​At one point, times got tough. This is when he moved to Washington DC. But not for music. This was a good place to sell real estate and make some money. Those were hard days, putting aside music. That lasted about 10 years.

But he quietly stayed busy, writing music and checking in to clubs. He met a lot of great musicians and bass players, including Butch Warren who recommended him for a weekly quintet gig, just enough to be on the scene while working with clients and contracts. 

Jon eventually made use of the real estate to record an album. The songs were some reworked, older ideas and a couple of new ones written for modern quintet, two with string arrangements. The CD includes some heavies, namely, Vinnie Colaiuta and Kevin Hayes.

It was a new beginning. And different this time living in a major city and a history of well known jazz artist and off of a big year selling houses. Some of the established musicians helped this adjustment and he was soon on the scene regularly working in clubs along U St and Adams Morgan.​ This was the inspiration for a release of jazz quintet recordings as a follow-up to the first, now with local musicians. One of the songs won a WAMMIE, DC's music awards.

He also honed his latin and world music chops here. People from all over the world come to live in DC bringing culture and music from West Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Jon was first call for this kind of groove oriented music. Then there's the agency band and tribute band work.  DC has a vibrant R&B scene, having produced many greats. Some touring musicians work with big names and they flow in and out of the wedding bands, so the musicianship and production are high level. 

Now a recent resident of St. Louis MO, he's on the road more than ever to Tennessee, Kentucky,  Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginias and DC playing gigs. Jon stays in touch with Knoxville scene too, doing some sessions and gigs with local musicians. 

​​​​​​Jon Steele is a bass player and composer from all over the Southeast U.S. His time working with great musicians through many years has taught him that to be truly great at it, you have to listen well. It's the broad listening and creating that makes him a versatile player and musician.  

Born in Lynchburg VA, he soon moved to Charlottesville, then Richmond, before landing in Atlanta GA at age 8. Musical life began here, with a loaner guitar, a lot of curiosity and a Mel Bay book. His older sister was into classic rock and some fusion. Mom and dad liked country. Jon went with the former.

Two years later he discovered the upright bass. This was in one of those middle school programs that introduce kids to all of the instruments. Hearing the bass for the fist time made in indelible impression. From then on it was bass only, no guitar.  

Jon lived in Orlando FL in high school and got into the jazz band. He learned to play arrangements with horns and piano which was new, very different from garage bands in Georgia. The tunes were more sophisticated, all instrumental, and it was jazzy in the academic sense. Jon did eventually pick the guitar back up, knowing more about harmony and a it's cool thing to know as a teenager.   

Florida was short-lived and a few years later he was in Knoxville TN, (Oak Ridge, actually). They had a good string program. Ed Meyer, (Edgar Meyer's dad) was the long-time conductor and good bass player himself. He recommended The University of Tennessee which had good upright bass program, so Jon enrolled. 

He studied jazz in college, particularly with Donald Brown. There were some jazz clubs around town where he could hear local musicians as well as big names that came through Knoxville. It wasn't long before he was gigging. While a Knoxville is a good jazz town, you have to diversify to make a living in East Tennessee. So, Jon worked with several symphonies, a touring jam band, steel pan players, blues musicians, singer/songwriters, and dance bands.

​Classical music had always been in the background. After gigging and touring for while, he decided to go back to UTK and get a Master's degree in Double Bass. which led to college teaching.