May 8 Free Performance at West Windsor Senior Center, 1-2pm

This Friday, May 8, Phil and I journey across the Stonybrook to perform our all-original latin and jazz at the West Windsor Senior Center. All welcome. 1-2pm, 271 Clarksville Rd, West Windsor Township, NJ

This is my second time presenting at the Senior Center this year. Back in March, around Einstein's birthday, they hosted a talk historian Cindy Srnka and I developed entitled "How Oswald Veblen Quietly Created Einstein's Princeton."

Sustainable Jazz Performs for a HIP Fundraiser

Sustainable Jazz, with Steve Hiltner on reeds and Phil Orr on keyboard, performed again this year for the Annual Spring Gathering of Housing Initiative of Princeton.

With our mix of original music and jazz standards, we sought to live up to the organization's fortuitous acronym: HIP.

This spirited and effective organization's mission is to "Assist local individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity build toward a sustainable future via stable housing, better employment, and a network of support services."

Introducing Singer Eva Martin--Chanteuse Extraordinaire

What a treat to be part of Le Jazz Fun in the debut performance by Eva Martin, an academic turned French teacher and singer. Eva has a gorgeous voice that's been waiting patiently through her other careers for the time and training needed to bloom.  

That training began when her brother, jazz guitarist Alex Martin, recommended a top flight voice coach:  Dr. Trineice, aka Trineice Robinson-Martin, formerly on the faculty of the Princeton University jazz program and now at Berklee College of Music. Trineice in turn recommended pianist and composer Phil Orr--my close musical collaborator--to be Eva's pianist, helping her expand and arrange her repertoire. 

As Eva tells it, she had always wanted to be a singer, and in fact sat in at a Paris jazz club earlier in her life. The band members encouraged her to continue, but she claims to have had only five notes she could sing. That, along with skepticism about the chances of sustaining herself with music, caused her to pursue instead an academic career. During this time, raising a family, her kids were the ones who got the benefit of her singing. Having achieved what she wanted in academia--a dissertation, a PhD, a book--she shifted to teaching in order to stay in the Princeton area. In 2025, she made a New Year's resolution that proved to be transformative: “Sing for 10 minutes a day. Just for joy.” That precipitated the sequence of events and mentoring that led to her vocal debut. 

With Kai Gibson on bass, Logan Bogdan on drums, and myself on sax and clarinet, we were the opening act at the April 11 Francophone Festival on Hinds Plaza. 

Here's a link to a video of the performance. 

By coincidence, I had played jazz with Eva's brother Alex in Durham, NC 25 years ago. Alex came up from his home base in Washington, DC to be part of the FrancoFest performance.

Performance at Salon 33, Saturday, March 14, 8-10pm

Salon 33 is a great venue for hearing live music in West Windsor, and pianist Phil Orr and I will be there this coming Saturday, March 14. No cover--this is a donation-based event. There's an optional potluck at 7, followed by two sets of our all-original jazz and latin music starting at 8pm. RSVP is required. To get directions and more info, register at this link.

We're a duo, but Salon 33's fabulous grand piano is like a third presence on the stage. (The fig tree in the background is what happens when Phil sits down with Photoshop.)

Upcoming Performances -- 2026

From coast to coast, we're gearing up for another year of all-original adventures in jazz, latin, funk, and tango.

Sunday, Feb. 8, 2-3pm Mount Laurel Library -- We're excited to be part of this excellent series of Sunday jazz concerts. 

Saturday, March 14, 8-10 Salon 33, West Windsor - a great community of music lovers; potluck at 7pm; contact us for more info 

Sunday, May 3, 4-7 HIP Spring Gathering - a good cause and good music at this fundraiser for the Housing Initiative of Princeton, which helps local families who are housing insecure

Friday, May 8, 1pm West Windsor Senior Center - lots of cultural happenings at this community center, including a talk I'll be giving March 20, 1pm, related to Einstein's birthday

June 24 - July 1, California tour with the Lunar Octet

Oct. 11--RSVP to Hear Sustainable Jazz at the Caldwell Sessions

Come Saturday, October 11, to hear Steve Hiltner and Phil Orr perform at the Caldwell Sessions in Princeton. The Caldwell Sessions provides a comfortable house concert setting to hear our all-original melodic adventures in samba, swing, and tango.  

When: Saturday, October 11

Doors open: 7:00 PM, 

Show starts: 7:30 PM

Suggested Donation for the Artist: $25 cash or Venmo at the door

 

RSVP to reserve a seat! 

Email caldwell.sessions@gmail.com 

California Tour 2025

This summer, we had two tours with the Lunar Octet, the jazz/latin band I've been a part of since its beginnings 42 years ago. I write most of the music for the group, much of which I composed in New Jersey and perform locally with pianist Phil Orr in our Sustainable Jazz duo. 

Additional compositions for the Octet come from our conguero, Aron Kaufman. Occasionally we pull out a beautiful ballad by drummer Jon Krosnick. Though based in Ann Arbor, the Lunar Octet also has a California version. Jon, a Stanford professor who periodically performs with renowned trumpeter Randy Brecker, booked our Lunar Octet for 8 gigs in 5 days this past June.

