Get the 1099’s Done and Start Up the Music!

Salutations Good People! Earth soaked SoCal and thrilled about it—keep the water dropping from the sky…

Mozart’s the man today on the sound system as I draw conclusions, organize, look to the future, hammer into the details of the moment—your basic afternoon of attending to the music business. Don’t love it though I do love what it brings. All of this sets the stage for those magic music moments where time floats free, the wrinkles on our foreheads soften, the grind of the day transports over to illumination. I know, super cosmic, but lets move through filling out those 1099’s already and get into some MUSIC!

Hey, I just discovered this lost concert on YouTube! Not sure what year it was but I think it was when Musicians Institute was right on Hollywood Blvd., 1990’s I’m guessing. It’s me, Bob Magnusson on bass, my brother Tripp on sax and flute, and Billy Mintz on drums. Listen to that groove that Mintz has on the first tune —Elvin Jones in the house!

Songs are: “Will You Still Be Mine”,  “The Elf” – (Peter Sprague), “When It Comes to Pass” – (Peter Sprague), and “The Poet” – (Peter Sprague).

Over the years occasional inquires about my guitars (especially the double neck), my loopers and guitar synth would show up in my email with the sender’s wanting to know how I got that sound, how I connected into the looper, and where I stash my pick when I’m playing with just fingers. I’ve been promising a guitar gear video tour and I’m happy to say I finally got to it. I plugged in the whole rig, fired up the vid lights and camera, and looked into the center camera and talked away. Maybe more details than the normal non-tech person can hang with but some funny stuff too—like when the loop record button was supposed to be off and it wasn’t. I mutter “dangerous” under my breath. Hah!

Check it out:

And now looking to this week for live performances, I have a bunch of different ones in different locales with different folks.

Starting off on Tuesday night flutist Beth Ross Buckley and I play a free concert at the North Clairemont Library. We have a neat setlist planned including a first ever duo version of my “Sanctuary Suite”. Look below for the details.

Beth Ross Buckley and PS.

On Wednesday Leonard and I play a free concert at the Pacific Beach Library. It’s a great space for music and should be a ton of fun. Next the two of us play Friday night at Ki’s in Cardiff, overlooking the wild blue. Both super cool opportunities for samba, Stevie, Beatles, Hogey Carmichael, and Jimi Hendrix to show up on the playlist. Hope to see you there!

Leonard and Peter
photo by Thomas Westerlin

Next up on Saturday I’ve got a double header. First it’ll be a trio hit at the Escondido Library at 3pm with Tripp on sax and Leonard on vocals and percussion. From there we make our way downtown and Leonard and I join forces with Allison Adams Tucker for a night of music at the Westgate Hotel. Allison’s got a magic voice and the space down there at the Westgate is close and intimate. Big fun for sure…

Allison and I setting up a duet piece at Vitello’s in LA a few years ago. 

That’s it for this week and thanks for riding along, all best, Peter