Art runs in the Steig family. Whether you're talking about famed artist William Steig or his celebrated son Jeremy, there's creativity in their very blood. The younger Steig has made a name for himself in the field of jazz-rock, where his abilities as a flautist have gone unrivaled. He's considered one of the best in his field since first emerging as a talent in the '70s. His discography has impressed legions of jazz-rock fans, and even today he's heralded as an influence. Looking for proof? Listen to the Beastie Boys song "Sure Shot." Remember that little flute sample that opens the song? That's Jeremy Steig.

Steig was born in 1942, studying music with Paige Brook of the New York Philharmonic and at the High School of Music and Art in New York. Brook was a profound influence on Steig as a youth, encouraging him to experiment with the flute and explore the realm of jazz. It was wise advice. Steig would release his first jazz-rock record, Flute Fever, in 1963. You didn't have to contract flute fever to recognize Steig's talent, however. He would perform with such famed musicians as Jimi Hendrix, Tim Hardin, Jim Hall and Big Joe Williams over the ensuing decades. He would also form Jeremy Steig and the Satyrs, his own jazz-rock group, with Richie Havens.

Though not exactly a Top 40 chart-topper, Steig's contribution to the flute has advanced the genre of jazz. One recent record, Pterodactyl, employed his skills in a new way. Aside from the usual collection of flutes, he also used various bottles that he would blow over to create different sounds. The album's title is meant to be a colorful symbol of the old days of jazz. It came from a fantasy a friend of Steig's had of watching that prehistoric master of the skies roaming over windmills in a modern day landscape.