EDIT: the YouTube videos got pulled so I will upload some audio snippets soon.
It actually came out a couple of weeks ago but with all my recent travel I just wasn’t able to post about it. The new CD is called Ostrich. My regular horn section, the Retox Horns, recorded three songs for the album although when we are with Crack the Sky we are called the Crack Pack Horns. In some ways it’s kind of like “FINALLY” for me because many years ago I had joined the original Crack Pack Horns when I took Ellery Eskelin’s place on the bari chair. We were in the studio for Crack’s World in Motion album and we got all the way to showing up for the record release party before finding out that the song we did was completely re-recorded with a different feel and we were no longer even on it. I think that was over 20 years ago so it’s nice to finally be on this CD and I’m especially happy with the way it came out.
The first song we did was one we had already played live with the band: Your House is On Fire. I played tenor and bari on it and of course my usual partners in crime are Dave Makowiecki and Jim McFalls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87eCDMPSeGg
The next song is Happy, Happy, Happy. The horns don’t come in until about the 2 minute mark but then we’re in until the end. This is a funky little groover with some fun guitar work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrkKFF6Y8CI
Finally, we played on an interesting little story piece called Pole Dancing at the Hollywood. This one is also pretty funky and I like the way the horns are laying back against the driving beat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjbB4CfiYCc
You can find all the songs on You Tube (like I did) but support music and buy a copy either from the website or at a show. You can buy the CD for less than a couple trips to Starbucks and you’ll get more long-lasting enjoyment from it.
