Saxophonist, composer, and teacher Janis Steprans hails from Montreal. He began playing the saxophone when he was in high school, then he went on to study at McGill University with Gerry Danovitch, winning the concerto competition in 1975. He later went on to attend the New England Conservatory. He has spent his career playing in several jazz bands, most recently his own jazz quartet. He has recorded five solo albums. Currently he is an associate professor of jazz studies at Universite Laval in Quebec, Canada. He writes of the pieces on this release: “The pieces are built around a previously imagined musical motif, an exotic motif reminiscent of Russian, Middle Eastern and Jewish music. During the writing of these plays, I reflected on my own origins and how they influence my music. I hope that Ajivtal and the other parts of this album will please you.”