Steve Talaga
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Welcome!

It's good to have you here in my little space on the web!

Caution!!!!!

Please think twice before dining at Naya in Grand Rapids! I was scheduled to play there with Dan Jacobs on May 17th and the management backed out of our agreement! They have decided that jazz doesn't sell. That's fine, I guess, but they have also decided to back out of professional commitments they have made with musicians, which is most definitely NOT fine! I try to keep the news on this site of a positive nature, but I think you should be made aware that the management at Naya is not honoring contracts they have entered into with musicians. This is a situation most musicians have encountered from time to time and it's very discouraging. I thought the folks at Naya would be above such sleeze, but apparently they are not. I'm sorry to those of you who were looking forward to joining us at Naya on May 17. It's not happening. Although I've enjoyed the food, I won't be going to Naya any time soon. I just wanted to let you know.

Thanks for dropping by!  Here you can learn about my recording projects, upcoming gigs, general thoughts on music, and other random stuff that comes to mind.
 
I'd love to hear from you.  Send me a note:  talagamail@comcast.net.

Please come back often. I update this page frequently (especially the gig calendar). And don't forget to click the Smitty link below for news about Mind's Eye and other stuff.

Smitty Music Company

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Click here to audition/buy "Two Worlds"

Click here to audition/buy "Contemplating the Heavens"

Click here to check out the Evidence website

Click here to visit the Clintondale Jazz Festival Website

Click here to go to Linda Nemec Foster's website

Click here to audition/buy my other CDs and Mind's Eye CDs (The site at this link is kind of out of date, but you can still access the CDs).

Click here to visit the West Michigan Jazz Society.

It's here! "Contemplating the Heavens" is finished and you can check it out at CD Baby by following the link above. Please audition it and send me an email to let me know what you think. You can also find it on itunes...just search the title or my name at the itunes store.

What's New?

Check out my "Myspace" page:

Lot's of other great stuff to tell you about...read on!

Unbelievable! The West Michigan Jazz Society has chosen me as its "Jazz Musician of the Year" for 2008! I don't even know what to say...I'm stunned. All I can say is "THANK YOU" to all the members of the WMJS and to all the great jazz musicians I get to play with and learn from on a regular basis. There are so many great musicians in West Michigan and I am lucky to count them among my mentors and friends. I feel like they deserve this award so much more than me...I don't know what to say. I'm just very grateful. Thank you. Please join us for the celebration on May 29 upstairs at the Wege Center at Aquinas College.

The Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra has found a couple of new homes for live gigs: Founders and Naya, both in Grand Rapids! Click the "Gigs" link at the top of the page to check on dates.

The world-premier of "In Case You Haven't Heard, ______ ____ ___!" was a big success! We didn't have too many people in the house, but the performers were in top form and response from those that were in attendance was VERY positive. We're looking for other opportunities to perform it and I'll keep you posted.

I'm very excited to have been invited to appear at the Clintondale Jazz Festival as their guest soloist! I'll be playing with the high school big band and we'll be performing four of my original big band compositions. The concert will be held April 26, 2008. Follow the link above for more info.

"Contemplating the Heavens" has been "on the shelves" for a while now. It continues to sell pretty well, considering it's not pop music! You can follow the link above to check it out. Hopefully you'll like it enough to buy a copy of your own! I can't express my gratitude emphatically enough...to the musicians involved, to my tolerant and supportive family, to poet Linda Nemec Foster who wrote the original sequence of poems, to John Stites at Arcadia Recording, to Lazaro Vega at Blue Lake Public Radio who wrote the liner notes, and on and on. So many people have been so supportive of this project and have worked so hard to bring it to life...I owe a lot of favors!

We had a great time at the world premier performance of "Contemplating the Heavens." Linda Nemec Foster read her wonderful poetry and an all-star cast of Michigan's finest musicians played the music. It was a ball! Now we're exploring other venues for a repeat performance. Check back often...I'll keep you posted. If you were one of the beautiful folks who attended the event, THANK YOU! You keep the arts alive.

I would like to extend my personal thanks to Barbara McCargar, Kathy Zimmerman, and Todd Wilke at Aquinas College for helping us bring the premier to life. My deepest thanks goes out ot my friend Kurt Ehinger who recorded the event and managed the sound system for us.

Also, "Evidence" has completed it's latest CD! It's called "The Message" and it's been getting quite a bit of airplay. Look for it at Schuler's Books on 28th Street in Grand Rapids.

Be sure to check out upcoming gigs on my calendar. It
would be great to see you!

After you check out the site, why not drop me a line and let me know what you've been up to, what you're listening to, what's on your mind?


Click here to send me an email note!

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