Friends of the Muse, it’s hot, it’s time for some tango and this then led me to this amazing fellow Ureta who lives on the Pampas of Argentina with his kids. They’ve created a unique forest in tribute to his wife, Graciela, who died during childbirth in 1977. Ureta and his kids figured out how to make the view of the forest from a jet or from space look like a guitar. It’s wild and it probably took a long time for it to take shape. Heat, tango, Argentina, guitar, trees—all a classic mix!
Last week was a blur of rehearsals and concerts and two highlights were the Allison hit at the Loft and the String show in Hemet. What a joy and it’s great to be back with the Consort whisking around harmonic twists and turns. Look for our return in August with some new music and a little concert run. Can’t wait! I’ve got two shows planned for this week and first up is a Friday gig at Ki’s in Cardiff. It’ll be Leonard Patton and I throwing down the Stevie, the Beatles, Nat King Cole, Sprague classics from Ocean In Your Eyes, heart tuggers of Americana, and other sonic gems. Hope to see you there for a cool mix of sound, a magic view, and supreme food. And last up for the week it’ll be maestro Fred Benedetti and I exploring the outer reaches of the six string society as we offer our contribution to the good folks of the San Diego Folk Heritage. The concert is on Saturday night and it’s at the San Dieguito United Methodist Church in Encinitas. We’ve worked out a few new additions to the set list so join in if you can. There it is friends and thanks for being in the loop. all best, Peter |
“Desamba”
Back in 1993 we released a CD called Blurring the Edges. The band was my brother Tripp, our dad Hall Sprague, guitarist Fred Benedetti and me. I knew Fred could tackle a barrage of tricky notes, set to a brisk tempo. With this inspiration I set out to write a 2 part counterpoint Bach goes to Brasil angled song. This style of Brazilian counterpoint music is called choro. For us guitarists, the key of D is holy grail and that’s because it includes some open strings plus it sits beautifully on the guitar neck. I named my tune “Desamba” because it’s both a samba in the key of D, and there’s also something Cole Porter-ish about it. How about “it’s delovely, it’s delightlful, it’s desamba?” We’re still playing this song these days in fact Fred and I are readying it for this week’s Ki’s hit. Have a listen here.
How sweet and how beautiful but sad that his wife died. I love to see this. Maybe one day I get to visit Argentina.