Guinnevere

I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with such exceptional vocalists. This album features seven remarkable artists, each bringing their own unique voice and storytelling to the music.

The collection travels through bossa nova, folk, calypso, and jazz, blending fresh interpretations of classic songs plus three of my original compositions.

Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy the journey.

Peter Sprague
August, 2026

1. George, Tell It Like It Is (featuring Sinne Eeg)
music by Peter Sprague and lyrics by Randy Phillips

I’m a big fan of the band Steely Dan and Donald Fagen’s solo venture “Nightfly” is one of my desert island sonic gems. There’s a song on there, “The Goodbye Look,” where we find Fagen hanging in the tropics and even though the political situation is getting dicey he blurts out, “Won’t you pour me a Cuban breeze, Gretchen.” That phrase cracks me up every time I hear it and this then led me to come up with a new song where the heroine sings, “George, won’t you tell it like it is?”

The heroine in my song happens to be the wonderful vocalist from Denmark, Sinne Eeg, who was doing a tour run through California. We met up at SpragueLand and she brought the song to life. The lyric is by Randy Phillips.

Peter Sprague — guitar
Sinne Eeg — vocals
Danny Green — piano
Justin Grinnell — bass
Duncan Moore — drums

2. Guinnevere (featuring Rebecca Jade)
music and lyrics by David Crosby

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.

Peter Sprague — guitar
Rebecca Jade — vocals
Tripp Sprague — sax and piano
Mack Leighton — bass
Duncan Moore — drums

3. The Wind Cries Mary (featuring Lisa Hightower)
music and lyrics by Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix — the hero, the true guitar slinger, super psychedelized visionary of wicked lyrics.

Back a few years, in the flow of doing weekly livestream concerts, we invited vocalist Lisa Hightower to join us for a night of music. The set list went all over the place from George Gershwin, The Beatles, and finally landing in the land of Hendrix. One of the highlights from that night was our exploration of Jimi’s classic rocker “The Wind Cries Mary.” Lisa is on fire, playing out the “who really actually knows where these lyrics are going” in animated realtime. It turns out she knows and she pulls us right into Jimi’s world of paisley-laden, day-glow imagery.

Peter Sprague — guitar
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Tripp Sprague — saxophone
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums

4. August (featuring Aubrey Johnson)
by Lyle Mays

On the eve of July 1, 2021 we played a livestream concert with our quartet and our special guest for that night was the wonderful vocalist Aubrey Johnson from New York City. It was a fun show and for me the highlight was Aubrey singing her uncle’s song “August.” Her uncle happens to be the one and only Lyle Mays! We love Lyle and it’s good to know that the family musical gene is passing along beautifully. Lyle wrote this song for his grandfather August Olson.

Peter Sprague — guitar
Aubrey Johnson — vocals
John Opferkuch — piano
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums

5. Good Vibrations (featuring Leonard Patton)
by Brian Wilson and Mike Love

Jazz invades The Beach Boys!

It’s a great tune with a creative chord progression including modulations and time warps. A perfect vehicle to impart some jazz influences into. Leonard is in his falsetto, Allison sings backups, I’m improvising the body electric, and Tripp’s taking his EWI (electronic wind instrument) on a sonic exploration that roars and finally lands safely into a gentle bossa nova groove.

Unheard of! Only Brian Wilson could have dreamed that one up.

Leonard Patton — vocals
Allison Adams Tucker — background vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Tripp Sprague — sax, EWI, and piano

6. The Kiss (featuring Allison Adams Tucker)
music and lyrics by Judee Sill

I was at a concert featuring guitarist Anthony Wilson and he played an instrumental version of Judee Sill’s “The Kiss” and I was instantly knocked out. I’d never heard of Judee Sill.

Judee Sill (1944–1979) was an American singer-songwriter, composer, guitarist, and pianist whose music blended folk, country, baroque pop, and folk rock. Deeply influenced by Bach, her sophisticated compositions often combined intricate harmonies with spiritual themes of redemption and transcendence.

Signed to David Geffen’s Asylum Records, Sill released two critically acclaimed albums, Judee Sill (1971) and Heart Food (1973). Neither achieved significant commercial success, and a planned third album was never completed. Sill struggled with addiction throughout much of her life and died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles in 1979 at age 35. Largely overlooked during her lifetime, her music was rediscovered in later decades, and she is now regarded as a distinctive and influential songwriter of the 1970s.

And here is our version of Judee Sill’s most gorgeous song called “The Kiss.” On vocals is the gifted Allison Adams Tucker.

Peter Sprague — guitar
Allison Adams Tucker — vocals
Tripp Sprague — piano, flute
Justin Grinnell — bass
Duncan Moore — drums

7. Whispers From the Great Beyond (featuring Rebecca Jade)
music by Peter Sprague and lyrics by Randy Phillips

Here’s a song where I put together the music and Randy Phillips wrote the lyrics. Randy’s husband Patrick recently passed away and this is her love song sent out to the great beyond. Gentle and sweet…

Peter Sprague — guitar and other instruments
Rebecca Jade — vocals

8. You Make Me Want to Sing (featuring Kate Sprague)
music and lyrics by Peter Sprague

A long time ago (June, 1977) we made a record called You Make Me Want to Sing featuring our group Dance of the Universe. This tune was one of our favorites with Kevyn Lettau singing. Here’s a remake featuring my niece Kate Sprague on vocals. Calypso life in Leucadia, present day!

Peter Sprague — guitar
Kate Sprague — vocals
Tripp Sprague — sax
John Opferkuch — piano
Mack Leighton — bass
Duncan Moore — drums

All songs arranged by Peter Sprague
Produced by Peter Sprague
Recorded at SpragueLand Studios, Encinitas, CA / 2023 through 2026
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Peter Sprague at SpragueLand Studios
Special thanks to Yuris Zeltins, Andy Powers, D’Addario Strings, Iron Horse Amps