Friends, the story for this week is a CD release concert for vocalist Lisa Hightower's new recording "The Music Within." Lisa gathered a handful of her favorite jazz tunes and came to my studio and together we came up with some new arrangements and treatments for these classics. There is Hoagy Carmichael, Burt Bacharach, Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh plus we tackled Jimi Hendrix's "Wind Cries Mary" and Heart's "Dog and Butterfly" for some new sonic territory. The musos for the date were Tripp, Duncan, Gunnar, Lisa, myself, and pianist Jaeryoung Lee. The same gang will be on hand for the concert.

I first met Lisa a zillion years ago when I was playing a wedding gig at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Lisa was a server there and she had just come off a long road trip with an all girl rock band. She moved to California to start something new and the waitress gig was designed to hold her over until the music gigs kicked in. Between taking food to the guests and scooping up dirty dishes she asked if she could sing "How High The Moon" with us. "This ought to be interesting" we all said and invited her up. She carved through the melody and then continued on with an inventive scat solo and sounded great. "They sure got 'em in Rancho" we all thought and from then on Lisa has been in our loop and is one of our favorites.

I hope you can make the show. Click on her photo for a link to her website.
Also for this week we're headed inland to Del Dios for a night in the country with jazz and lots of trees. The Del Dios Bar and Grill has some classic inland soul and we had a great time there a couple of months back. Venture east and ye shall find new vistas and bebop!
On Sunday we're courting chaos with Pass the Drum and the Coyote. It'll be a great mix of samba and Carlsbadian debauchery complete with Leonard and Coral crooning, Aros playing the cuica, Tripp tripping on chromatic harp, Duncan stirring it up, Gunnar navigating the low end, and me guarding the tuning keys on my guitar from wobbling patrons of the arts. Coastal circus time revisited.

That's what we have for now. Hope to see you out there.

best, Peter

 
Thursday June 22, 2006   Lisa Hightower CD Release Concert
"The Music Within"		  

The Quail
Lake San Marcos Resort
For Directions call – 760-744-0120
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Peter Sprague — guitar
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Tripp Sprague — sax and flute		   7 to 9 PM   Lisa got in there and sang up a storm and here is some actual proof. It's a great cd and a fine selection of tunes. Let's celebrate this gifted muso!
Friday June 23, 2006   Peter Sprague Trio
featuring Leonard Patton		  
Del Dios Bar and Grill
20154 Lake Drive
Escondido, CA
760-489-4800
Peter Sprague — guitar
Leonard Patton — vocals
Tripp Sprague — sax and flute		   8 to 11 PM   Inland soul for sure on this one!
Sunday June 25, 2006   Peter Sprague and Pass The Drum  
The Coyote Bar and Grill
300 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA
760-729-4695

Peter Sprague — guitar
Tripp Sprague — sax
Tom Aros — percussion
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Leonard Patton — vocals
Coral Macfarland Thuet — vocals		   5 PM to 9 PM   The ultimate outdoor summer setup complete with the Amtrak on the hour, some stray bikers, some spirited young Venakta idealistic young ones, and the beloved fire rings. Come on out and be part of it.
June 26 through June 30, 2006   UCSD Jazz Camp  
UCSD Campus in La Jolla, CA

Peter Sprague — guitar
and a bunch of other great musicians.		   http://jazzcamp.ucsd.edu/CampInfo.htm   Because of my busy studio schedule during the year I don't teach privately. Each year I do the spin at the jazz camp. Hope you can come out.
Monday June 26, 2006 Peter Sprague Solo Fresh Seafood Restaurant & Bar
1044 Wall Street
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-551-7575
Peter Sprague — guitar 7 to 10 PM I’ve been playing solo here since August and it’s a great time in La Jolla for an attractive setting, excellent food, and I think good music. Hope to see you there.
Saturday June 30, 2006   Peter Sprague Trio
featuring Lisa Hightower		  
Inn L' Auberge
1540 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA
858-259-1515
Peter Sprague — guitar
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass		   7:30 PM to 10:30 PM   Great setup in lovely Del Mar. Make it an evening topped off with jazz in a living room setup.
Sunday July 9, 2006   Tokeli Dizzy's
where the music matters most
344 Seventh Avenues (betweek J & K)
http://dizzyssandiego.com
Tokeli — vocals
Peter Sprague — guitar
Gilbert Castellanos — trumpet
Mack Leighton — bass
Ed Kornhauser — piano
Paul Ingram — drums		   7 PM   Tokeli is a creative singer with a posse of young jazz musos stirring it up. She just completed her first cd and we did it over here at SpragueLand and we're celebrating it's arrival. Hope you can make it.
Friday July 14, 2006   Peter Sprague Trio
featuring Leonard Patton		  

