Inspired by the composer Carla Bley, "Carla's Bleyhouse" is a modern rock tune that features both silky-smooth counterpoint and in-your-face brass hits. See if you can find the Carla Bley Easter eggs inside.
"Persephone" is a bossa-nova inspired by Greek mythology. It starts with a twisted chorale and lead the listener on a journey to bring Persephone out of the underworld.
"American Standard" by Dan Kramlich is a smooth funk that is tasty, musical, and approachable. The solo section has written solos and is also only one chord for those venturing into improvisation.
"Four! Fore?" is a modern broken swing that takes the listener on a journey. The ensemble section at the beginning drives the piece forward suspensefully, not knowing if the shot was a hook or a slice. The rhythm section comes in with a groove right down the fairway and it feels good. The piece continues featuring a tenor sax solo and a swinging shout section, which is par for the course.
How do you get your band to internalize a shuffle groove? Answer: Ru-ta-ba-ga, ru-ta-ba-ga, ru-ta-ba-ga, ru-ta-ba-ga. "Rutabaga" is a modern shuffle that hooks the listener from the beginning with its infections groove and takes them on a journey through a tenor sax solo to the shout chorus before winding down to a recap of its groovy beginnings.
