Composer, trumpeter, arranger and bandleader Ben Bierman releases a collection of his music, Beyond Romance, that is a deeply personal statement and an amalgam of his wide breadth of musical experience. His song cycle Beyond Romance reflects influences from jazz, Broadway, cabaret and art song, and sets poignant lyrics about midlife relationships by Earl Shuman, performed elegantly by Broadway and jazz notables Hilary Gardner, Matthew Scott, and pianist Jeb Patton. Bierman's instrumental version of his Six Songs rounds out the disc, tying together his rich background accrued through years as a New York freelancer.