Star Wars: A New Hope Soundtrack - 12. Cantina Band # 2

Cantina Band and Cantina Band #2 are the two source music cues for the saloon sequence where Luke and Ben meet Han Solo and Chewbacca amidst an array of slimy alien characters of unimagined diversity. The concept for the jitterbug-style music was prompted by George Lucas, who asked, "Can you imagine several creatures in a future century finding some 1930's Benny Goodman swing band music in a time capsule or under a rock someplace - and how they might attempt to interpret it?" For the realization of Lucas' concept, Williams brought in nine jazz musicians and wrote the two pieces for solo trumpet, saxophone, clarinet. Fender Rhodes piano, steel drum, synthesizer and various percussion. The cues were equalized during recording to give them a slightly unnatural, otherworldly quality.