Ben Cook, piano/keyboards; Eric T. Johnson, electric, steel string, and nylon string guitars; Carl Clements, tenor and soprano saxophones, bansuri, flute; Joshua Davis, acoustic bass; Bertram Lehmann, drums/percussion; Norm Bergeron, percussion

All comments about the music are by their composers or arrangers.

Intersections (3:58) by Eric T. Johnson. MP3/Real Audio/Flash/Sheet Music
    On this piece I'm playing a Godin nylon string guitar through the Roland VG-8. A unique sound which combines with the soprano sax and keyboards in a dense melodic fabric. These complex intersections are set against the open sounds of the acoustic piano and hand percussion.
    "Intersections", though compact in form, presents opportunities for each member of the band to make a statement. I wanted to write a piece that features the talents of each bandmember, but that is more concise than much of the music we play. Crosscurrent, which is as much a group of composers as it is of players, demands that as a composer you write music that is different than, yet complementary to, that of your bandmembers. This challenge is the compositional equivalent to what Miles achieved with his great bands, which contrasted individual soloist's styles so effectively.

North March (5:43) by Ben Cook.
    "North March" is definitely a mood piece. I tend to think programmatically towards much of my composing, and this piece is intended to convey some sort of a lonely journey, hence the fading in and out of the drums, almost parade-like. Like "Intersections", which is in both 7/4 and 15/4 time, "North March" exists naturally in an unusual time signature, 9/4. When a melody occurs to me in an uneven rhythmic structure, I usually feel compelled not to try to even it out to accommodate our Western sensibilities, but to leave it in its nascent state and make it feel seamless while still being true to its original character.

Firefly (8:27) by Carl Clements. MP3/Real Audio/Flash
    The composition "Firefly" was initially inspired by the magical display of flashing lights that illuminate the night sky during the summertime in New England. The recurring use of the interval of a fourth is suggestive of this brightness. However, as I pondered the source of these lights, I found myself drawn into thoughts of the inner world of the firefly, whose displays of brilliance are a part of their own elaborate courtship. This reflection on the beauty and mystery of the lives of these creatures is represented by a bittersweet waltz, withthe melody first played by piano alone, then joined by the soprano saxophone and the rest of the band. The tune is in a sense a commentary on the dichotomy of perception and reality.

Guinnevere (6:49) by David Crosby. Arranged by Ben Cook.
    We don't often perform or record other people's material, but David Crosby's "Guinnevere" seemed ripe for our own interpretation. Rather than treat it as a traditional blowing vehicle (melody, structural improvisation, melody), I chose to arrange it almost inside out. We start out improvising collectively and freely in the mood of the melody, but without adherence to form or meter. We then state the entire melody of the composition, using the same harmonies of the Crosby, Stills & Nash vocals, but instrumentally on tenor saxophone, electric guitar, and arco bass. After the three verses of melody, we once again improvise together and without preconceptions in regards to form or specific harmony. There is a certain musical high that can be achieved when we leave the entire beginning and ending of a piece to spontaneity and collective creation. Listen especially for Josh's stunning bowed melodies.

Stop & Go (4:21) by Bertram Lehmann. MP3/Real Audio/Flash
    This up-tempo tune is a showcase for the soloing abilities of Carl, Eric, and Bertram. With a rhythmic structure reminiscent of Brazilian music and a melody in the 1970s Keith Jarrett style, "Stop & Go" features some of this recording's loosest yet most joyful moments. The improv takes the form of an "almost traditional" twelve-bar blues. - Ben Cook

Crosscurrent (10:41) by Ben Cook.
    This piece perfectly crystallizes what Crosscurrent is capable of musically as a group. Playing against a simple harmonic background and a hypnotic wash of percussion prerecorded by Bertram and Norm, we engage in a six-way improvisation that at times sounds as if it must have been composed rather than spontaneously created. The textures produced by the interactions of Carl's bansuri, Josh's bass, Eric's layers of guitar sound, Bertram's and Norm's panoply of percussion, and the combination of dreamy keyboard backgrounds and acoustic piano are rare and beautiful. The song "Crosscurrent" brings together seemingly disparate elements of African, Indian, and American folk/western music to create music greater than the sum of its parts, an aesthetic that also characterizes the group as a whole.

Mirrormere (8:31) by Ben Cook. MP3/Real Audio/Flash
    "Mirrormere" almost qualifies as a traditional jazz tune in its conventional form and improvisational structure. However, it is also intended to be a study in mood and spa ce. The title is a literary reference from Tolkien, describing a mere, or pond, so clear and untarnished by the passage of time that it seems to exist in a state of utter purity. Carl's flute and Eric's steel-string guitar lend to the song's atmosphere of fragility. Bertram's playing is the epitome of taste.

Seven of Mine (6:56) by Joshua Davis.
    I thought of individual band member's interests and sounds when composing this. Ben can read anything, anywhere, any time, and in any time. I chose him to establish the opening groove of the piece, partly because I knew it would be 100% from the downbeat of the first rehearsal forward. Eric and Carl have a beautiful sense of aggressive melody when improvising over such grooves. They're playing over the funky metal section was just as I'd hoped. Eric made great calls when it came time to settle on guitar sounds. Carl and I have focussed considerable energy on Raga and I wanted a written then improvised bass solo to have a bit of such flavor. I also wanted to feature the sonority of saxophone/bass octave melody. I love Norm's percussion so featuring his voice was a pleasure, and a given. Bertram is capable of top level playing in so many styles, groove-based, open, and varying combinations. I wanted to hear him play metal now. After a few rehearsals, he brought his own sound to my metal intentions and I couldn't be happier.

Ritual (11:42) by Carl Clements.
    The title of the composition was partly derived from Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring". I began writing it on an early spring day, filled with thoughts of the renewal of the annual dance of life. While on the surface we see the emergence of beautiful leaves and flowers, we often fail to see the tangled competition of roots below the surface. We are all a part of this elaborate game of life, death, and rebirth, often unconscious of our role in the boundless ritual of existence.

Now the Day is Gone (2:56) by Ray M. Cook (arranged by Ben Cook)
    This song will always occupy a singular place in my heart, because it was the lullaby to which my brother and sister and I were sung to sleep every night as children. Written by my grandmother, Ray M. Cook, and sung to us by my father, it is a simple melody with gentle lyrics. "Now the day is gone/All is still/Gently comes the night/by God's will/Glistening stars appear/Listening creatures hear us/Standing hand in hand/Family's golden band/Father, be with us/through the night." In tribute to my grandmother, I chose to arrange this song for Crosscurrent in a simple fashion consistent with that of a lullaby. After Carl states the melody sweetly on bansuri, the ensemble plays a brief collective improvisation on the melody. Stars fall at the coda.