Hi Folks,
It’s been a week and a half of private gigs mixed in with ample ocean time. I’ve been out of the loop with you but in the loop with me. Good times and it’s nice to be in touch again.
I’ve put together another album release and this time we’re traveling the sonic realms of classic folk and rock tunes jazzified as we like to do. The album features seven remarkable vocalists, each bringing their own unique voice and storytelling to the music. It’s all about the bossa nova groove, the folk pristine harmony, the calypso dance, and the jazz funk railroad, blending fresh interpretations of classics and three of my originals.
Here’s the song list:
1. George, Tell It Like It Is (featuring Sinne Eeg)
2. Guinnevere (featuring Rebecca Jade)
3. The Wind Cries Mary (featuring Lisa Hightower)
4. August (featuring Aubrey Johnson)
5. Good Vibrations (featuring Leonard Patton)
6. The Kiss (featuring Allison Adams Tucker)
7. Whispers From the Great Beyond (featuring Rebecca Jade)
8. You Make Me Want to Sing (featuring Kate Sprague)
The list of muso’s:
Peter Sprague — guitar
Sinne Eeg — vocals
Rebecca Jade — vocals
Allison Adams Tucker — vocals
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Aubrey Johnson — vocals
Leonard Patton — vocals
Danny Green — piano
John Opferkuch — piano
Tripp Sprague — sax and piano
Justin Grinnell — bass
Mack Leighton — bass
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
The Guinnevere recording is available at all of the streaming services including:
PS Online Store(opens in new tab)
YouTube Music(opens in new tab)
For this week’s video we’re taking in the title cut off the new album.
Peter Sprague Plays “Guinnevere” featuring Rebecca Jade
It’s one of the great songs of an era and for me it resonates deeply leading all the way back to junior high school days, hanging on the porch in Del Mar in the early warmth of summer. Crosby, Stills, and Nash, singing about being free and with their spectacular three part harmony I believed every word they sang.
In learning to play Guinnevere I got a closer look into how they came up with such a unique sonic vibe. The main guitar part is played in a special “tuning” that delivers gorgeous chords that aren’t available in standard tuning. I call them “magic chords” and it happens when most of the strings are not fretted and instead ringing free. Mix that in with a few fretted notes that rub against the other notes in a good way — cluster chords as they’re known, and the whole sum sparkles in the air.
And lastly, we’re playing live on Saturday at the Pacific Beach Library. It’ll be Danny, Mack, and me stirring up the jazz, samba, and folk sonic stew, improvising in realtime. Hope to see you there!
“Guinnevere had green eyes, like yours m’ lady like yours…” adios, Peter