FRYIN THE TELSTAR (Lewis/Hanes/Meek) is a mash-up of I’m Fryin, by our drummer John Hanes, and Telstar, a 1962 instrumental by Joe Meek for the Tornados. It was No. One on the Billboard charts for two weeks in 1962, and was embedded into the collective consciousness of Americans at that time, as the Soviet Union was beating us in the race for space. The TELSTAR spacecraft got us back into the lead.

GARNER is by David Garner, a terrific Bay Area composer, on faculty at the S F Conservatory of Music. It was his first cash-based commission, a polymetric jazz tune for this septet.

GHANA (A C Lewis)  begins in 9/4 time, which is invaded by a 12, creating a 12 over 9 meter. The 9 becomes overwhelmed by the rhythms and themes in 12, and the tune morphs into a 12/8 that leads directly into a polymetric version of

This version of DOIN IT TO DEATH, by Maceo Parker and the JB’s, brings out the polymetric essence of the tune.

I wrote THE NEW NORMAL the night I lost my first gig by virtue of the lockdown. The whole thing came to me that night, and it has taken me this whole year to get it down on paper. Talk about inspiration VS perspiration. You’ll know it’s over when the Marimba comes in, as it segues into
OYOB.

OYOB (A C Lewis) is based on a beautiful Kenyan song by the inspirational Ayub Ogada, who we recently lost. It is dedicated to him.

LA POLLERA COLORA, a famous Colombian Cumbia, is  the Colombian People’s National Anthem (el Himno Nacional del Pueblo Colombiano). It’s certainly more Colombian than their official anthem, written by an Italian-born composer.