Ki's Restaurant
2591 South Highway 101
Cardiff, CA
760-436-5236
Peter Sprague — guitar
Leonard Patton — vocals
Tripp Sprague — sax and flute		   8:30 PM   Hanging in the beach zone playing the samba with two creative musos.
Saturday July 15, 2006   Peter Sprague Trio
featuring Lisa Hightower		  
Inn L' Auberge
1540 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA
858-259-1515
Peter Sprague — guitar
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass		   7:30 PM to 10:30 PM   Great setup in lovely Del Mar. Make it an evening topped off with jazz in a living room setup.
Sunday July 16, 2006   Peter Sprague Group  
The Coyote Bar and Grill
300 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA
760-729-4695

Peter Sprague — guitar
Tripp Sprague — sax
John Opferkuch — piano
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums		   5 PM to 9 PM   The ultimate outdoor summer setup complete with the Amtrak on the hour, some stray bikers, some spirited young Venakta idealistic young ones, and the beloved fire rings. Come on out and be part of it.
Friday July 21, 2006   Peter Sprague Trio
featuring Leonard Patton		  
Del Dios Bar and Grill
20154 Lake Drive
Escondido, CA
760-489-4800
Peter Sprague — guitar
Leonard Patton — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass		   8 to 11 PM   Inland soul for sure on this one!
Thursday July 27, 2006   Peter Sprague and
Leonard Patton		  
Portugalia
in O.B.
Peter Sprague — guitar
Leonard Patton — vocals
   8 to 11 PM   A benefit show for the fabulous Troubadour Newspaper
Friday July 28, 2006   Peter Sprague Trio
featuring Lisa Hightower		  
Inn L' Auberge
1540 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA
858-259-1515
Peter Sprague — guitar
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass		   7:30 PM to 10:30 PM   Great setup in lovely Del Mar. Make it an evening topped off with jazz in a living room setup.
Friday August 4, 2006   Peter Sprague
and Pass The Drum		  
Point Loma Park
1049 Catalina Boulevard
near the intersection with Varona Street. (Thomas Guide 1268:A-2)
http://www.plconcerts.org/
Peter Sprague — guitar
Tripp Sprague — sax
Leonard Patton — vocals
Coral Macfarland Thuet — vocals
Tom Aros — percussion
Duncan Moore — drums
Gunnar Biggs — bass		   6 PM to 8 PM   We've done a show at this festival and it's pure heaven, inland style. Great setup, wonderful people and any chance to samba in the open air works for me!
Saturday August 5, 2006   Peter Sprague Trio
featuring Leonard Patton		  
Del Dios Bar and Grill
20154 Lake Drive
Escondido, CA
760-489-4800
Peter Sprague — guitar
Leonard Patton — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass		   8 to 11 PM   Inland soul for sure on this one!
Friday August 18, 2006   Peter Sprague Trio
featuring Leonard Patton		  

Ki's Restaurant
2591 South Highway 101
Cardiff, CA
760-436-5236
Peter Sprague — guitar
Leonard Patton — vocals
Tripp Sprague — sax and flute		   8:30 PM   Hanging in the beach zone playing the samba with two creative musos.
Sunday August 20, 2006   Peter Sprague
and Pass The Drum		  

Quail Botanical Gardens
230 Quail Gardens Dr.
Encinitas, CA
760-436-9491
Peter Sprague — guitar
Tripp Sprague — sax
Leonard Patton — vocals
Coral Macfarland Thuet — vocals
Tom Aros — percussion
Duncan Moore — drums
Gunnar Biggs — bass		   6 PM to 8 PM   We've done a show at this festival and it's pure heaven, inland style. Great setup, wonderful people and any chance to samba in the open air works for me!
Sunday August 27, 2006   Peter Sprague Group  
The Coyote Bar and Grill
300 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA
760-729-4695

Peter Sprague — guitar
Tripp Sprague — sax
John Opferkuch — piano
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums		   5 PM to 9 PM   The ultimate outdoor summer setup complete with the Amtrak on the hour, some stray bikers, some spirited young Venakta idealistic young ones, and the beloved fire rings. Come on out and be part of it.
 

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