As I mentioned in an interview with Brenda Iijima, On Spec began as a literal follow-up to c.c. Originally it was going to be called p.s. vocals by. Hence the reference above to Gregorian chant; the title also refers to blues (of course) and popular music in general as well as the language and structure of American jurisprudence. My concern in this manuscript was more conceptual, less formulaic. I wanted to explore the permutations of what it meant to “testify,” both in the black Baptist church sense of the term (and its “translation” into secular rhythm & blues music) as well as its legal parameters. That Gregorian chant organizes large sections of the book, that the American musical and film noir have supporting roles in the book, are due to my desire—yet another instance of my whimsy—to salute this pre-modern mode and showbiz musical vocalization as equally modes of “testifyin.’”