Cit Sac – Cecil Payne

This uptempo riff-based song is based on the Rodgers and Hart standard Lover. Over the descending changes, the relatively simple melody uses the fifth, flat seventh, and root of the first chord and holds out the flat fifth of the second chord; this pattern repeats three times, except the long note on G7 is the root. In the 13th measure two hits (beats 1 and 2) set up a four-measure drum break, as often occurs in Lover. The bridge is bright and rhythmic in a Horace Silver vein, and holds a note out (G) for the last four measures.

Our lead sheet has some piano comping rhythms under the staff; some of them are played on this recording, but more on the second version. Alternate changes are also indicated; this version gravitates toward those. On this recording the piano doubles the melody on the bridge. Both versions end with the two hits (13th measure of C), as a group vocal on the words "Cit Sac."

There a Concert Condensed Score for the faster version, from the "Chic Boom" album above right, showing added harmony notes.

The title's meaning is unknown, but considering that it's said rhythmically at the end of the song it's likely just a couple of "scat" syllables. Cecil Payne and his cousin Marcus Belgrave also recorded together on Walter Booker's 1999 album "Bookie's Cookbook." "Scotch And Milk," the second of Cecil's four Delmark albums, is Lin Halliday's last recording. Halliday, who died in 2000, didn't record between 1959 and 1988. In 1993 Halliday and Eric Alexander co-led a quintet for the album "Stablemates."