Some voices are definitely best suited for specific genres, but a voice like Steven Taetz’s can handle it all. Rollicking roots rock, gentle pop ballads, blue-eyed soul, and cool jazz — he approaches it all without flinching, delivering songs with a strong and crystal clear voice that demands the listener’s full attention. As the music manager at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre and having previously collaborated with Jill Barber, Jenn Grant, and Connie Kaldor, Taetz has crossed paths with every kind of artist and seemingly takes inspiration and delight from everything that catches his ear. His self-titled 2013 album is an eclectic mix of unabashedly dramatic and often roots-tinged singer-songwriter fare, but its follow-up, 2018’s Drink You In saw Taetz shift into full-on crooner mode, with a collection of impeccably performed jazz standards and new compositions. With a new album out this month, Taetz continues to prove that he’s game for anything, provided it gives him a chance to sing his beautiful heart out.

Biography by Elizabeth Chorney Booth