Steve Weisberg, hails from Norfolk, Virginia, is a composer/arranger/pianist and international recording artist/producer. In the 80's, after studying with Michael Gibbs at Berklee College in Boston, Ma., he recorded the XtraWatt/ECM release "I Can't Stand Another Night Alone (In Bed With You)," produced by Carla Bley and Steve Swallow, recorded and performed with Karen Mantler and her Cat Arnold; and contributed arrangements for Hal Willner's Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill (A&M). He was also a member of infamous Boston band Sons of Sappho.

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In April 2023 Steve did arrangements for "Amarcord" - The Music of Nino Rota concert in Brooklyn, NY in memory of Hal Wilner.  Throughout the pandemic Steve collaborated with BØRNS and co-produced the recently released "Suddenly".

You can hear it here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/brns/suddenly

They are currently working on a follow up release.

 

In September 2020, the wonderful T. Rex project, "Angel Headed Hipster" on BMG, was released. Tragically producer (and his dear friend) Hal Willner passed on April 7, prior to its release.

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In  2018 Steve's string arrangements can be heard on BØRNS' release Blue Madonna on Interscope Records.

He is musical director for the mythical Tony Clifton.

The 2017 Leonard Cohen Tribute 'Tower of Song' is being broadcast throughout the US on PBS affiliates.

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In  2017  Weisberg arranged the music of T. Rex for Father John Misty, BØRNS, Kesha, Perry Farrell, Donald Fagen, Todd Rundgren, Gaby Moreno, and Victoria Williams for an upcoming release on BMG UK produced by Hal Willner in conjunction with a documentary about the famed glam band of Marc Bolan.

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He served as one of the musical directors/arrangers and conducted the orchestra for The Leonard Cohen Memorial Tribute in Montreal on 11/6 with Sting, Elvis Costello, K D Lang, Feist, Ron Sexsmith, Lana Del Rey, BØRNS, The Lumineers and many others.

 

In 2016 Weisberg produced an EP for Andre Stevens Thomas and co-produced a release by Altanta Braves Chase D’arnaud, along with Clayton Cages. He arranged music for a series of Hal Willner events including Nina Rota and The Firesign Theater.

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In April 2015 Weisberg performed musical director/arranging duties for the critically acclaimed Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl' at Los Angeles' Ace Theater produced by Hal Willner. Featured artists included Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams,

Courtney Love, Beth Orton, Macy Gray, Sam Amidon, Andy Kim, Kevin Drew, Van Dyke Parks, The Section String Quartet, Devendra Banhardt, Lori Singer, Amy Poehler, Will Forte,

Chris Parnell, Peaches, Mocean Worker, Eric Mingus, Petra Haden, Tim Robbins, Chloe Webb, and Hal Willner.

 

In October, Weisberg arranged the strings for a Carnegie Hall tribute concert in honor of

Bill Withers with Ed Sheerin, Dr. John, Anthony Hamilton, Aloe Blacc, Keb Mo, Michael McDonald, Jonathan Butler, Amos Lee, Ledisi, Gregory Porter, Branford Marsalis, Valerie Simpson, and under the musical direction of Greg Phillinganes.

 

In 2014, his arrangements could be heard on releases from Jill Sobule's "Dottie's Charms" and Andre Stevens-Thomas. In August, he was musical director for Hal Willner's celebration of

Allan Sherman which included Triumph the insult dog, Jill Sobule, Mary Lee Kortes, Tony Torn, and many others. His orchestra continued to perform in and around the Los Angeles area featuring the talents of Jill Sobule, Petra Haden, Perla Batalla, Joseph Keckler, Angela Ai,

Suzy Williams, Donna Washington, Deborah Pardes, and Chloe Webb.

 

He arranged for and performed regularly with Suzy Williams (of Stormin' Norman and Suzy fame) in Los Angeles. 

 

In 2013, Anti Records released Hal Willner's "Son of Rogue's Gallery", a compilation of sea chanteys with multiple arrangements by Weisberg for artists including Beth Orton,

Johnny Depp, Shane MacGowan, Macy Gray, Tim Robbins, and Anjelica Huston.

 

2012 marked the return of live performances by Steve Weisberg and his 18 piece Orchestra in and around the Los Angeles area and a residency at the Center for the Art of Performance (CAP) at UCLA.

 

In 2011, he served as music supervisor and contributed music to the film version of Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged.' In August he was co-musical director for 'Hal Willner's Shelabration-Celebrating the Work of Shel Silverstein' at the Central Park Summerstage series in NYC featuring Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Emily Haines, Sally Timms (Mekons), Bobby Bare Jr., Suzanne Vega, Steven Bernstein, Roswell Rudd, Terry Adams, Richard Belzer,

Darryl Hammond, Dan Zanes, Reggie Bennett, Pat Dailey, Annabella Sciorra,

the Handsome Family, Martha Wainwright, Melvin Van Peebles, Shilpa Ray, Gary Lucas,

Duke McVinnie, and Chloe Webb.

