[1] Kirby appeared as a leader on the albums Wicked Grin (2008) and Stepchild (2013), featuring the University of Manitoba Jazz Faculty Ensemble.
He has worked with Wessell Anderson, Kenny Barron, Kathleen Battle, Joanne Brackeen, James Carter, Regina Carter, Cyrus Chestnut, Wycliffe Gordon, Benny Green, Terreon Gully, Slide Hampton, Winard Harper, Stefon Harris, Antonio Hart, Eddie Henderson, John Hicks, Elvin Jones, Geoff Keezer, Oliver Lake, Abbey Lincoln, Joe Lovano, Wynton Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Claudio Roditi, Wallace Roney, Jacky Terrasson, Steve Turre, Warren Wolf, and Miguel Zenon.
In March 2004, he spearheaded the creation of what has become a weekly jazz institution in Winnipeg – the "COOL Monday Night Hang."
The magazine also served to co-ordinate and promote the Jazz events that the many local and visiting presenters offer in Winnipeg and throughout the province.
Designed as a mobile concert stage, Jazz on Wheels literally drove music to people in their own neighborhoods.
He retired on June 27, 2017, after his scheduled sabbatical, during which an internal investigation into alleged sexual harassment of students was conducted by the university.
[4][5][6] On May 9, 2018, after an investigation by Winnipeg police, Kirby was charged with sexual assault of a music student at the University of Manitoba, relating to multiple alleged incidents between 2014 and 2017.
[9] In August 2020, Steve Kirby was awarded $286,000 after an arbitrator, Arne Peltz, determined the University of Manitoba breached the professor's privacy.