Hello all.....greetings from Los Angeles. I have not been on here for the longest time and it seems that even the name of the forum has changed. Anyway, I'm a guitar player from Durban. I left SA in 1981 after realizing there was nowhere to go musically. I was recording at the SABC studio's and doing all the bigger sessions in Durban as well as playing in the pit with theater productions, while playing in several bands and doing cabaret gigs, jamming with everyone and anyone etc etc. Essentially, as far as being booked as a guitarist, I had the #1 chair for a while, but it was all BS really. No money in it and certainly no career options at the time. I don't know how much things have changed, but the South African music scene back then was a complete and utter joke.
Anyway.....along the way I got to experience the playing of a fantastically talented player in SA, Steve Eliovson. I met him a couple times at shows he did.....one of them was a gig with the phenomenal Johnny Fourie...perhaps the greatest jazz and jazz fusion guitar player to come out of SA. They had a tour going doing acoustic music along the lines of John McLaughlin's Shakti....also using Indian musicians ....tabla etc. Unbelievably good....world class stuff. I was certain Steve was one of us guitar players that was destined for musical greatness. He almost had it. For years I have been searching the web trying to find any info on him.
Can anyone tell me if they know what happened to Steve? Is he still playing, where is he living etc etc etc? Is he even still alive?
Steve is/was definitely one of the finest guitar players to come out of South Africa, that you may never of heard of. Phenomenal. Along the lines of Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin with a Latin Jazz influence as well....some Paco De Lucia in there too. I have only ever seen him playing acoustic guitars.
Anyway....somewhere around 1980-1981, he went to Germany to record an album with Manfred Eicher producing, on ECM Records.....Eicher's label. This album is called Dawn Dance and is available on iTunes. It is probably too mellow for many....sort of ambient, soft jazz etc but features some amazing writing and absolutely brilliant guitar playing. If you are a fan of SA guitar players you should get it.
Steve was set to record a second album but broke his leg in a skiing accident so he postponed the session. He ended up in New York, in a cast, living in a friend's apartment, couldn't get around, couldn't gig......and at some point he put all his stuff, including his guitars, into storage......and walked away from everything, traveling back to South Africa. He essentially drops off the planet at this point....other than some sightings in Cape Town.
I'm really hoping to find out that he is back playing again. Some reports had him as essentially indigent....but that was a long time ago. I just cannot find anything about him on the web. So I'm hoping someone here knows of him or knows someone who knows.....etc etc.
Thanks guys.
