Steve Khan
Background information
Born	Steven Harris Cahn (1947-04-28) April 28, 1947 (age 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Jazz jazz fusion
Occupations	Musician producer
Instrument	Guitar
Years active	1969–present
Labels	Columbia Novus Antilles Denon GRP Mesa/Bluemoon Verve Evidence Tone Center
Website	stevekhan.com

Steve Khan (born Steven Harris Cahn; April 28, 1947)^[1] is an American jazz guitarist.

Early life, family and education

Steven Harris Cahn was born in Los Angeles, California.^[1] His father, lyricist Sammy Cahn, "loved to hear any and all versions of his songs".^[2] Steve took piano lessons as a child.

He graduated from UCLA with a degree in music composition and theory.^[2]

Career

Cahn played drums for the surf rock band the Chantays.^[2] The band's guitarist exposed him to the albums Tough Talk by The Crusaders and Movin' Wes by Wes Montgomery. In his late teens, Cahn quit the drums and started playing guitar.^[2] He was a member of the R&B band Friends of Distinction, recorded with keyboardist Phil Moore, then played on the album Bullitt by Wilton Felder ("one of my heroes"). Despite his father's advice to avoid a career in the music business, he graduated from UCLA with a degree in music composition and theory.^[2] Early in his career, Khan changed the spelling of his surname in order to "create a separate identity from [his] famous father" and because he was "so hurt and angry with him for so many childhood things."^[3]

In the early 1970s, he performed in an acoustic guitar duo with Larry Coryell and was a member of the Brecker Brothers band.^[2] As a session musician, he appeared on albums by Ashford & Simpson, Rupert Holmes, Billy Joel, and Steely Dan.^[4] He was signed to Columbia Records through the efforts of Bobby Colomby and Bob James. On his first three albums Tightrope (1977), The Blue Man (1978), and Arrows (1979), he was trying "to single-handledly keep alive the sound of the original Brecker Brothers band."^[2] His next album was Evidence (1980), which contained an eighteen-minute medley of songs by Thelonious Monk.^[5]

He has also produced recordings for fellow guitarists Larry Coryell, Mike Stern, Biréli Lagrène, and Bill Connors, as well as pianist Eliane Elias.^[6]

Awards and honors

• Grammy Award nomination, Local Color (1987)
• Grammy Award nomination, Borrowed Time (2007)
• Named to list of "22 All-Time Greatest Jazz Guitarists", Jazz Life magazine (1998)^[6]

Discography

Books

• Pentatonic Khancepts (Alfred Music, 2002)
• Contemporary Chord Khancepts (Alfred Music, 1996)
• Wes Montgomery Guitar Folio (Jamey Aebersold, 1973)
• Pat Martino: The Early Years (Alfred Music, 1991)

References

External links

• Official website