Opera Cowpokes
Steve Stull is the man that is to be held accountable for this collaboration. He has been singing in the Ithaca area for quite some time now. He had an idea, while traveling and gracing Ithaca audiences with his baritone, opera-style voice. In 1996, he had the inspiration to gather all of his friends and produce twenty-three classic western songs, his way. The result was a quartet that included Stull, Todd Greer, Timothy LeFebvre, and Peter Sicilian; however, the project expanded to include other famous singers and instrumentalists. Currently, the cast comes to nine people: Stull, Greer, LeFebvre, Sicilian, Phyllis Pancella, Stephen Powell, Dean Elzinga, and Raul Melo.
This may indeed be the world's first cross-over opera conglomeration. Many people are excited and praise this new band.
The following quotes can be found on the group's website: operacowpokes.com
"It's a magical compendium of classic Americana" -- Lansing Comm. News
This CD means an hour or so of real fun. As I was listening, and smiling broadly all the while, I wondered about the audience for this delightful concoction - people who love opera? Western and popular songs? Crossover renditions? Probably all of the above. -- Ithaca Times