Steve Green: 2026 Return of the Griot’s Groove – Jazz Cultural Voices

PNC Arts Alive Jazz Cultural Voices Series is proud to present celebrated bassist Steve Green to the Philadelphia Clef Club stage for his immersive Return of Griot’s Groove program. Steve will lead the Clef Club audience through a musical journey through the origin of African American Music while reflecting on the historical and cultural experiences that birthed the creation of this great art form.

Philadelphia native Steve Green is a celebrated bassist whose career spans decades of collaboration with some of music’s greatest legends, including Patti LaBelle, Lou Rawls, Phyllis Hyman, and Teddy Pendergrass. From his early beginnings playing Latin rhythms with Santa Fe at age 14 to becoming the house bassist for Philadelphia International Records, Green’s journey has been one of exploration, innovation, and deep spiritual connection to sound. Influenced by the transcendent power of John Coltrane and his work with artists such as Dexter Wansel and the Tony Williams Lifetime Band, Green’s playing reflects both technical mastery and heartfelt expression.
Green now channels this wealth of experience into his visionary project, Return of Griot’s Groove—a multimedia celebration of African American music and its roots in the traditions of West African Griots. Through live performances, storytelling, dance, and video, the program traces the evolution of Black music from the primal drumbeats of Africa to the spirituals, blues, jazz, soul, funk, and hip-hop that have shaped global culture. It’s more than a concert—it’s a journey through history, sound, and spirit, illuminating how music became both a voice of survival and a beacon of resilience.

Return of Griot’s Groove stands as a testament to the enduring power of African American artistry. It celebrates the rhythms, stories, and spiritual resilience that have defined centuries of cultural evolution. Whether you come for the music, the message, or the movement, you’ll leave uplifted—reminded that the groove of the Griot still lives on, connecting past and present through the universal language of sound.