Plastic Genius / Members
Stephen Michael Pocus
Composer Keyboardist Pianist Piano TeacherStephen Michael Pocus- Keyboards Has been playing piano since the age of 10, but has been surrounded by music his entire life. He began playing by ear, writing songs and leaning from his parents and siblings. By the time he was 14 he was playing at local Winery’s and Brewing companies doing private parties and events as a solo artist. He also was playing in his high school jazz band and his own side project metal bands with friends. During that time, he was also involved in the San Jose Jazz Society programs going to jazz camps during the summertime and participating in their Advanced Youth Latin Jazz Ensemble and Advanced Youth Jazz Ensemble groups throughout the school year. After graduating high school at 16, he began playing in the college level jazz bands at West Valley Junior College and was working steadily as a work for hire pianist. Soon after he received a full ride scholarship to the Jazz Institute in Berkeley and after 2 short years of working on his degree, he took a year off school and moved to New York to experience a new part of his musical life. During his time in New York he spent most of his nights at the jazz clubs in Manhattan, while gigging on the weekends at various locations around Brooklyn and Manhattan, and working at a French Bistro during the daytime. After spending a year in New York, he decided it was time to move back home. He is currently living in Sacramento working as a full-time musician and teacher. He works for Sacramento State University playing in their Advanced Latin Jazz Ensemble. He also plays in many different groups around the local Sacramento area and teaches at a private music school in Natomas called the Natomas Music Square. He has recently been working with his own Jazz Quartet called Memories of Tomorrow; He is currently working towards finishing his first jazz-fusion album with them. His other groups include the High Octane Latin Band, Bomba Fried Rice, and the most notorious biker band in the world, the Fryed Brother
Billy D. Thompson
Composer Drum Teacher DrummerBilly D. Thompson- Drums Billy Thompson is a drummer of eleven years hailing from the Bay Area, but currently living in Sacramento. He plays a wide variety of styles including rock, reggae, punk, pop, funk, jazz, and afro-cuban. A lover of many music's, Billy enjoys learning and performing in many different genres and groups, universally developing his feel. For him, versatility is a musicians strongest asset.
Steven Husted
Bassist Composer Bass TeacherPlastic Genius is an exciting new group from Northern California. With some of the best musicians in Sacramento and the SF Bay Area, Plastic Genius blends all the tradition of jazz with many different elements to create a new dialect in the jazz idiom. THE PLAYERS Steven Husted- Bass Steven began his musical journey at the ripe old age of 6. From there he was always involved in everything musical from school band to private instruction to playing local parties for friends. At age 15, Steven moved from Ct. to San Francisco, where he jumped head first into the study of jazz. By the time Steven was 23, he was one of the top call bassists in the San Francisco Bay Area, including 6 years teaching at the acclaimed Stanford Jazz Workshop. Steven Has played with many jazz greats including Kenny Burrell, Billy Higgins, and Vince Wallace. Now residing in Hayward, CA, Steven, as part of Plastic Genius, is taking jazz into the next century and beyond
