Personnel

Mike Estep - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Jeff Favalo - Vocals, Electric Guitars
Steve Orlando, Jr. - Vocals, Drums
Paul Opel - Vocals, Bass

Mike Estep
As the primary songwriter for the group, Mike's honesty, insight and emotion are the heart and soul of the band. He is the driving force behind the music and the lyrics. His songs are personal stories, glimpses into your soul, celebrations of living life to its fullest. His driving acoustic guitar and unforgettable voice put a unique stamp on the music, making it immediately recognizeable.

After having become a stalwart on the Syracuse singer/songwriter scene, in 1997-98 Mike hooked up with Todd Hobin, Tommy Scott and Jeff Favalo to record a group of songs that eventually became his first release "One Lane Bridge." He gathered a group of friends and family to perform his songs at the CD release party, and The Mike Estep Band was born.

Send E-mail to Mike:

Jeff Favalo
From funky R&B grooves to searing leads, Jeff keeps you on your toes with his huge variety of musical styles. He takes you on a magical adventure, from crunching rock power chords to mesmerizing melody lines, from infectious syncopations to heart-wrenching solos. It has been said that Jeff's tasty electric guitar and strong, emotional voice are the perfect match for Mike's songs — always complimenting but never dominating.

A classically trained cellist, Jeff brings a wide variety of talents to The Mike Estep Band. He is a professional producer, engineer and studio musician, having worked with the Kenny Wayne Sheppard Band, Soul Coughing, Earth Crisis, and dozens of others. He performed on "One Lane Bridge" and was part of the original MEB lineup.

Send E-mail to Jeff:

Steve Orlando, Jr.
The minute you hear Steve sing, you can feel it in your soul. It's real, it's honest, it's from the heart. There are no pretensions, no barriers, no bloated egos. Only real soul. His steady, expressive drumming drives the band, setting up tight grooves and powerful backbeats. You'll hear dozens of styles in his playing, with the flavors of jazz, R&B, modern rock and funk all mixing on the musical palette.

The product of a musical family, Steve is a veteran of the Syracuse music scene. His talent has been featured in the vocal jazz ensemble Swing Central, the latest incarnation of The Todd Hobin Band, Syracuse R&B band The Sharp Dressed Penguins and the party band Backbeat Street. He played auxiliary percussion at the release party for "One Lane Bridge" (at the invitation of Jeff), then took over as the full-time drummer.

Send E-mail to Steve:

Paul Opel
When you see The Mike Estep Band performing live, one of the first thing's you'll notice is that Paul never seems to stop moving. He's swaying, he's bopping, he's bouncing, he's hopping. As you can tell, the man we call "Pimp Daddy" is really having a great time. And his bass playing reflects that. His rock-solid foundation and funky accents push the energy level, yet always staying smack dab in the middle of the pocket. But most of all, he provides the perfect support that Mike's songs deserve.

Also one of the band's songwriters, Paul is a former band director and tuba player. With a wide range of experiences (polka band, 80's hair metal band, Broadway musicals), he flows easily from one style to another. Currently he is a professional web designer, and this website is his creation. He was invited to join the band in 1999 by former vocalist Dani Gottuso, and has been an MEB fixture ever since.

Send E-mail to Paul: