| Multi-instrumentalist,
Composer, Vocalist & Producer
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"After several successful
years of writing
and producing TV / Radio commercials and documentary film scores
in Hamburg (G), I came to the United States in 1991 to expand my
musical horizons and to finally learn to READ CHORD SYMBOLS and
CHARTS.
After becoming a Co-recipient of several
Commercial and Documentary Awards, I decided that it was the right
time to move on from making "SLICES" of music, (which
you have to do in the world of commercials), to making "REAL
MUSIC" (You know, pieces of music that last longer than 30 or
45 sec's.)
Now don't get me wrong--I loved doing commercials because
your clients will throw requests for all sorts of musical styles
at you - (and furthermore, my friends over at PAHNKE&PARTNER
and at HAMBURGFILM are just the best people to work with on this
earth!! ) However, I wanted to tell you about that day ,when they
asked me if I could do a flamenco tune ( like the Gipsy Kings
--sort of) ! Now at that time Hamburg had about 3 or 4 real good
pro-flamenco players--which were all down in spain on summer
vacation, drinking that strong >101< cheapo red wine, while
I was trying to record this commercial under a murderous deadline!!
So I had no choice but to play it myself on my old classic guitar
(with a PICK-I didn't have fingernails anymore from all that drum
programming on the keyboard).
The result was the > BRAUN HAIR-CARE < commercial of 1991
which sounded REALLY GOOD and everybody loved it. So it was a lot
of fun --BUT--- you just know when it's time to move on, I guess. |
In 1993, I met the PERRI
SISTERS through a wonderful"God-Accident" (also called
Synchronicity). They were on MCA at the time--THE most
amazing music powerhouses you can ever experience on stage, trust
me !!
After working with them for a while, Sharon Perri, herself a
wonderful songwriter as well as being the angel she is,
recommended me to Brenda Russell, who was looking for a live
keyboardist at the time....I still remember when I got that
phonecall (GRIN!) !!
She said : "....oh hi this is Brenda Russell, can I speak to
Stephan please....(and I'm thinking-yeah right and I am ELVIS
PRESLEY) but no, it was really her!!
So we did Brenda's SOUL TALKING TOUR together in 1993, then she
brought me in to work on DIANA ROSS' album "Take Me Higher"
in 1994 as Keyboardist, Arranger and Engineer.
(This was also the year in which I founded my US-corporation, FULL
CIRCLE PRODUCTIONS, Inc.)
In 1996, Brenda and I began touring through Japan (Blue note
circuit) , did lots & lots of demos and other productions at
my studio -- and now all this gets crowned by the 2000 release of
Brenda's new record >PARIS RAIN< , which I was blessed with
being able to coproduce with Brenda."
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| Collaborations: |
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BRENDA RUSSELL
BURT BACHARACH
PATTI AUSTIN
DIANA ROSS
BARRY MANN
CYNTHIA WEIL
SHEILA E.
DAVE KOZ
PAUL CARRACK
PETER COX
HAL DAVID
JEFFREY OSBORNE
JEANNE COTTER
MARSHA MALAMET
GREGG PHILLINGANES
TOM SNOW
JOE VANNELLI
PERRI SISTERS
ALLAN RICH
TONY MAIDEN
MARTY SHARRON
LOUISE GOFFIN
JERRY GOFFIN
MICHAEL RUFF
MICHAEL WHITE
MAXAYNE LEWIS
TATA VEGA
DARRYL PHINNESSEE
JACKIE GOUCHE
TOMMY LEE JAMES
RAYFORD GRIFFIN
REGGIE WASHINGTON
VINNIE COLAIUTA
PAULINHO DA COSTA
NDUGU CHANCLER
RUSSELL FERRANTE
DAVID BENOIT
STEPHEN ALLEN DAVIS
FRANNE GOLDE
ROBIN LERNER
MICHELE BROURMAN
KENNY HIRSCH
RICKY LAWSON
LENNY CASTRO
EVERETTE HARP
PHILLIP INGRAM
TERESA JAMES
KAREN BRIGGS
DOC POWELL
JAMES HARRAH
FRED WHITE
SALLY DWORSKY
JOEY HEREDIA
JIM GILSTRAP
SIEDAH GARRETT
SYREETA WRIGHT
PATRICE RUSHEN
KIRK WHALUM
JONATHAN MOFFETTE
RAY FULLER
PEDRO EUSTACHE
RICARDO SILVEIRA
SCOT MAYO
ABE LABORIEL
JIMMY HASLIP
BILL SHARPE
LARRY KIMPEL
MARCO MENDOZA
ANDREW GOUCHE
NEIL STUBENHAUS
CASSIO DUARTE
DWIGHT SILLS
JEAN-MICHEL BYRON
MOOGIE CANAZIO
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