Gimme Some Sugar, Baby!

Named after my second daughter Annabella, the drummer in the family, this shuffle is best featured as an opener or a closer, and once it starts it keeps cruising along without letting up. With shuffles being a mainstay of big band repertoire it was only fitting to open the album with this hard-driving piece. — JC
Soloists: Al Keith, Trumpet – Jim Cutler, Alto Saxophone

The Urubamba river runs through Peru’s sacred valley near Cuzco and Machu Picchu. It has many moods. The adventure of navigating a river with all of its twists, turns and surprises is a nice metaphor for the type of storytelling that music affords. This piece begins and ends calmly but kicks up quite a fuss in between. — DB
Soloists: Daniel Barry, Trumpet – Garey Williams, Drums

St. Cecilia’s Day was written in honor of the patroness of musicians. Although musicians in the U.S. don’t pay much attention to her I discovered that she is frequently called upon by Brazilian musicians to help cure toothaches, keep amplifiers from exploding, and most importantly, to make sure that checks don’t bounce. She is often pictured jamming with angels. — DB
Soloists: Daniel Barry, Trumpet – Chris Amemiya, Trombone – Mike West, Tenor Saxophone

Gimme Some Sugar, Baby! is a playful, funky throwback piece dedicated to my wife Stephanie, my never-ending supply of sugar. It’s a twist on a standard blues, and provides plenty of space for soloists to blow. — JC
Soloists: Steve Kirk, Trombone – Mike West, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Brown, Alto Saxophone – Garey Williams, Drums

Spirit World was commissioned by the Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra to feature virtuoso baritone saxophonist James DeJoie. The altissimo range of the instrument is explored along with the powerful low register. This recording is a fine representation of the conjuring that occurs whenever we have the opportunity to perform this piece live. Our goal is to transcend the mundane and embrace the divine. — DB
Soloist: James DeJoie, Baritone Saxophone

“Folia” is of Iberian origin and refers to a fertility dance in three-four time originating in the late 15th century. Folia literally means madness, folly, or empty-headedness. Western music history is riddled with adaptations of this theme. La Folia Lando may well be the first scored for Jazz Orchestra, and to incorporate the Afro-Peruvian Lando rhythm. — DB
Soloists: Steve Kirk, Trombone – Daniel Barry, Trumpet – Paul Gillespie, Tenor Saxophone – Garey Williams, Drums – Mike Mines, Lead Trumpet

Cry Out Loud was written during the spring of 2003 while the United States government was preparing to go to war. The entire world was involved as unprecedented numbers of people protested against the invasion of Iraq. This piece is a reflection of one person’s struggle to make sense out of the decision to pursue a course of action leading to bloodshed. The unflagging momentum of the opening notes eventually gives way to what is best described as a prayer for lasting peace. Cry Out Loud is dedicated to the victims of the war. — DB
Soloists: Dennis Rea, Guitar – Garey Williams, Drums

Thumper is dedicated to every bass player I have ever played with that grew tired of up-tempo, bebop inspired renditions of jazz standards that are played at nearly every jam session. The nickname Thumper was given to one such bass player whom we feared would collapse if one more lightning fast tempo was kicked off, so I wrote this laid-back blues to give him and everyone in the group a chance to catch their breath. — JC
Soloists: Gregg Robinson, Piano – Al Keith, Trumpet – Philip Demaree, Bass – Paul Gillespie, Tenor Saxophone

The Monkey Bar is a place. The Monkey Bar is a place for all dreams and aspirations. The Monkey Bar is a place for all dreams and aspirations and thoughts of success to go and wither away. It’s a place we all know, a place we’ve all been. Some choose to stay, others run like hell. Mr. Cypher, owner and proprietor of said bar, who once killed a man with a guitar string, always knows the drink you’ll need. Problem is you may not want it after you’ve taken the first sip. Somehow though, you can’t stop from chugging… every time. There are hundreds of yellow roses stacked up on one side of the bar, an old couple dancing cheek to cheek to the jukebox that always plays Charlie Parker and a screen door that is perpetually off its hinges. It’s a place where nobody wins, places or shows. The Monkey Bar is always open, ready to serve and just around the next corner. The Monkey Bar is a place for all dreams and aspirations and thoughts of success to go and wither away. The Monkey Bar is a place for all dreams and aspirations. The Monkey Bar is a place. — JD
Soloists: Garey Williams, Drums – James DeJoie, Baritone Saxophone – Dennis Rea, Guitar

Rush to Delivery was influenced by the often piercing, high brass of the Kenton band, and was written around the time of the birth of my second daughter. A variety of sounds, emotions, and movement were subconsciously included as the piece was composed during that time, and it’s a fitting ending for this album, with a delivery date that was anything but rushed. — JC
Soloists: Al Keith, Trumpet – Jim Cutler, Alto Saxophone – Chris Amemiya, Trombone – Mike West, Tenor Saxophone – Garey Williams, Drums