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Guitarist
Steve Khan is a gifted jazz-based performer whose adept skills have found him working with his own groups and as an in-demand session artist. Born in Los Angeles in 1947,
Khan grew up in a musical family, the son of famed lyricist
Sammy Cahn. Initially, he studied drums and piano in his adolescence before settling on the guitar around age 20. He honed his skills while attending U.C.L.A., after which he moved to New York City and quickly found work in variety of jazz, pop, and R&B settings. During this period he shared the stage with such luminaries as
Maynard Ferguson,
Buddy Rich,
the Brecker Brothers,
Joe Zawinul's Weather Update, and others.
As a recording artist,
Khan made his debut alongside fellow guitarist
Larry Coryell on 1976's
Two for the Road. He then delivered several well-received albums for
Columbia, including 1977's
Tightrope, 1978's
The Blue Man, and 1979's Arrows. Also during this period, he found session work appearing on albums by
Ashford & Simpson,
Rupert Holmes,
Steely Dan, and
Billy Joel. In 1980, he delivered the
Thelonious Monk-themed
Evidence. A year later, he formed the fusion quartet Eyewitness, which continued to work throughout the 1980s. Several more well-regarded albums followed in the '90s, including 1992's
Headline, 1994's
Crossings, and 1997's Got My Mental with
John Patitucci and
Jack DeJohnette.
He then joined
the Caribbean Jazz Project for 2000's
New Horizons and 2001's
Paraiso.
Khan returned to his solo work in 2006, reuniting with
DeJohnette and
Patitucci for
The Green Field, followed by 2007's
Borrowed Time. He then brought along fellow Eyewitness alums
Anthony Jackson,
Dennis Chambers, and
Manolo Badrena for 2011's
Parting Shot, followed in 2014 by the salsa-infused
Subtext. In 2016 he released
Backlog, which featured guest spots from longtime associates like
Randy Brecker,
Bob Mintzer,
Mike Mainieri, and others. ~ Matt Collar