“A little bluegrass, a little rock-n-roll, a little scat, a turn at tango.  How does “Galactic Diamonds” offer such a genre-bending sound? – try the diversity of the players” – Aural States

The Steve Hudson Chamber Ensemble (www.SteveHudsonMusic.com), led by composer Steve Hudson – piano/melodica, and featuring Zach Brock – violin, and Jody Redhage – cello/voice plays two CD release events for their newly released album “Galactic Diamonds” – on Saturday, December 18th, 7:30pm, at Mo Fiddles (www.mofiddles.com), 4260 Town Center Way, Livingston, NJ (Admission is $15, (973) 994-1083 for more information) and on Sunday, December 19th from 7:30-9:30 pm, at Miles Café (www.milescafe.com), 212 E. 52nd St. 3Fl. (b/2nd & 3rd Ave. – E/V train to 53rd St./Lexington, 6 train to 51st St.), New York, NY ($10 admission with $10 drink/food minimum). The Steve Hudson Chamber Ensemble performs original genre bending works rooted in jazz, classical, tango, and rock for violin, cello/voice, piano/melodica, and cajon/percussion.

Praised by Keyboard Magazine for his “exquisite compositions” and for “a quest for beauty in his lines that evoke the masters,” Steve Hudson has worked with Steven Bernstein, James Zollar, Marcus Rojas, and Claire Daly. Zach Brock has performed and recorded with Stanley Clarke, Joel Harrison, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, while Jody Redhage currently tours with bassist Esperanza Spalding and has performed with the Tokyo String Quartet, and Bang on a Can. The ensemble was recently selected to perform at Chamber Music America’s national conference in New York in January 2011, and in March will tour Italy and Austria to promote “Galactic Diamonds,” which is available for purchase or download at iTunes and at www.cdbaby.com.

Steve Hudson is a pianist and composer based in New York City whose compositions and piano style embrace the history of jazz, blues, folk, and modern classical music, all with a free spirited love of improvisation. In addition to his work with the chamber ensemble, he is cofounder of the Outer Bridge Ensemble. His jazz sextet recorded the album “Shine” which featured Curtis Fowlkes, James Zollar, Marcus Rojas, Claire Daly, vocalist Peter Eldridge and other New York artists. In May 2011, Steve and saxophonist Claire Daly will premier an extended suite at the Juneau Jazz Festival dedicated to the Alaskan explorer Mary Joyce.

Hudson was largely self taught, and learned the instrument by ear and by playing along with Ray Charles and Lou Rawls’ records, thanks to the encouragement and guidance of his teachers James Reed and Jim Ellington. He graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in English literature and divided his love of music with a teaching and writing career. In his early twenties he met the pianist Barry Harris who introduced him to the world of bebop, and everything changed. Steve threw himself into music and never looked back. He fell in love with an eclectic world of music which included Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, Astor Piazzolla, James Brown, the Beatles, Ray Charles, Bach, Ravel and others. Steve went on to study with Stanley Cowell and Kenny Barron, and earn a graduate music degree from Manhattan School of Music.