 

He continued to perform as musical director and pianist for soul legend Howard Tate (until Tate's death on Dec.2,2011) and appears on his vinyl only direct to disc release on

APO records.

 

In 2010, he was musical director for the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Solidarity Movement founded by Lech Walesa in Gdansk, Poland on Aug.31, with artistic director Robert Wilson and music producer Hal Willner; featuring Macy Gray, Marianne Faithfull,

Rufus Wainwright, and Angelique Kidjo.

 

In addition, he produced tracks for 'operapper' Reggie Bennett (a classically trained baritone singer and rapper) creating a new genre combining hip-hop and operatic style singing.

 

Steve's film music composing includes the soundtrack to Eva Longoria's documentary

'Latinos Living The American Dream.' His string arrangements can be heard on the new release from Diego Clare 'Even Now Part One.'

 

In 2009, he produced and arranged the new CD "Invocations" by singer/songwriter

Jeremy Lev, arranged strings for Val McCallum, and collaborated with Lee Curreri on the score for the feature film "Meskada."

 

In 2008, he contributed music for the films "Step Brothers" and "The Express."

His musical arrangements can be heard on Marianne Faithfull's album "Easy Come, Easy Go." That same year he served as musical director and arranger for a Hal Willner Disney event and benefit for St. Ann's in New York. The show featured David Byrne, Suzanne Vega, Beth Orton, Sharon Jones, Garth Hudson, David Johanson, Steve Buscemi, Gavin Friday, Eric Mingus, Karen Mantler, Terry Adams, and Marshall Allen.

 

In June 2007, he served as associate producer, musical director, and arranger for Hal Willner's "Forest of No Return: Music from Vintage Disney Films", presented at London's Royal Festival Hall as part of Meltdown Festival 2007 (curated by Jarvis Cocker.) Performers at the event included Cocker, Shane MacGowan, Nick Cave, Grace Jones, Pete Doherty, Beth Orton,

David Thomas (Pere Ubu), Róisín Murphy (Moloko), Ed Harcourt, Marshall Allen (Sun Ra),

Terry Adams (NRBQ), Steven Bernstein, Howie B, Richard Strange, and Gavin Friday.

 

In July he was pianist and arranger for Hal Willner's "Doc Pomus Project," presented as part of the "Celebrate Brooklyn" concert series in New York. The event featured Lou Reed, Ben E. King, Howard Tate, Joseph Arthur, Shannon McNally, Jenni Muldaur, Eric Mingus, Steven Bernstein, Laurie Anderson, Joel Dorn, Sharon Jones, and Robin Holcomb.

 

In 2006, he produced the critically acclaimed studio release by 60's soul legend Howard Tate, titled "Portrait of Howard," which features Lou Reed, Carla Bley, Larry Goldings, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher of Elvis Costello fame, along with a 20-piece orchestra.

 

In February 2007, he acted as musical director and arranger for Perla Batalla's "The Gospel According to Leonard Cohen," an all-star tribute concert in Los Angeles including Jackson Browne, Michael McDonald, Howard Tate, Bill Frisell, and Jill Sobule.

 

He moved to Los Angeles in 2003, and in 2004 continued to act as musical director/arranger for two Hal Willner events: "Shock & Awe: The Music of Randy Newman," featuring Los Lobos, Howard Tate, Gavin Friday, Victoria Williams, Vic Chestnutt, Stan Ridgeway and Van Dyke Parks, and "Let's Eat: A Tribute to the Firesign Theater," featuring John Goodman,

George Wendt, Howard Hesseman, Todd Rundgren, Loudon Wainwright III, Chloe Webb and David Thomas (Pere Ubu).

In 2002 he arranged for Hal Willner's "Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen" (Sony).
 

He also contributed music to the films "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead", " Don't Say a Word", " Impostor", "Runaway Jury", "Bewitched" and the 2006 documentary, "The Ground Truth". He also created the musical scores for "Being Ron Jeremy", "Eyeball Eddie", and "What Remains".

 

Through the end of the 80's and into the 90's, he performed in and around New York City with the prestigious Steve Weisberg & His Orchestra, a 13-piece ensemble consisting of New York's finest jazz luminaries and trend setters.

 

In the 90's he performed with Flamin' Amy Coleman and acted as musical director for off-off-Broadway musicals, including a 1995 run at La MaMa in New York City's East Village with the critically acclaimed original musical, "The House of Nancy Dunn" (co-written with Andrew Craft, JJ Hickey, and Howard Pflanzer).