Steve Klenke musician - All About Jazz

Updated: July 3, 2022

Born: October 23, 1955

Steve Klenke (BMI) - Trumpet Player, Composer, Producer, Synths, Husband, Dad, and Grandpa.

Credits:
Music Placements on Netflix, A&E, The History Channel, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Hulu, Discovery, UK-PRS, and United Entertainment & Media

Professional member of ITNS Radio & SWC Global Media, LLC

Songwriter and publisher member of BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc. performance rights organization)

6 tracks published by MIBE Music in New York City.

2 tracks curated by Reverb Nation.

22 tracks of original jazz sold (work-for-hire) to Teletunez, Inc.

Jingles for Toyota (Chicago area only) and American Heart Association.

Steve is both a songwriter and publisher member of BMI and the founder and owner of eMotific Music Publisher. He has composed music since high school and written several tracks for music buyers in the Film/TV/Advertising industries as well as his own CDs and singles. A dynamic trumpet player and composer, Steve's music draws you in and paints a picture. He collaborates with lyricists on songwriting and has created several curated songs.

Steve has a Bachelor of Music degree from Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, IL suburb of Chicago), and also attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Steve spent 20 years as a music educator, band & orchestra director for the public schools in Chicago & Suburbs before changing careers to Information Technology in 2000 (Bachelor of Science Degree from DeVry), and retired in 2021 after 20 years in I.T.

In Chicago, Steve played trumpet with local big bands and variety bands there and had his own jazz group. Steve continued to compose music and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2006. In New Mexico, Steve has played trumpet with just about every band there and the best players in town, including his own jazz sextet, the "Steve Klenke Jazz Sextet."

Tags

Steve Klenke Jazz Sextet takes the listener on an upbeat, mood altering ride into happy times long ago, and new jazz pieces that push the limits of jazz into toe-tapping, jazz-funk-rock mixtures that tell a story. A perfect mix of old familiar standards and bright new works sure to please any listener or audience. In crowd reviews from over 400 people on ReverbNation, here is what people are saying about the music: "This song just paints a picture." "I was pulled into this song within 10 seconds." "I love the emotion that went into it. I could sense and feel a 'story' in there, as if it had lyrics." "Nice, smooth, effortless jazz that pulls you in and changes your mood." "flashback to a time of great music and great artists" "The horn work in this song is excellent." "The trumpet player stands out amongst a group of great musicians." "Smooth, Upbeat jazz vibe"

From All About Jazz review (2011): Trumpet meet master. In the hands of Steve Klenke, the trumpet becomes a paintbrush in which he can render stunningly beautiful imagery, from the playful innocence of a "Little Sunflower." With or without words, the songs on Klenke's latest album, Tangerine, bloom in Technicolor. They are brightly lit and are brimming with good vibrations; combining jazz standards with his own timeless compositions, Klenke offers the best of the past and present with a consistent high standard of performance.

The sprightly trumpet and tinkling piano of "Little Sunflower" open the record on an engaging, blissfully tuneful note. More than just a cover of the Freddie Hubbard classic, it features some of Klenke's most soulful playing. He sounds truly inspired here, but it is only the beginning, the introductory track on an album that is relentless in its ability to soothe and mesmerize. When Klenke's trumpet soars atop the swaying rhythms of Johnny Mercer's title cut, it is absolutely breathtaking. Klenke keeps the atmosphere upbeat and loose. "New Mexico Rain" is positively thumping giving that balance of toe-tapping energy and ear-caressing smoothness. Through it all, Klenke schools everybody on the art of the trumpet, displaying some mighty skills.

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