Bootlegger’s Break

Bootlegger’s Break is a quicksilver opener driven by the soul of Lee Petty, a famous Prohibition-era getaway driver (his son Richard Petty channeled those skills into NASCAR). It has equal parts big-band-era energy and bluesy nods to Petty’s southern roots, with a great deal of inspiration coming from the big-band music that constantly emanates from my father’s man-cave. Stan Kenton, Artie Shaw, Glenn Gray: these masters of large ensembles are rarely heard today. It’s not often I get to write for many saxophones and horns, with a half-dozen percussionists backing them up: the ‘break’ of the title refers both to escapes and drum breaks).