The final gig was in a central plaza in Sonoma, with our all-original music drifting out to a thousand people enjoying a beautiful afternoon.

Other gigs were at the Las Positas Vineyard and a brewery named the SacYard.

It's always a good feeling to play amidst the stacks at libraries, many of which have beautiful central spaces for the community to gather.

One highlight was playing as a sextet at Mr. Tipples Jazz Club in downtown San Francisco. 

To play these tours, members of the band converge from all over the country. Bassist Jeff Dalton flies in from the Florida Keys, conguero Aron Kaufman travels from Michigan. To fill out the band, drummer Jon Krosnick recruited his fabulous California-based colleagues, with Murray Low on keyboard, Tod Dickow on tenor sax, and new addition Chris Aschman lighting up the stage with his trumpet playing.

Michigan Tour, July 2025

This past July, our Lunar Octet toured for two weeks in Michigan, performing our all-original latin and jazz at gigs ranging from Ann Arbor up to Traverse City.

One of the first gigs was at our favorite jazz club, the Blue Llama down on Main Street in Ann Arbor. Such a special place to play, with stellar performances from the Michigan contingent of the band: Zen Zadravec on piano, multi-instrumentalist Paul Vornhagen, Tim Blackmon on trumpet, Olman Piedra on percussion, guitarist Sam Clark, and conguero Aron Kaufman.

A few gigs later we were up in the beautiful Traverse City area as a quintet, casting our original latin and jazz out across a picnic area at St. Ambrose Cellars. Jon Krosnick leads the group from behind the drums, and Jeff Dalton provides steady, melodic underpinning for the grooves, and virtuosic bass solos. 

A library in Hamburg seemed disconnected from any downtown, and yet serves as a vibrant community center for many in the vicinity. During one of our sets, a thunder storm blew through with high winds and pelting rain, adding a dramatic visual backdrop.

Our final stop was Rancho Tranquilico, a concert series hosted by farmer and open space preservationist Barry Lonik, with a late evening light show provided by the fireflies. 

 

Until I Find the Words at St. Mary Church

The quieter side of the Sustainable Jazz Duo, in a performance at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Church in South Amboy. The original tango-influenced composition, Until I Find the Words, is the title track of our CD. The tune actually has words, which begin with:

"Until I find the words, I'll sing this melody, this simple melody, to tell you of my love."

Performing at HIP's Spring Gathering

Our Sustainable Jazz Duo will perform this Sunday, May 4, at the Housing Initiatives of Princeton's Spring Gathering, a fundraiser for this great local organization. Their mission? 

To assist local individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity build toward a sustainable future via stable housing, better employment, and a network of support services.

Our mission is to live up to their organization's very cool acronym -- HIP! 

Frolic at St. Mary's

I had asked whether it was okay to dance inside the St. Mary, Star of the Sea Church where Phil Orr and I performed our original jazz and latin music. The answer was affirmative, so we played Frolic--a tune that gets people dancing even if they remain sitting down, as the girl on the front left frolicfully demonstrates. Thanks to Jody and St. Mary's for being such wonderful hosts.  

RSVP for Sustainable Jazz at Salon 33 this Saturday, April 12

Come this Saturday, April 12, to hear Phil and me perform at Salon 33 in West Windsor. 

This is a great venue for hearing our all-original melodic adventures in samba, swing, and tango.  There's an optional potluck at 7pm. Music runs from 8-10pm. 

To obtain more info and get the address, you have to RSVP at this link, and make sure to mark that you're going to the Saturday show.

Salon 33 is donation-based, with a suggested donation of $20. 

Performance March 23 in South Amboy

Our Sustainable Jazz duo with the totally orrsome Phil Orr on piano will be heading this Sunday to South Amboy to perform a sampling of our melodic adventures in samba, swing, and tango in the Music at St. Mary's series. The performance runs from 4-5pm, at 256 Augusta Street. All-original compositions in a church setting, with piano and sax/clarinet.

Greening the Blues - A Sustainable Jazz Duo Video

Such a pleasure to perform at the Princeton Public Library community room for a Sunday afternoon audience. Phil Orr on piano, and myself, Steve Hiltner, on alto sax and clarinet, playing all original jazz, sambas, and a tango.

Below is a video of us performing one of my compositions, Greening the Blues. 

 

Sustainable Jazz Duo Plays the Princeton Public Library - Dec. 8, 3pm

It's happenin'! The orrsome Phil Orr and I will be performing at the totally awesome Princeton Public Library, Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3pm in the community room. 

We'll be serving up fresh, original melodies made buoyant by Phil's grooves in styles ranging from samba to swing, tango to funk. We tend to make it fun and engaging. 

Some of the compositions take you on a journey, like Climbing the Mountain, and Caged Bird Swings, which starts with a caged musical theme and gradually sets it free.

Upcoming Performances

The Michigan-based Lunar Octet and the NJ-based Sustainable Jazz Duo both feature my jazz and latin compositions.

