And it starts. 3 horns standing in the studio by themselves. The red light comes on and they start playing, unaccompanied. The horns play half the melody before the rhythm section joins in. On the bridge the rhythm section plays rhythmic figures as the horns play a line over the top. A short repeat of the [A] section before solos by Kye and Steve. (Kye’s solo is transcribed and available on the website.) Randy has a short drum solo before the horns play a soli with just the drums. The rhythm section is back in just in time for a key change for the [A] section, bridge and ending.

This song has both of my trademarks, titles after people/places/things in my life and unaccompanied horns. This song was named after my niece Camille when she was interested in cooking.

Composed & Arranged by Dave Cushman

Published by JRL-SGS Publishing, ASCAP

Length - 5:14

Solos:

    Kye Palmer, Trumpet

    Steve Gregory, Guitar

    Randy Drake, Drums

Did you hear Steve’s playing, that’s Extreme! Once upon a time I had a doctor named Watt.

An interesting piece to showcase our guitar player, Steve Gregory. Latin with a bit of Funk on the edges, with some Samba in the middle. Steve plays the melody, the horns play backgrounds the 2^nd time. The bridge is a more traditional Samba, Steve and Matt play the melody in unison. The horns take over the melody on the [A] section before Steve’s solo. Steve is given lots of space, he solos on the complete form of the tune complete with the groove change. An interlude with finger-busting notes for Kye and Dick. Francisco joins Steve on the [A] section melody. Once again on the bridge the groove changes to a more traditional Samba while the horns play the melody. The last [A] section Steve plays the melody by himself. The same finger-busting Interlude from earlier, except Kye takes it 8va at the end.

Now that you’ve heard it, don’t you agree that Steve’s playing was extreme?

Composed & Arranged by Dave Cushman

Published by JRL-SGS Publishing, ASCAP

Length - 6:54

Solos:

    Steve Gregory, Guitar

    Randy Drake, Drums

A SG7 tribute to the Brecker Brothers.

A simple head tune if it wasn’t for all the finger bustin’ notes, complete with an open solo section which lets all three horns funk it up on their own.

The song starts with Steve and Jonathan playing the bass line in unison with help from Randy. Matt joins in with some chords. Then it gets serious, the horns start playing. A couple unison notes, a couple harmony notes, a couple more unison notes. Then the bridge, Kye and Dick play what many have feared to play in the past. An abbreviated [A] section and off to the solos. The solo sign on this song says “Horns Only.” Each soloist takes 2 choruses of funk and 2 choruses of dbl-time swing D minor blues. Jim takes the first solo, being a Brecker tribute he felt he should electronically alter his sound for the funk part of his solo. Kye follows Jim’s lead and electronically alters his sound on the funk and going all natural on the swing part. Dick’s up next and wasn’t going to take a back seat to any electronically altered sound, he plays EWI on the funk and Alto Sax on the swing. Everyone is back to the old school instruments they started with to revisit the bridge and the [A] section. A unison lick to end the song.

*Bass players note: Listen to Jonathan behind the solos, that’s how you do it.

Composed & Arranged by Dave Cushman

Published by JRL-SGS Publishing, ASCAP

Length - 8:39

Solos:

    Jim Lewis, Trombone

    Kye Palmer, Trumpet

    Dick Aven, EWI & Alto Sax

Named after my niece, Chloe. What would be more appropriate than a pretty ballad featuring Kye on the flugelhorn.

The song starts rubato with Matt following Kye on the melody. The band comes in for the second 8. Kye continues the melody on the bridge while Dick and Jim play in the background. Dick starts the melody on the last [A] until Kye plays the last few notes before Kye’s ad-lib. Jim plays the melody on the Interlude before Kye comes in on the lead. Rubato again with Kye and Matt, back into tempo to the end.

Composed & Arranged by Dave Cushman

Published by JRL-SGS Publishing, ASCAP

Length - 4:17

Solos:

    Kye Palmer, Flugel

At one rehearsal, Matt and Steve were talking about a phrase I wrote and said those were crazy notes. Crazy? I’ll show them crazy!

