Steve Kozak

Winner of New Artist or Group of the Year ... 2012 Maple Blues Awards presented by The Toronto Blues Society.

Internationally renowned Canadian Blues Artist from Coast-to-Coast were honored by their peers at the 16th Annual Maple Blues Awards gala in Toronto January 21, 2013 as a sold out crowd of blues lovers gathered to celebrate Canadian blues at Koerner Hall.

Steve Kozak was born in Vancouver BC Canada in 1956 and since the mid eighties has been a mainstay on the Vancouver scene as a guitarist, band leader, singer, songwriter, and tireless cheerleader and promoter of Blues and Roots music. Backed by some of Vancouver’s top musicians, Steve has built a reputation as one of the premier Blues acts in western Canada.

Steve began playing guitar and singing at age sixteen and took to the Blues like a duck to water. His passion for the Blues flourished after meeting and hanging out for a few memorable nights with the legendary Muddy Waters in May of 1977. Muddy encouraged Steve and set him straight on a few things. After that Steve was ‘on a mission’-- his musical future as a Bluesman was sealed.

Throughout his career Steve has shared the stage, and played with many Blues greats including; Pee Wee Crayton, Big Joe Duskin, Sonny Rhodes, Eddie ‘The Chief’ Clearwater, ‘Ice Pick’ James Harman, Rod Piazza, Rick Estrin, Mark Hummel, Lee Oskar, Duke Robillard, Nick Curran, Big Joe Louis, ‘The Shuffle King’ Tom Holland, Kenny Blues Boss Wayne, and Rockabilly guitar legend Evan Johns.

Over the past few years Steve and his All-Star band have been booked to back up several international recording artists who came to Canada to perform. One artist who works with Steve whenever he performs in western Canada is Blues Harmonica legend singer/songwriter from Anniston Alabama, James Harman. Steve and his band backed up James Harman at the 2010 Labatt International Blues Festival in Edmonton. Steve and his band have also worked with London’s Big Joe Louis (a two time winner of the best male Blues vocalist in the UK) and, from Chicago, ‘The Shuffle King’ Tom Holland the lead guitarist/singer for The James Cotton Band.

A few more highlights for Steve was doing shows on the same bill as Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Nick Curran & The Low Life’s and Rick Estrin & The Night Cats.
Steve also accepted the position of Artistic Director for the 2011 and 2012 Powell River Blues Festival.

For ten years Steve hosted a Saturday afternoon Blues Jam at a popular Main Street venue in Vancouver where he encouraged and gave invaluable stage time experience to many younger Blues artists to help develop their skills. He hosted a weekly Blues show at the renowned Yale Hotel in Vancouver for over two years.

Known as thee go to guy for the West Coast Blues sound in Vancouver and for his tireless efforts of promoting Blues and Roots music in the area, Steve designs his own posters, promotes his shows and produces posters for other bands, festivals and venues.