Steve Shapiro


Steve Shapiro is an American music producer, session musician, and jazz vibraphonist.

Biography

Vibraphonist and composer Steve Shapiro has recorded and performed with some of the biggest stars in jazz and pop, including Steely Dan, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Ornette Coleman, Pat Martino, Regina Belle, Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, They Might Be Giants, and Spyro Gyra. Shapiro is also an accomplished producer and arranger whose work has appeared in hundreds of television and film projects, and is a long-time producer/arranger for the Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios, with credits on an array of projects related to over forty feature film releases. Steve has been a pioneer of using audio and midi technology with the vibes, and has developed a unique voice inspired by contemporary electric keyboards. He has released five recordings as a leader, and continues to write and perform in New York with his group The Steve Shapiro electriQuartet.
Shapiro grew up in Connecticut, and graduated from Yale University in 1985 after studying with artists Steve Swallow, Dave Samuels, and Anthony Davis. He was an early proponent of music technology and midi synthesizers, appearing as a sound programmer on many New York City sessions in the late 1980s. Shapiro performed throughout the 1990s using the K&K midi vibraphone, which was also used by mallet players such as Mike Mainieri.
Shapiro has released five recordings as a leader, most with acclaimed Nashville guitarist Pat Bergeson. He is a Yamaha performing artist, and plays Mike Balter Signature mallets.

Recordings as leader