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In early 2007, rumors began to circulate among the cult of Dana "Short Order" Cooke followers that previously unknown recordings of Cooke — some of them recordings of songs never before heard — had been found and would soon be released to the general public. Over time, the story expanded to include talk of an album-length project, or unlikely guest musicians and cross-genre dabbling, or deeply encoded messages within the lyrics, hinting at the very reason for Cooke's sudden scarcity.

Later that year, the governing board of the Short Order Heritage Society launched an investigation, and in little time located the mysterious recordings — a collection of CDs and one dusty external hard drive found in the hands of a still-anonymous local-music afficionado. This person claimed to have discovered the recordings in an equipment closet of the Westcott Community Center in Syracuse, in a cardboard box, amid tangled guitar chords and mic clips. Most were crudely labeled "Cooke" and the hard-drive had been affixed with a strip of masking tape, boldly marked "Westcott Sessions"; banded around them was a wad of lyric sheets and other notes.

Though retaining possession of them, the collector has loaned the "Westcott Sessions" recordings to the Society, which is working now to make them available, at no cost, via this website. Amateur, but highly skilled, audio technicians within our ranks are undertaking the arduous task to sorting through innumerable studio tracks — many of them incomplete, many of them flawed, many of them duplicative of similar alternate takes — with the goal of piecing together finished recordings of complete songs, suitable for distribution. Tough choices are being made about the value of presenting these recordings to the public, flaws and all, while not in the process marring the legacy of the artist. Still, even with fairly strict standards in place, it now appears that as many as nine tracks may be salvageable, all of them eventually made available for free download over the coming months. (Sadly, other partial tracks, with tantalizing snippets of new lyrics and melody, will never see the light of day.)

In return for this service, the Short Order Heritage Society asks a simple favor of those who download these tracks: Please comment. E-mail us at shortorder@danacooke.com. Let us know whether you believe these recordings represent a significant addition to the body of recorded work attributed to Dana "Short Order" Cooke, and whether further distribution of these songs, perhaps in CD form, ought to be considered. Thank you.

Shepherd's Pie (solo) - 3:36 / 4.9 meg mp3 file / download here
This song, written in approximately 2003, was heard at nearly every Cooke performance before his disappearance, but almost always in a version featuring sideman Joe Cleveland on lead vocals, and Cooke singing harmony while playing mandolin. This version of the song, with Cooke alone on vocals and guitar, is rare and considered among the most valuable of the recently discovered recordings. (A copy of the Cleveland version is also contained in the Westcott Sessions; see below.) ("Shepherd's Pie" copyright Dana Cooke)

When I Don't Think - 3:48 / 5.2 meg mp3 file / download here
Featuring simply Cooke on guitar and vocals, this apparent scratch track (note the guitar buzzes and slight hesitancy on some lyrics) seems consistent with Cooke's late-career obsession with creating bonafide country songs, like those identified with his songwriting hero of recent years, Merle Haggard. And yet, the quirks in timing and lyrical images place this as still undeniably a Dana Cooke original. ("When I Don't Think" copyright Dana Cooke)

A Thousand Times a Day - 4:10 / 5.7 meg mp3 file / download here
Here again, Cooke seems to have attempted a classic "missing you" country tune, and this time he comes a little closer. The theme of obsession carries over from "When I Don't Think," and links these two songs as originating in the same time period, perhaps even inspired by the same events. ("A Thousand Times a Day" copyright Dana Cooke)

Wishing I Could Fly - 3:56 / 5.4 meg mp3 file / download here
Among the few who attended Cooke's final public performance before the disappearance, all recall this song, which Cooke introduced as a collaboration — music written by Cooke to complement a poem written by the mother of a friend. (Lyrics sheets found with the recordings identify her only as "Mary Harmony," a likely pseudonym.) For Cooke, best known for his own quirky lyrics, such a partnership was extremely rare. The guitarist providing color throughout and the break solo has been identified as Fayetteville singer-songwriter Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, who also sings harmony on the choruses. ("Wishing I Could Fly" lyrics copyright Mary Harmony / music copyright Dana Cooke)

Would You Have Me Just Not Say It? - 4:20 / 5.9 meg mp3 file / download here
Written sometime in 2004 or 2005, this song (like many of Cooke's last compositions) provides little of the wry humor that had been his trademark. Instead, it attempts to capture the emotions of a guilty spouse trying to confess sins that their victim is reluctant to hear described. Harmonies and second guitar by Joe Cleveland. ("Would You Have Me Just Not Say It?" copyright Dana Cooke)

Anyone Can See - 3:17 / 4.5 meg mp3 file / download here
Virtually nothing is known about this song, in which the narrator beseeches an intended lover to recognize their bond. Lyric sheets in the collection are marked "for Sparrow." No other clues exist. Due to its uneven quality, the mandolin overdub is assumed to be by Cooke himself. ("Anyone Can See " copyright Dana Cooke)

Shepherd's Pie (duo) - 3:36 / 4.9 meg mp3 file / download here
Contained here is the classic His Band Joe version of the song (minus bassist John Dancks). Sideman Joe Cleveland plays guitar and sings lead; Cooke plays mandolin throughout and sings harmonies. In concert, Cooke described this song as an evocation of his emerging feeling that his own Irish/British heritage provided genetic memories and predispositions. ("Shepherd's Pie" copyright Dana Cooke)

Cheesecake - 4:59 / 6.8 meg mp3 file / download here
This song was written in 2003 to mark the 10th anniversary of Happy Endings coffeehouse in Syracuse, where Cooke was a regular performer; Shelby and Jake, mentioned at the song's end, were its proprietors. Joe Cleveland plays lead guitar and harmonizes. ("Cheesecake" copyright Dana Cooke)

Note: Other free downloadable recordings, salvaged from Cooke's circa 2003 website, are available on the Recordings page.