This song is on the rock-ish side of Progressive Funk for sure. A repeating unison lick for the rhythm section as the horns set up the beginning of the melody. The three horns play the busy melody together with a couple little flurries of notes from Dick and Jim. Repeat. Lots of notes on the bridge, Dick and Steve play together, Kye and Jim play together, the horns all play together. The horns continue playing while the rhythm section plays the repeating figure into the interlude. Dick and Matt play the melody together, a couple band tutti hits and it’s into the repeating figure for Steve to start his solo. Lots of stuff going on while Steve effortlessly solos above it. A horn soli into and over the repeating rhythm figure. The horns play the melody and the band ends together.

Composed & Arranged by Dave Cushman

Published by JRL-SGS Publishing, ASCAP

5:39

Solos:

    Steve Gregory, Guitar

Very loosely based on Charlie Parkers "Relaxin @ Camarillo."

C blues, 70’s-ish funky boogaloo complete with some preachin’ from Matt on the organ.

The song starts with the rhythm section having tutti hits while the horns fill the space. A couple measures to set the groove and it's off to the melody. Dick and Steve play the melody together, the 2ndX Kye and Jim join together for the background. Jim and Steve play the melody on the bridge. Kye, Dick and Jim combine for the melody leading to the solo section. Kye starts, Jim follows and Matt takes the last solo and gets to solo over the bridge chords. Another section of tutti rhythm section as the horns play in the empty space. Back to the first melody with Dick and Steve while the Kye and Jim play the background. A little bit of the intro and the song ends on a high note.

(No connection between Crazy Notes and Sneakin’ Out of Camarillo)

Composed & Arranged by Dave Cushman

Published by JRL-SGS Publishing, ASCAP

Length - 8:04

Solos:

    Kye Palmer, Trumpet

    Jim Lewis, Trombone

    Matt Weisberg, Organ

Named after the student my wife tutors, you go Tyler!

A short rhythm section only intro until Dick and Jim start the melody. The second time Kye plays some background notes with Steve. All the horns together on the Bridge as Steve and Jonathan play a line together. The [A] section again with Kye playing the lead with a couple extra measures to the solo section. Damn, these chords are tough to solo over. Oops, I forgot to tell Dick and Steve that as evidenced by their making the tough sound easy. Another of my horn solis when the rhythm section plays rhythmic figures, this one with a finger-busting horn soli. Dick has a solo, giving Kye and Jim a break from the composer’s abusive writing. A key change for the last [A] section, the horns play a unison lick to set up the last note.

Composed & Arranged by Dave Cushman

Published by JRL-SGS Publishing, ASCAP

6:24

Solos:

    Dick Aven, Tenor Sax

    Steve Gregory, Guitar

A song written for the flugelhorn by Chris Gordon, a friend of Jims from back at the University of Alabama.

Kye starts with the melody, Dick and Jim have a few background notes. The horns play a few notes together on the second half of the melody until Kye finishes the melody by himself. One of my typical horn solis, the rhythm section plays a rhythmic tutti figure while the horns have a bunch of notes to play. Kye does his usual and plays his ass off on his solo. Another horn soli, not for the squeamish. Steve has a short solo before the key change and the horns start the melody. A few melody notes from Jim and it’s right back to the horns playing together. Kye plays some fills before the end.

(The vocal version is available on the Ingrid James/SG7 “Lost My Heart” CD.)

Composed by Chris Gordon

Arranged by Dave Cushman

Published by JRL-SGS Publishing, ASCAP

Length - 5:13

Solos:

    Kye Palmer, Flugel

Thanks to Jim Lewis for everything!

Thanks to SG7 for playing my music. Thanks to SG7 for making the ink on the page come to life. It’s been a privilege to be associated with such great people and musicians.

Thanks to Francisco Torres and his trombone for filling in again while Jim was in Afghanistan.

Thanks to Dick Aven for his contribution to the band. Thanks to Glen Berger for helping out.

Thanks to my wife, sister, nieces, nephews and rest of family.