Troupes, last week was a most excellent adventure into the madness in L.A. which is the NAMM Show. Four days of endless details with computer enhanced music gear, plug-ins on top of plug-ins all with ten thousand buttons, guitar picks and little wicked widgets, all of this set to a soundtrack mesh of drum tryouts, flailing electric guitar riffs, a few lone trumpet screeches for the high notes. All of the sounds we’re on their own striving for some sonic daylight. To put it bluntly, it was fun and it was a headache all rolled into one.

Last week was also a rewarding ride into the Metheny world with our show at Dizzy’s. Thanks to all of you who made it out and we’ll do it again after the dust settles. The gospel according to Metheny…

For this week I’m joining in with my long time pal Bill Cantos. Ten years ago Bill was a staple on the San Diego jazz scene and for a while he was in my band. What a fabulous muso playing keys, writing, singing and possessing exceptional ears and a great angle on why to play music in the first place. Bill ended up moving to L.A. and has been very successful including a worldwide tour with Phil Collins (his "First Final Farewell Tour"), stints with Sergio Mendes, Diane Schuur, Flora Purim and Airto, Marc Antoine and Gal Costa. Bill is coming to San Diego this week for a show at the East County Performing Arts Center and I’ll be joining him along with Bob Magnusson, Duncan Moore, and Tommy Aros. We’ll be playing music from his latest recording called “Love Wins” and I'm digging the direction of this cd —jazz and samba right up the road where I live. To learn more about Bill click on his photo to the right. I hope to see you there…
This photo is from a show we did in the heart of Del Mar in August at a place they called the Arts Park. What an deluxe event—breaking the rules at 90 degrees fahrenheit with the girls singing Joao Bosco's Nacao and Cantos digging deep into the keys...
Peter, Tripp, Kevyn, Coral and Bill Cantos

And finally looking into next week, we’re assembling the Pass The Drum group to present a night of Sergio Mendes’ music at Dizzy’s. I grew up with Sergio’s clever versions of Bacharach, the Beatles, and of course Jobim and the way he would blend them into the irresistible samba groove of Brasil ’66. We’re breaking out the old records and figuring out the details and we’re looking forward to a magical night. Check your calendar to see if you can make it…

that’s it, Peter
 
Saturday January 27, 2007   Bill Cantos Group East County Performing Arts Center
El Cajon, CA
for tickets and info, call (619) 440-2277 www.ecpaclive.com
Bill Cantos — piano and vocals
Peter Sprague — guitar
Bob Magnusson — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Tommy Aros — percussion
Mari Falcone — keys		   7:30 PM   Bill is an amazing muso who grew up in San Diego and has now moved to LA and has done really well. It'll be great to play music again with this talented and inspired fellow.
Friday February 2, 2007   Peter Sprague
and Pass The Drum
Celebrating Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66		 Dizzy's
where the music matters most
344 Seventh Avenues (betweek J & K)
http://dizzyssandiego.com
Peter Sprague — guitar
Leonard Patton — voice
Coral MacFarland Thuet — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Tommy Aros — percussion		   8 PM   We're presenting an evening of the music of Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66. We've got Sergio's cool arrangements of Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, and of course the musical gems from Brasil.
 

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