Steven Kattenbraker by Steven Kattenbraker

A time of immense musical discovery, Steven benefited by collaborating and sharing stages (from coffee houses in Iowa City to legendary clubs in Chicago) with a host of talented musicians. With a voracious musical appetite Steven digested and studied styles ranging from Mahler, to Wes Montgomery, to Bill Monroe; all of which have melded to influence his unique compositional approach to harmony, melody, and counterpoint. With a literary interest no less varied, spanning from Sholokhov to Salinger to Sandburg, his verse is ripe with cryptic wit and enchanting imagery.

Continuing his journey to the left coast Steven spent several years in the border region of New Mexico training and working as a paramedic. He witnessed and shared in the full spectrum of human emotion: from the sheer terror of a violent injury, to the shock and dread of suddenly losing a soul mate, to the exhilaration of hearing a newborn's first cry. For better or worse, countless scenes are firmly emblazoned in his memory; some that haunt, some that inspire, but all adding to the human experience of which Steven endeavors to illustrate.

Now safely in the beautiful Northwest, the time and travel worn portmanteau is now being mined of its rich and boundless material. Steven's self-titled CD has received steady airplay on such stations as the world-renown KEXP while his recorded and live performances have been met with handsome press. His melody and wordplay humbly garner comparisons to Elliott Smith, Sam Beam, and Leonard Cohen. Complicating today's genre boxing, his complex and dynamic instrumentation and recording techniques have drawn comparisons to a diverse list of bands such as Red House Painters, Gravity and Henry, and early Azure Ray.

Press

"Songwriter to take seriously...poetic lyrics...expertly played acoustic guitar...Check him out now; he'll restore your faith in the singer-songwriter genre." earvolution.com

"Pinus has a strange and slow electronic freakout section in the middle of it which is more Red House Painters or American Analog Set than Elliott Smith...that hushed atmosphere in which his songs exist is at once both familiar and intricately unique." shmat records - shmat.com

"Part Eliott Smith, part L. Cohen, as run through the production wringer of Daniel Ash...Kattenbraker's baritone voice is pleasant and soothing. The guitar work sweet and mellow and, might I add, deftly played." Portland's Music Liberation Project

"Throughout this self-titled album, he prods gently but insistently, persistently. The tension you feel during your first listen is his dusky but irrepressible voice loosening your mind and body... The strange, wispy sounds that occasionally permeate the soundscape... as in the excellent instrumental ["Finally"], help him to work you all over. He gets the low end. He gets the murky things. He hits all the important places...You'll listen a second time just to extend the feeling you got as you finished your first spin, and you'll listen a third time because there's a lot to love here." splendidezine.com

"Each of the eight years since Jeff Buckley drowned in a Memphis river, Uncommon Ground has hosted an intimate tribute of his life and music. More than 200 musicians submitted demos, hoping to play at the latest show. [12] artists made the cut. Over the years, some have come from as far England, Italy and Denmark.

The tribute show's immense popularity is something of an anomaly--it has never been publicly advertised and there are only 80 seats for the two-night event. Through word of mouth, this year's event on Nov. 16 and 17 sold out in less than an hour.

The night became a celebration of all things Buckley; artists came from Washington D.C., Seattle, and a few blocks away on Western Avenue.

One person present only in spirit was Jeff Buckley's mother, Mary Guibert, who attended two Uncommon Ground tribute shows in previous years. She'd much rather maintain her distance, instead allowing her son's music to speak for her.

But she called the yearly show in this cozy coffeehouse steps from Wrigley Field "the gold standard" of tributes." Chicago Tribune

"He played a Jeff Buckley tribute in Chicago and it's Buckley that he often must turn to for inspiration. His voice is tender, almost sweet if you will, but never sounds contrite. Having played music ranging from jazz to math rock, he certainly has a slew of influences that he culls from but I dare say that underneath it all is a love of singer/songwriters who wear their hearts on their sleeves (think of Elliott Smith, Buckley, and Dylan). The subject matter throughout the album is very topical and deals with the essentials of life and all of its wonderful mysteries. All of it told through the bright expressive eyes of Steven Kattenbraker and his poetic lyrics that are so damn thoughtful you feel like he's scratching your own brain. This album is highly recommended." smother.net

"If you missed the screenings at the MFA, stay tuned for info on upcoming showings at area synagogues. In the meantime, Hineini is traveling fast. The film screened at the Washington, DC Jewish Film Festival and will be in Austin, Riverdale, and Atlanta in the next few weeks. Requests for screenings are pouring in faster than we can respond. Day schools, synagogues, JCC's, Jewish federations, university Hillels, Jewish film festivals, youth group leaders, and rabbis have all requested copies of the film. We are scheduling screenings from San Diego to New York, from London to Buenos Aires. And this is only the beginning!" Boston-keshet.org

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