the album reflects the band's more rock-influenced style, perfectly balanced with dick morrissey's harsher hard bop/bebop sax playing. the title track "tea break", referring to the hardships of being "on the road", is the punch line to an old musicians' joke and contains a tribute to charlie parker in the lyrics ("the bird was the man to be heard" and "the music was the word") as well as in a swirling bebop tenor solo. the "ballad of the yessirom kid", a tribute by the band to dick morrissey, finishes with a roaring bebop tenor solo. "song for alison" features the flute more than holding its own with a rock accompaniment. the song "don quixote" opens with an extensive acoustic spanish guitar solo by whitehorn.