The Albino Guitar Slinger’s Got the Blues!

Pretty much right but meet me here at 6am these last few mornings.

I’m not complaining…

But Johnny Winter is. Full blast blues “woke up this morning, my baby done me wrong” angle with killer guitar solos. The albino guitar slinger’s got the blues!

I’m loving it!

I grew up with it!

Haven’t listened to him for absolute ever and while on my walk today I started thinking about his growly vocals and his distortion drenched guitar tone. I searched him out and it’s a nice moment to be in his sonic presence to help set up the mood to be talking to you all.

It’s a YouTube universe and I’ve just pushed a zillion frames of video up the pipe to YouTube central. They’ve got it ready for you if you’re into it. Here are some highlights:

This vid is from a studio session I did with vocalist Emily Elbert. She was cruising through town and we decided to get together and record our sassy arrangement of The Beatles “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window.” Emily is one of my favorite vocalists and check out her cool angle on this tune.

A couple of weeks back we made the walls at Dizzy’s vibrate a little as we turned up the amps and jazzified some classic rock tunes. It was one of the special nights of music, the band was throwing down, and we caught the whole thing on video. I’ve uploaded 7 tunes from that show.

Last summer up in Idyllwild the August heat was seriously slowing down the metabolism of all human beings. All except the string players in the PS String Consort and it was they that set out to SHRED! I’ve uploaded 4 tunes from that concert and these are ones that are new to the group including a wicked bebop spin on the “Take the A Train” influenced “Etude Z.”

And lastly on the YouTube front, it’s a nice day when someone else on the other side of the world decides to play your song in concert. Check out these fine musos playing our (Kevyn Lettau and me) samba tune “Cantar” at a recent show. Sounding good!

Web work continues on to bring about my online guitar instructional videos into the real world. Check out this little promo vid:

And now for the live music this week! Tomorrow night I’ll be joining my niece Kate Sprague, Tripp Sprague, Gilbert Castellanos, and Bob Magnusson for a hit at Panama 66 at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. Here’s a note from Kate about the gig:

Hi everyone, Kate Sprague here. Gilbert Castellanos has invited me to return to sing in his “Young Lion” series that features young musicians. I am so excited to be a part of this great event! My dad Tripp Sprague will be joining me, and so will my uncle Peter Sprague. Bob Magnusson is on bass and Gilbert will also play a few tunes. We have learned some new songs and cannot wait to play them for you. Panama 66’s open patio has a great atmosphere and is next to the sculpture garden in Balboa Park. They have good food and drinks — and no cover charge. Please come and support us!
-Kate Sprague

It’ll be fun and hope to see you there.

And rounding out the week, Friday will be a special night at the Roxy Restaurant in Encinitas with a reunion of our early jazz group Dance of the Universe. We’ve been at it since the ’70’s, circling in and flowing out. For this week we’re coming together and it’s Kevyn Lettau singing, John Leftwich playing the bass, brother Tripp on the sax and flute, and me on the guitar. We’re taking over our favorite Roxy Restaurant and it’ll be a special night of samba, bebop, ballads, seeing old friends, nibbling on killer food, and magic ice cream at the very end. Can’t wait!

Promo photo shot in our Via Grimaldi hippie house back in the late ’70’s. Upper left, Tripp and Peter, lower left, John Leftwich and Kevyn Lettau.

There it is folks. Johnny’s still slipping and sliddin’ on the guitar and we’re trailing off with the “Leland Mississippi Blues.” It’s just perfect…

adios, Peter