Mike Steinel - Song & Dance (CD)

Renowned trumpeter, composer, educator, and author, Mike Steinel, partners with vocalist Rosana Eckert to showcase a wide-ranging collection of original music and songs. Though a composer of dozens of essential big band charts over the last 4 decades, Steinel opted for a quintet setting to frame his recent inspiration to write lyrics. From Irving Berlin-inspired ballads to soaring, through-composed romps, featuring intricate trumpet with wordless vocal melodies, Steinel's desire to blur stylistic boundaries and celebrate broader interests shines through. Reconfirming that music gains power when reduced to it's essential elements during recent time spent with young musicians in South Africa and Haiti, Steinel's bandmates, and fellow University of North Texas professors - Eckert, Pat Coil, Steve Barnes and Carl Hillman - create a joyous musical collection, with lyrics ranging from the humorous to the poignant and back again.