Mark your calendars:

2024

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 7-10pm - the Lunar Octet plays the Blue Llama Jazz Club, Ann Arbor, MI

Sunday, Dec. 8, 3-4pm, Sustainable Jazz Duo at the Princeton Public Library

2025

Jan. 16, Aretha's in Detroit, MI with the Lunar Octet

March 8-15, a week of Lunar Octet performances in Michigan

Saturday, April 12, Sustainable Jazz Duo at Salon 33 in West Windsor, 7pm. More info closer to the date.

Lunars Play Sounds of the Zoo

One stop on our Lunar Octet's Michigan tour last month was the central square in Kalamazoo, to play a set at Sounds of the Zoo. 

Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert is the founder and executive director of the Sounds of the Zoo music festival. She seeks to make Kalamazoo a music destination in Michigan by highlighting the state's musical talent. This is the vision that animates her, from the city's website: 

"We endeavor to create change through music and believe music is not only creative art but a means to connect and uplift humanity. We believe music can inspire humanity by creating connections that bridge class, gender and cultural divides. Uniting the community by supporting diversity, inclusion, as well as creating awareness towards environmental sustainability and mental health are core values we will give platforms to."

This was an especially satisfying gig, with a great response to our original mix of latin and jazz. 

We've had various trumpeters performing with us lately. This time, it was the fabulous Anthony Stanco, who developed his playing in Detroit and counted the great Marcus Belgrave among his mentors. As we played, Anthony's wife followed their little daughter around the park. The next day, she gave birth to their second child. Nice to think that our music motivated the baby to take the plunge.

As a jazz naturalist, I'm always checking out the plantlife we encounter on these tours. Near the stage was a big burr oak, probably hundreds of years old, and probably dating back to a time when this park in the middle of the city was a burr oak savanna of scattered trees and a thick understory of grasses and wildflowers. 

A Review of Our Lunar Quartet

Thanks to Joe George of Harrison Township, Michigan, for his facebook review of my compositions. At the Harrison Speakeasy, just north of Detroit, we combined repertoire from the Lunar Octet and Sustainable Jazz and played it all as a quartet, with Keaton Royer, Jeff Dalton, and Jon Krosnick on piano, bass, and drums. This was the first time my music had ever been performed with a quartet. Very rewarding.

"I couldn't help but identify with the music. I never heard a lick of it before, but it still had the familiar sounds of recognizable modern jazz classics like you might hear from Chick Corea or Gino Vannelli. It was absolutely brilliant. The drummer led the band, but each composition was written by Steve Hiltner, who played a mean saxophone, and he wrote the charts for every instrument.

 
This band wasn't just good, they were NATIONWIDE. Steve is from New Jersey, the bassist hailed from Michigan but of late lives in the Florida Keys. One of the guys lives in California, and the last was from BFE or some such thing. But what great music! It was a real showcase for talent, great writing, and dedication like nobody's business. I'm grateful for the fabulous show and an impressive booking.

 
People have no idea what went on. And the people that do know seem kinda casual about it. But I know what went on and it blows my mind. To begin with, writing music takes talent. Transcribing music takes hard work and dedication. But writing music for all the musical parts and transcribing all those parts, and then having it all performed together like a Symphony.....and then have us dancing in the aisles because it swings like Ellington, well that's coooool! Like having Mozart hanging around your local tavern."

The never before heard combined with the never before seen. The Harrison Speakeasy has a deep sea diving theme meant to evoke prohibition days, an idiosyncratic patio with swings for chairs, an outdoor game I'll call "kickpool," and a post-gig photo op. Sometimes a creative, "never before" setting can make you feel at home.

Touring California and Michigan With the Lunar Octet

Our all-originals latin/jazz band, the Lunar Octet, is currently on tour in California, with a two-week tour of Michigan to follow. Drummer and Stanford professor Jon Krosnick booked 12 gigs for us in 11 days in California, including a theater, a college, a jazz club in downtown San Francisco, vineyards, a brewery, and several libraries in the Bay area. I'm musical director for the group, and compose most of the material, along with compositions by bandmembers Aron Kaufman, Paul Vornhagen, and Jon Krosnick, and a couple covers by Tito Puente. 

Check out videos of some of the performances at the Lunar Octet's facebook page. And please "follow" the facebook page. A large following on social media helps us to book gigs. 

Among the hightlights thus far is the Cameo Theater in St. Helena, with a great audience and standing ovation. 

We've been lucky with the weather, with outdoor gigs at Mission College,

and another big crowd at Portola Vineyard.

The backdrop for a performance at Las Positas was a beautiful vineyard and tawny hillsides.

The jazz club is called Mr. Tipple's Recording Studio, with great food and an enthusiastic crowd. 

July 12: Sustainable Jazz Returns to Salon 33

The fabulous Phil Orr and I will be back at Salon 33 in West Windsor on Friday, July 12, playing original latin and jazz. 

Potluck starts at 7, followed by the performance 8-10. This is a donation-based event. Go to this link to register, and to receive location info.