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“While he can easily hold his own in any instrumental setting, as saxophonist Sonny Rollins and keyboardist Chick Corea can attest, Sprague has a special affinity for singers. His supple touch and ability to support and elevate a vocal performance is a delight for his collaborators and audiences alike.”
George Varga
San Diego Union-Tribune
September 16, 2010
“In his varied, 30 year career, guitarist and composer Peter Sprague has always shown an affinity for vocalists. On Calling Me Home, this affinity is expanded to its logical conclusion. The disc features vocals on every tune and draws from a deep talent pool of five incredible voices. What's particularly amazing about this effort is that Sprague has created a very accessible release by simplifying some of his compositional stratagems without ever resorting to the lowest common denominator. This is a collection that deserves to crossover to as wide an audience as it can. The beauty is that in simplifying some of these song forms to accommodate vocalists, Sprague has also created a masterful instrumental disc. Some of the best guitar solos he's ever recorded are included. It's his continued development as a producer that is particularly impressive on this disc. This is an incredibly detailed effort and every detail is sublime. This album should appeal to anyone who loves singers and the art of song.”
Robert Bush
Jazz Improv Magazine
August, 2010
“While Encinitas-based jazz guitarist Peter Sprague regularly features vocalists in his local performances and on his recordings, he's never released an album of his own compositions featuring vocals on every track. And as a regular member of jazz singer Dianne Reeves' touring band, Sprague certainly knows how to musically frame a vocal performance. Which makes "Calling Me Home" a neat, unique entry in Sprague's 30-plus year recording career. The playing and the singing are consistently of the highest order, and Sprague—rightly renowned for his superb taste and creativity—breaks out into some pretty heavy technical wizardry on some of the songs that displays a new side to his playing.”
Jim Trageser
North County Times
September 15, 2010
Bart Mendoza
San Diego Troubadour
September, 2010
Calling Me Home is a collection of my original vocal songs performed by a few of my favorite vocalists. Even before I got into jazz I was listening to bands that were led by singers. Early influences were The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills and Nash and Jimi Hendrix. For me, the blend of a singer telling their story through words and then having this transition to some space for an improvised solo is a cool way to play music.
Sometimes songs come to me as just music and I’ll fashion lyrics to them later. Other times I’ll have a set of lyrics to start with and the music will show up in response to the words. I like working both ways and to hear the finished song sung for the first time is one of life’s great moments.
I’ve collaborated with a number of different lyricists over the years but one of my favorites is Randy Phillips. She has a wonderful poetic sense and really understands where my music and ideas are heading. We’ve worked on a bunch of songs and I’m thrilled to include some of our best here.
The magic of a tune with lyrics really relies on the artist delivering the message. I’m fortunate to work with some gifted vocalists and I thank Leonard, Lisa, Kevyn, Allison and Kate, all who have brought their beautiful sound and emotion to these new songs of mine.
quiet
sitting there still
familiar grace
I will drink in my fill
choir of birdsong is calling me
sunlit and darkening
twilight is beckoning
calling me home
thanks for listening,
Peter Sprague
July, 2010
The musicians:
Peter Sprague — guitars
Leonard Patton — vocals
Kevyn Lettau — vocals
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Allison Adams Tucker — vocals
Kate Fuller — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Josh Nelson — pianos
Darek Oles — bass
Tommy Aros — percussion
Brad Dutz — percussion
Ron Wagner — percussion
Produced by Peter Sprague
Recorded at SpragueLand Studios, Encinitas, CA
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Peter Sprague at SpragueLand Studios
Art direction and design by RixGraphix
Peter Sprague plays guitars made by Andy Powers Instruments, Taylor Guitars, Lynn Laviolette, Sadowsky and Yuris Zeltins.
My thanks and gratitude go out to my lovely wife Stef and our beautiful daughter Kylie for all of their help and support. We share a wonderful life together and it’s their love that keeps calling me home.
