producing their 1983 EP
...And a Time to Dance with
T-Bone Burnett.
Berlin also continued playing on sessions for a variety of Southern California bands, including the
Beat Farmers,
Translator, and the
Flesh Eaters. In 1986, he appeared on
Paul Simon's landmark
Graceland, and a year later,
Los Lobos enjoyed their commercial breakthrough with the soundtrack to the film
La Bamba. Concurrently,
Berlin's reputation as a producer continued to grow, and he helmed sessions for acts ranging from
Faith No More to
Dave Alvin to the
Tail Gators. In the years to follow, he remained an alternative rock fixture, forging ahead with
Los Lobos and working as a freelance with the likes of the
Replacements,
John Lee Hooker,
Leo Kottke, and
Sheryl Crow. ~ Jason Ankeny