The score, performed by The Blackbyrds with Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson
conducting orchestral backing, begins with "Cornbread", a great jazzy funk tune
with a relaxed and sunny energy to it. The lyrics are all about the character
of Cornbread, "a man with a plan".
Next is "The One-Eye Two Step", which starts out with some really funky
solo electric bass guitar played high up. I think. When the band comes in
the bass drops real low but maybe it was a different instrument. With everything
else going on, drums, guitar, keyboard, horns, I can't quite tell if I still hear
the same thing it started with. But I think it's electric bass high then low.
"Mother/Son Theme" is a short and tender ballad featuring flute, a love theme
but maternal not romantic love.
Trumpet takes the lead for the slow and smoldering "A Heavy Town", a very
late-night romantic jazz tune.
Then the record explodes with the intense, high-energy action jazz funk disco
whatever of "One-Gun Salute" that's in either 6/8 or 6/4. Take your pick.
Wailing sax solo on this one.
We get deeper into dramatic underscore with the suspenseful
"The Gym Fight", which has drums, bass and guitar playing
spare, linear, unison lines, building tension until the horns
come in and the funk beats come crashing down.
Side 1 ends with "Riot", which has most of the work being
done by strings and drums, the former bringing intense dissonance
and the latter keeping up a consistent and unnerving groove,
punctuated by piano notes here and there. Then the strings
sprint to the finish with an assist from other members of
the orchestra (percussion, winds) At the end there's a surprise
appearance by wordless chorus in a Morricone mood.
Side 2 starts with "Soulful Source", an almost unbelievably
funky song with a devastating "Superstitious"-ish rhythm
and infectious vocals ("baby, baby, what can I do?"). This is
the kind of record where you just can't pick a favorite song
but this one is way up there.
Then we get sensuous horn and string arrangements that Henry Mancini and Elmer Bernstein
would have been proud of for the short but stirring "Mother/Son
Talk".
"At the Carnival" is a 3/4 piece that starts with a calliope-esque
keyboard intro and then shifts into a laidback and dreamy jazz waltz
with some very '70s sounds. Then it segus right into "Candy Store
Dilemma", a fast 4/4 jazz number with walking bass.
The suspense is back with the mysterious but totally groovy midtempo
deep funk of "Wilford's Gone", with amazing trumpet playing and some
very cool string and percussion arrangements.
Then it's a return to the somber but sweet mother/son theme
music for "Mother/Son Bedroom Talk", followed by the tense and
ominous "Courtroom Emotions", another pwoerful piece for orchestra,
especially strings.
But the record ends on a high note with a reprise of the
irrepressible "Cornbread", one of the happiest songs ever to come
out of the Gutbrain HQ speakers.