© Muriel Teodori 2000

Steve Nieve studied composition with Philip Cannon at The Royal College of Music in London. He joined Elvis Costello & The Attractions, in the summer of 1977. After debuting with Elvis Costello on the hit single "Watching the Detectives", his keyboard playing became a crucial component of The Attractions sound on the albums This Year's Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy, Trust, Almost Blue, Imperial Bedroom, Punch the Clock, Goodbye Cruel World, King of America, and Blood and Chocolate, in the years 1977-86. Nieve was acclaimed as one of the most accomplished musicians to emerge from the Punk/New Wave scene of the late 70's.  Nieve was also featured on Mad About The Wrong Boy the only Attractions "solo" album. Nieve also recorded his first solo album, Keyboard jungle for Demon Records in 1983. The Attractions disbanded, temporarily, in 1987. Perils of Plastic; a pop collaboration with Deaf School/Original Mirrors vocalist Steve Allen, which yielded Ring a Ding Ding, Womanhood, and The Love I Love. Steve Nieve toured England and Europe in 1985 with Brian Griffin's photographic exhibition, "Work", playing solo and in his ensemble Pink Orchestra. At the Scala Cinema in London's King's Cross; Nieve orchestrated a live soundtrack, with The Pink Orchestra, to the silent film classic, "The Last Laugh" by Murneau. He was also featured solo and in ensemble with Steve Nieve's Waldorf Salad Orchestra and Sandy Shaw on a 45-minute TV special entitled "Into The Groove".

In 1987, Nieve was featured as bandleader and musical director on The Last Resort TV chat show with Jonathen Ross. The relationship proved fruitful in that Nieve provided various TV scores for Ross projects such as "The Incredibly Strange Film Show", "Americana", and "Viva Elvis". Steve Nieve and The Love Band with The Phantom Horns and special guests were a regular feature live on stage at The Orange Club.

1991 saw Nieve score the film "Arrivederci Millwall" for Charles McDougal. He also provided music for film and documentary projects as various as "Mario Vargas Losa, The Novelist Who Would Be President" for the BBC's Omnibus series, "Ghosts Of Oxford Street" for Malcolm McClaren. His studio session work took in artists as varied as Robert Wyatt, Francoise Hardy, Morrissey, David Bowie and Little Richard. In 1993, Nieve toured the UK as keyboard player with Squeeze, along with another ex-Attraction, drummer Pete Thomas.

In 1994, Steve reunited with Elvis Costello and the Attractions for the acclaimed Brutal Youth album and subsequent tour. He also provided the music for the Channel4/Granada TV series "The World of Lee Evans". The creative working relationship between Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve was enriched with the widely acclaimed series of "Meltdown" Concerts on London's South Bank.

1995 was spent in the studio recording a new Elvis Costello and the Attractions album. In December, Steve ventured to New York and played 4 solo piano sets at the Knitting Factory. Nieve now based in France, performed regularly with Alain Chamfort a French artist who composed much of the music for the songs of Serge Gainsbourg. Nieve has rearranged his wonderful collection of popular chansons for two pianos and "A Concert For Four Hands" has toured most of France and Belgium.

1996 saw the release of the beautiful ballad dominated album "All this Useless Beauty". Nieve and Costello made a short but brilliant promo tour of America in duo to present the new songs in their most intimate form. This proved to be just one of the highlights of the years activity. A world tour with the Attractions followed. At the same time Nieve now spelling his name Naive released It's Raining Somewhere on the "Knitting Factory Works" label. In Paris, Nieve presented a showcase of principal songs of Welcome to the Voice. This work, a contemporary Opera, with original text by Muriel Teodori, is scored for String Quartet, Piano, Saxophone, Contrabass, Seven Solo Singers and Chorus. Winter 96 Warner Brothers released a limited edition 5 disk box set live package simply titled Costello and Nieve it features the best takes from the highly acclaimed duo tour of May.

1998 began with a duo tour of Italy and the festival of Bergen. In July Nieve joined Elvis Costello in the studio with Burt Bacharach to record "Painted From Memory", and together a 40 piece string section made a tour of major U.S. cities to promote the work.

1999 began with a concert in Stockholm with the Swedish Symphony Orchestra, consisting of classical works and new arrangements of Costello's repertoire. Nieve orchestrated the song "Accidents will Happen". A Costello/Nieve tour of Australia, New Zealand and Japan followed soon after this and the pair then went onto complete double tours of Europe and USA. Nieve Trio performed two sets at the Knitting Factory, coinciding with "Only a Tree" an exhibition of paintings on canvas and slate by Alain Blondel. Now living in France, Nieve, composed a soundtrack for the film "Bleu des Villes", directed by Stephen Freze. Also the original score for "Sans Plomb" written and directed by Muriel Teodori, which features many of Elvis Costello's best loved songs, from Alison to Complicated Shadows. Elvis Costello appears in the film as himself, and even performs a biting solo version of "Waiting for the End of the World". Nieve appears on screen so briefly that, one blink and you'll miss it. For more information visit SansPlomb.Com. Steve Nieve also appears as a session musician on many French recordings, "Mortelle" by Arielle, and "Neuf" and "Personne Nest Parfait" by Alan Chamfort, to name but a few.

2000, Nieve contributes to the new Marc Ribot album. The SteveNieve.com website is to be launched beginning of May. Also in 2000, Teodori and Nieve in collaberation with Knitting Factory will present the most complete concert version yet of their opera, "Welcome to the Voice". New York City, Town Hall Theatre, June 9th. Muriel Teodori and Steve Nieve trust to see you there. More details to follow. (Do visit WelcometotheVoice.Com).

(Reprinted from the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival site: http://www.jazfest.com/2000/index.cfm )