the lovely disc image

hear some of these tunes at myspace

1

joy unspeakable

mitch bell, guitar
ed garcia, bass
tracy patterson, alto sax
michael roderick, piano
george toumayan, drums

2

peace (improvisation)

3

asleep through 1984

ed garcia, bass
brian gorrell, alto sax
michael roderick, piano & vocals
george toumayan, drums

In thick black smoke and burning rain
A plane engulfed in the strong steel frame
Behind the anchors soon to blame the Middle-Eastern world
They made it clear that buildings fall
When fire melts the steel
But the walls fell just like demolition, worse by far than fire can cause

We saw explosions, heard the sounds
Just like the firemen on the ground

But we believe what’s on our screen
We don’t know what freedom means
It’s going away—we’ve opened the door
And we’re asleep through 1984

Somewhere a computer counts the vote;
Does it decide the votes that count?
If we write our children checks that bounce, will we be here to bail them out?
They push the interest through the floor
But in whose interest we’re not sure
This whole thing happened once before, but they don’t teach that anymore

We’re spending money that does not exist
They’re giving us the Judas kiss

4

snap

homage to joe zawinul
mitch bell, guitar
ed garcia, bass
michael roderick, piano
george toumayan, drums

saxes: tracy patterson, brian gorrell, leon williams, jared cathey, miguel correa
trombones: jeff kidwell, colter weatherholtz, katie tolbert
trumpets: lee rucker, clint rohr

5

self-control (improvisation)

6

truth doesn’t change

ed garcia, bass
brian gorrell, alto sax
michael roderick, piano & vocals
george toumayan, drums

Run, my child
You will see that I am following you
In denial
Of the truth that I am waking you to
Lost and lonely
In this dark that I am walking you through
Listen closely
Don’t pretend you’ve rediscovered the truth

I’m the First and the Last
If you run from my Word ’till you die, that Word will remain
Won’t you learn from the past?
Your questions may change, but the answers are always the same
Truth doesn’t change

Your excuses
Pave the way for all your frustrating pain
Tired and useless
I don’t want your life to be there again

7

kindness (improvisation)

8

two perspectives

ed garcia, bass
brian gorrell, alto sax
jeff kidwell, trombone
michael roderick, piano
clint rohr, flugelhorn
lee rucker, trumpet
george toumayan, drums

9

come out

michael roderick, piano & vocal

Uncle Abram and I are far from our homes
God called us out to give us a land of our own
We were so blessed that our flocks and our herds had to separate
Uncle gave me the choice, and taking my livelihood with me,
I settled down by the city

Many seasons had passed—they made me a leader
The city was wicked, but there wasn’t that much I could do
One day as I sat in the gate, the visitors warned me to leave;
Judgment was coming—Uncle had pleaded my case
We had to get out of that place

Come out, come out of her, my people
She doesn’t know me and she can’t lead you to truth
Come out, come out of her, my people
Believe I will provide for you

I was studying law, but then came the lightning
Cloistered up in this room, I would wrestle the guilt
One day as I studied the Scripture, my God revealed grace to me
The church was a lie—no army of men in red robes
Could make me deny what I know

I recall pacing the deck of a ship sailing west
Faith in the promise of God pumping blood to my chest
With Britain behind us, the soil, the farm and our freedom ahead
We chose to obey—our conscience would not let us go
We learned that you reap what you sow

Come out, come out of her, my people
She doesn’t know me and she can’t lead you to truth
Come out, come out of her, my people
Believe I will provide for you

I’m alive in the twenty-first century world
The government tells me their hands contain all that I need
The children are taught there’s no God, for the state is their Father
And he watches over—he never sleeps in the night
His wisdom decides what is right
I’ve been around and I’ve seen what the church has become
The profit she follows proclaims not in words, but in sums
With the Bible behind her, she’s pressed on to urban absorption
She’s feeding the beast, filling the buildings so well
With folks who live just like everybody else

Come out, come out of her, my people
She doesn’t know me and she can’t lead you to truth
Come out, come out of her, my people
If I want to obey, I cannot stay
Come out, come out of her, my people
She doesn’t know me and she can’t lead you to truth
Come out, come out of her, my people
Believe I will provide for you

10

patience (improvisation)

all compositions & arrangements copyright michael roderick 2009