For more information on other Peter Sprague recordings and books, visit petersprague.com or write to:
SBE Records
P.O. Box 762
Del Mar, CA
92014-0762
The Songs:
1) Sarah’s Island
Music by Peter Sprague
Lyrics by Peter Sprague, Dave Blackburn, Robin Adler and Randy Phillips
Satyam Music (BMI), Robweena Music (ASCAP), Black D Music (ASCAP), Blue Violet Music (ASCAP)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Kevyn Lettau — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Brad Dutz — congas
This song tells the story of how an island, through its natural beauty and gentle trade winds, helps to restore a slightly damaged soul. If you’ve ever traveled to the end of the road on the north side of the island of Kauai, you’ll know how the healing qualities of aloha can take hold.
2) Holding On In BombayMusic and lyrics by Peter Sprague
Satyam Music (BMI)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Leonard Patton — vocals
Allison Adams Tucker — background vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Ron Wagner — tablas
I was inspired to compose this song after reading a poem about the amazing display of humanity and hope amidst the total chaos in India’s overcrowded public transportation system. “I’m trying to get to the City of Gold…”
3) Cantar
Music by Peter Sprague
Lyrics by Kevyn Lettau
Satyam Music (BMI), Cats & Dogs Music (ASCAP)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Allison Adams Tucker — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Tom Aros — congas
This is one of my favorite Brazilian influenced songs that Kevyn Lettau and I wrote together. I dedicate the cool rhythmic phrase that comes at the end of the solo to Ron Satterfield who played with us on this tune back in the late 80’s.
4) Rain
Music by Peter Sprague
Lyrics by Randy Phillips
Satyam Music (BMI), Blue Violet Music (ASCAP)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
I first wrote and recorded this song as an instrumental on my “Light Dance” recording in 2001. I think Randy’s thoughtful words and Lisa’s voice bring a new beauty to the song.
5) Hold On
Music and lyrics by Peter Sprague
Satyam Music (BMI)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Leonard Patton — vocals
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
This song evolved out of the wisdom set forth in a Pueblo Indian Prayer. “Hold on to what’s good, even if it’s just a handful of dry earth.”
6) To Live in the Heavens
Music by Peter Sprague
Lyrics by Peter Sprague and Dave Blackburn
Satyam Music (BMI), Black D Music (ASCAP)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Kate Fuller — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
I was stuck in a horrendous traffic jam, looking up at the clouds and thinking, there must be a better design to living than being trapped in an overheated, pinned-in car. Indeed there is and this song transports us to a possible option.
Music by Peter Sprague
Lyrics by Randy Phillips
Satyam Music (BMI), Blue Violet Music (ASCAP)
Every week I send out an email to my fans letting them know what gigs are coming up and what’s been going on during the previous week. In this email I’d invariably include the wild things that happened at our Sunday shows at The Coyote Bar and Grill in Carlsbad, California. Part of my writing style is to get loose with my descriptions and phraseology. Randy compiled these stories and came up with this lyric. I laughed all the way through the process of writing for this one and figured it needed some wah-wah and a heavy backbeat to bring it on home. “Keep the sky in your head!”
8) Mudra
Music by Peter Sprague
Lyrics by Randy Phillips
Satyam Music (BMI), Blue Violet Music (ASCAP)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Leonard Patton — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
Mudra first had a life as an instrumental and was recorded on my “The Wild Blue” CD featuring cello as the main voice. Randy loved the song and later came up with this lyric telling how, through our hands, we share wisdom, peace and music. A mudra is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and is mostly performed with the hands and fingers.
9) Power to RockMusic by Peter Sprague
Lyrics by Randy Phillips
Satyam Music (BMI), Blue Violet Music (ASCAP)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Leonard Patton — vocals
Lisa Hightower — vocals
Gunnar Biggs — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
I read a funny interview with Jack Black talking about the weird contrast of him growing up in a high-powered intellectual household with his mom, a Harvard professor and his dad, a scientist —and then there was himself, an actor, a rebel and a rock musician. He said it best, “my dad is a rocket scientist and I’m a scientist of rock.”
10) Calling Me Home
Music by Peter Sprague
Lyrics by Randy Phillips
Satyam Music (BMI), Blue Violet Music (ASCAP)
Peter Sprague — guitar and orchestration
Leonard Patton — vocals
Josh Nelson — piano
Darek Oles — bass
Duncan Moore — drums
I was listening to a Ray Charles recording when I came up with this song. Randy filled in the missing details with her words and every time I hear it, I’m transported to that old tree, gazing up to the sky, and thinking about the warmth of home.