Three Atlanta Producers Join Forces For Palomino Duck's "Smooth Flight"

From L to R: Tim McCabe, Trammell Starks, Cheryl Rogers

Cheryl Rogers, Tim McCabe and Trammell Starks are all successful music producers in their own right. Rogers is the recipient of numerous awards including EMMYs, a Grammy Award, Dove Awards, and an Oscar nomination for Best Song in 2017. She has other credits as producer for Babbie Mason and many other Chrisitan acts. 

McCabe, longtime Atlanta singer/guitarist has over 700 commercials written and produced to his credit, including work with Ray Charles and Ray Stevens. He has two EMMY awards for entertainment TV specials he’s produced. Trammell Starks has become the smooth jazz guru engineering and working with acts such as Jennifer Holliday, Patti LaBelle and Peabo Bryson. Now, the three of them are collaborating on “Smooth Flight,” the latest musical project from Palomino Duck.

For Atlanta music producer, Tim McCabe, 25 years was a long time to wait before bringing a follow up album to Palomino Duck music fans. Both “First Flight” and “Free Flight” had success in the smooth jazz, new age market in the mid-nineties. So, “what took you so long and why now?” we asked the force behind Palomino Duck. “I guess I learned a lot about the music business years ago,” says McCabe. “Time to use that knowledge in today’s world.” Over the past years, McCabe worked as a payroll accountant, segueing smoothly into the then-blossoming film industry in Georgia. Some 100 films later, he’s eased back into music production.

---

The concept behind the music of Palomino Duck is that each composition is written or chosen with a strong melody in mind. Often, the composer is also the performer. When production stopped 25 years ago, there had been some beautiful songs recorded and not released. That’s where “Smooth Flight” began.  Instrumental tracks that were recorded years ago came to life once again. All the masters were still available and in good condition. Between Rogers and Starks, they were able to transfer these recordings to today’s digital format. Once transferred, the two added live musicians to enhance the recordings.

Meanwhile, the three producers worked to create the smooth jazz sound that’s so popular today. Five new songs were recorded to complete the project. Starks engineered and mastered at his studio in Alpharetta. Rogers performed much of the overdubbing in her studio in Roswell. McCabe contributed to the overall production and arranged for the 10 song CD to be released October 4th on the Planet Earth Recording Co. label. The songs can now be previewed on Amazon, Apple iTunes, Pandora, Spotify and most all other streaming platforms.