Keeping up with… Steve Masakowski

Before leaving on a month-long European tour with this family band, Steve Masakowski played some memorable gigs in New Orleans and was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Orleans International Guitar Festival.

The gigs were first with guitar great Peter Bernstein along with Steve’s son Martin on bass and Jamison Ross on drums at the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, and later with the legendary jazz organist Ike Stubblefield. The gigs with Ike were at Snug Harbor and D.B.A. were part of Ike’s birthday celebration which included renowned drummers Herlin Riley, and Simon Lott to round out the organ trio.

In Europe, the Masakowski family band a.k.a. The “MAZ Family” began a very successful tour starting at the University of Innsbruck as part of their 350 year anniversary celebration. The MAZ Family which is Steve on seven string guitar along with his multi talented vocalist daughter Sasha, and virtuoso bass player and luthier Martin were promoting their latest CD titled N.O. Escape.

After several concerts in Austria, the band was featured along with numerous prominent jazz musicians from New Orleans at the Ascona Jazz Festival in southern Switzerland. Then, The Masakowski family group headed to Copenhagen to play in the Copenhagen Fringe Jazz Festival.

After Copenhagen, Steve plans to head back to him home town to resume teaching at the University of New Orleans. Steve has lately been playing a new 7 string guitar that he designed that was built by Adam Guthrie. 

JGT: Thanks for sharing Steve!