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Banded Story:

My father John Fidyk, played tenor saxophone with bands throughout North Eastern Pennsylvania, and he took me on gigs with him when I was about 8 years old. I would sit in with his band at rehearsals which took place in the basement of my family home. In a few short years, I began subbing for his drummer. I was encouraged by my parents to pursue music throughout high school, and majored in music education at Wilkes University. I played drums in the big band under the direction of Bob Wilbur and eventually Tom Heinze. It was at this time that I began to immerse myself in jazz, listening to the great big bands of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Buddy Rich. Buddy was the first jazz drummer my father took me to see perform live when I was eight years old, and that experience left a lasting impression.  In 1987, after hearing me play with the Mansfield State College big band, legendary jazz drummer Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck Quartet/Take Five fame) accepted me as a student. Morello was instrumental in helping me with my technique, sound production, coordination, and overall approach to playing the instrument. Morello was also very influential in helping me develop his articulate teaching skills.

Artist Bio:

Known for his touch, versatility and musical approach, jazz drummer Steve Fidyk has earned national and international acclaim as an artist, author, composer and columnist. For more than 21 years, he was the drummer and featured soloist with The Army Blues Big Band, a premier 17-piece jazz ensemble stationed in Washington D.C. During his tenure, Fidyk performed for seven U.S. Presidents, numerous dignitaries, and traveled throughout the Middle East supporting the troops during a USO tour in 2008. With his second album as bandleader, aptly titled Allied Forces (2016), Fidyk has gathered together a powerful lineup and has succeeded in pushing his hard hitting melodic message to the front lines. The musicians on the date include the amazing frontline contributions of tenor saxophonist Doug Webb and alto saxophonist Joseph Henson, alongside the crack rhythm section of guitarist Shawn Purcell, and organist extraordinaire Brian Charette.

Fidyk currently serves on the jazz studies faculty at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and as a consultant for Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Program. He has also authored several drum method books and DVD’s for Mel Bay and Alfred Publications. As a columnist, Fidyk contributes regularly to Modern Drummer Magazine, and
Teaching Music Magazine.  Fidyk has appeared on over 100 recordings and his discography as a co-leader includes Big Kids with John DeSalme (U.S. Roots), and two records with The Taylor/Fidyk Big Band: A Perfect Match (Write Groove, 2003) and Live at Blues Alley (OA2, 2006). His debut as a bandleader was Heads Up! (Posi-Tone, 2014) which featured Terell Stafford and Tim Warfield.

Fidyk has performed with Wayne Bergeron, John Clayton, Mark Taylor, Wycliffe Gordon, Tim Hagans, Slide Hampton, Maureen McGovern, New York Voices, Dick Oatts, Arturo Sandoval, and Doc Severinsen. With Maureen McGovern, he has accompanied symphony orchestras throughout the country including The Cincinnati Pops, Spokane Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Plano Symphony, The Baltimore Symphony, The Buffalo Philharmonic, The Richmond Symphony, and the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon Big Band.