Steve Beskrone BIO
Versatility is the key to Philadelphia born, acoustic/electric bassist Steve Beskrone’s musical
achievements. It is this approach that has led him to a wide range of professional and creative settings. He has worked and recorded with legends such as Ray Charles, jazz pianist-composer Horace Silver, jazz guitar icon Pat Martino, saxophonist/singer Maceo Parker and master jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones.
Steve has worked with a long list of great musicians that include: Billy Eckstine, Gloria Lynne, Jack Sheldon, Bobby Watson, Terri Lynne Carrington, Karrin Allyson, Melody Gardot, John Blake, Byron Stripling, Arturo Sandoval and Dave Valentin.
Among the many R & B/pop artists with whom he has toured are: The 5th Dimension, Freda Payne, Mary Wilson, Maria Muldaur, Michael Sembello, and Philly’s own Soul Survivors. He has performed at many international festivals and venues as diverse as the Newport Jazz, the Antibes Festival in France, the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland, the Umbria Festival in Italy, the Frankfurt Jazz Festival in Germany, numerous tours of Japan to Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, Birdland and the Iridium in N.Y.C. He has appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and PBS’ Sesame Street with Ray Charles, as well as The Today Show and Good Morning America. Most recently, Steve was part of sax great and former James Brown sideman Maceo Parker’s tribute to Ray Charles. The project did performances at The Exit Zero Festival in Cape May, NJ, Rochester Jazz Fest, Saratoga Jazz
Festival and the Ottawa Jazz Fest.
Steve has performed with many stars in the showrooms of Atlantic City during it’s heyday including: Shirley Bassey, Leslie Uggams, Maureen McGovern, Buddy Greco, Don Rickels, Debbie Reynolds, George Burns, Robert Klein, Joan Rivers, and many others. He is currently the rhythm section
bassist for the Philly Pops. He continues to perform locally and internationally with many artists.
As an educator, Steve has been on the music faculty at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for 20 years, teaching electric and double bass, serving as the chair of the bass department, conducting clinics and coaching various ensembles. Steve currently teaches at the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers.
