Steve Sedergreen
Steve Sedergreen (born 1966) is a jazz pianist and educator based in Melbourne, Australia.
Early life
Sedergreen is the oldest son of jazz pianist Bob Sedergreen. He completed a Diploma of Music (Piano) at the Victorian College of the Arts in 1987, a Diploma of Education (Music) at the Hawthorn Institute in 1991, and a Master of Arts (Education) at RMIT University in 2008.
Career
Sedergreen formed Mistaken Identity[1] in 1985 while still at the VCA, has led the band through numerous incarnations and line-ups, and has produced seven recordings. The band supported American saxophonist David Sanborn during his Australian tour of January 1992.
The band's song 'Just Perfect', written by Sedergreen, was nominated for Jazz Composition of the Year at the APRA Music Awards of 1993.[2]
Mistaken Identity has performed at Moomba, Spoleto, the Melbourne Fringe Festival, the Montsalvat Jazz Festival, the Manly Jazz Festival (Sydney), the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, the Australian Jazz Festival (Canberra), the Kiama Jazz Festival (Kiama, NSW), the Victorian Arts Centre's 'Jazz After Dark' series at the Melbourne Concert Hall, and the Kew Courthouse (2019[3]).
In 1999, Sedergreen founded 'Jazz Cat', bringing together nine selected young musicians from various schools at which he was teaching, to create opportunities for them to perform and record. The band played festivals including 'Jazzabout' (ACT) and the Manly Jazz Festival (Sydney) as well as playing venues in their hometown, Melbourne. 'Jazz Cat' soon morphed into The Cat Empire.[4]
In 2012, Sedergreen released his first solo album, Points in Time,[5] on Newmarket Music.[6]
In 2014, Sedergreen re-formed Mistaken Identity for a benefit gig to raise funds for their late drummer Peter Ayliffe, in a performance which featured guest vocalists Nichaud Fitzgibbon, Julie O'Hara and Hetty Kate.[7]
As a solo artist, or leading ensembles, Sedergreen has performed at the Stonnington Jazz Festival (2015 & 2018[8][9]), the Eltham Jazz Festival (2015), the Castlemaine State Festival (2015), the White Night Festival (2016) and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (2018[10]).
As an educator, Sedergreen has taught at multiple tertiary institutions in Melbourne including Monash University, the Box Hill Institute, NMIT, the Centre for Adult Education, RMIT University, and the Victorian College of the Arts, and, with his saxophonist brother Mal, has run Jazz Improvisation classes for the Melbourne Youth Orchestra's Summer programs.[11]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Mistaken Identity: Merry Go Round |
|
| Mistaken Identity: Bits & Pieces |
|
| Mistaken Identity: Just Perfect |
|
| Mistaken Identity: Identify |
|
| Mistaken Identity: Wondering (The Music of Stevie Wonder) |
|
| Mistaken Identity - Live |
|
| Steve Sedergreen: Points in Time |
|
References
- ^ "Mistaken Identity". The Age. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ^ "It's award time again". Canberra Times. 18 November 1993. p. 8. Retrieved 21 February 2026 – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Steve and Mal Sedergreen on the Return of Mistaken Identity". Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ "Once more for Sedergreen and cats". The Age. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ "CD Review: Points In Time (Steve Sedergreen)". Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "Steve Sedergreen's Points In Time". Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ^ "Steve Sedergreen: Jazz educator lives by the code". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
- ^ "Steve Sedergreen reimagines Duke Ellington's Far East Suite as a connecting force for diverse musicians". Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "Far East Suite review: Lively modern take on Duke's jazz classic". The Age. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ "2018 Melbourne International Jazz Festival" (PDF). p. 20. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "Melbourne Youth Orchestras - Jazz Improvisation". Retrieved 17 February 2026.