NEWS!

Sage’s song “ James Dean’s Crash Site” from his recently released 6 song EP “ Eyes in the Back of My Head” has WON for “ Best Song /Best Production/ Best Performance of an Original Song” in this year’s New Mexico Music Awards in the AMERICANA ‘ Category!

Winner’s were announced May 19th, 2024 at a gala event held at the Sandia Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, NM

All 6 songs from the EP titled “ EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD” are currently available for streaming on your favorite digital platforms including Pandora, Youtube, Spotify, Apple, Deezer etc. { not available on Tik Tok) }

They are: 1. “Eyes in the Back Of My Head”, 2. “James Dean’s Crash Site”, 3. “You Be My Woman”, 4.

“Tigger’s Song”, 5. “ Song For Lisa”, 6. ‘ House in Las Cruces”.

While you’re there , don’t forget to “ like” and ‘ Subscribe” as your “likes” are registered and calculated by these platforms that increase traffic and ultimately monetization for the artist!

We think this EP is among Sage’s best recordings / Songs to see the light of day in a long time and are starting to see doors opening that previously we didn’t even know existed. YOUR support is very much appreciated to help bring Sage’s music to a wider audience. Thank you in advance!

Sage’s Story

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the ’50s and musically coming of age in the Psychedelic ’60s, Sage was exposed to every type of music from Blues, to Jazz, Country to Folk, Rock to Classical, acoustic to electric, Bluegrass to Celtic, Soul, Funk, R&B to everything in between and beyond.

Most folks know him as a guitarist - and technically “Lap Steel“ guitar was, in fact, his first instrument.

He studied and played that instrument for two years in the late ’50s as a boy, but in 1964 he switched to DRUMS, learning the instrument quickly as a “natural” drummer, but also with weekly lessons for two years.

While still studying drums, but not yet performing on them, he joined his very first band “Just Us” while still in 8th grade as the Lead Singer in the style of Mick Jagger- playing blues harp, tambourine, and Maracas and dancing around the stage like a wild man.

They played their very 1st gig for their Jr. High graduation to 300 screaming pre-pubescent girls in 1965, playing songs by the Stones, Beatles, Animals, and The Byrds.

In his Freshman year in high school, that same band would play its LAST gig together in front of 2,000 screaming teenagers at Holy Cross High School in Mt View for a Radio KYA extravaganza still in 1965 that included a dozen local bands on the bill.

“Just Us” shared the stage for a band that followed them that was the nucleus for the Santana Blues Band with Mike Shrieve on drums- who would go on to play WOODSTOCK with “Santana”.

Sage went to St Francis High with Mike, and as a fledgling drummer would often jam in the band room on Mike’s Champagne Slingerland drum kit!

That same year Sage changed schools to attend Los Altos High public school within walking distance from his house and formed “The Lighthouse” with childhood friends, Jim Rafferty ( r.i.p.), Eric Williams, Dean Coy, and Rick Creelman.

That band covered tunes by the Beatles, Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks, Animals, Lovin’Spoonful, Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Muddy Waters, Blues Project, and Fairport Convention among many of the British Invasion, and American blues bands at the time.

A chance meeting with Skip Spence (Moby Grape) when he was still the drummer for Jefferson Airplane at a pool party at the Cabana Hyatt in Palo Alto, Ca where the Airplane was playing a fashion show with their first singer Signe Anderson, led to an audition for The Lighthouse at the Avalon Ballroom in S.F. later that year in 1966.

It turned out to be a pivotal gig in that the “audition” turned into an unofficial 1st set when the 1st band “ Big Brother and the Holding Co, featuring a then still largely unknown singer by the name of Janis Joplin, was running late.

The evening’s full bill was actually Big Brother, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Moby Grape, and an unannounced last set by BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD in their first SF appearance with a then 19-year-old Neil Young and 20 something Stephen Stills!

That gig set the stage for what would become a lifelong career in music and a love affair with the stage that has continued to this day.

The details of the last 57 years are too dense to tell here but are intended for Sage’s forthcoming BOOK- ostensibly titled the same as his current double CD “Portrait of the Artist as a Complete Unknown" which says it all...

Sage switched to guitar in ‘67 and took up songwriting.

Sage’s budding career was interrupted in Feb of 1967 by a pot bust that, at 15 landed him a one year stint in the “ William F. James Ranch correctional facility for juveniles { Juvenile County Farm in Morgan Hill, Ca.}It was a felony conviction for the possession of five joints on a first offense and was his first and ONLY arrest for anything before or since} This event effectively took him out of the Rock and Roll scene at the most pivotal year in Rock. The year of the Monterey Pop Festival, which made stars out of Janis Joplin and Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix.

His first and only songwriting collaborator was Michael Silversher, whom he met and befriended in his Jr year in high school, having switched again to AWALT High, in Mt View in ‘68.

Michael went on to become a highly successful songwriter for Walt Disney, with over 100 songs published with Disney productions, including writing all the music for Disney’s “Muppets” tv show, along with his then-wife, Patty.

Sage cut his songwriting chops along with the best. He learned his craft well and showed a real flair for writing Beatles and Dylan style pop and folk-rock with real imagination and depth.

Michael and Sage formed their 1st band together ALSO called “Just Us” that lasted until graduation but didn’t go anywhere.

In 1973 he briefly joined Michael’s legendary band “Nightwings” as their lead guitarist for a sold-out show at the 300 seat Cubberly Theatre performing three of his own compositions in that show.

The ensuing years saw Sage performing in well over 40 working bands as a sideman, and releasing 13 albums of all original material under his own name.

He has worked paid gigs in every type of situation, from 4 different 22 piece big bands, to Be-Bop and swing combos, Urban Blues bands, Country and Bluegrass and Folk, to Psychedelic Rock, to the classical chamber, to a touring Circus band 7 days a week ( Circus Vargas 1980-81!) to a 7 piece internationally touring DISCO band, ( Japan: Asian tour, based in Hawaii playing 6 nights a week as house band at the 29 story “Princess Kaiulani Hotel in Waikiki} to Soul and R&B to just about any other combination of music.

Along the way, he has shared band duties, and/or recorded with, and/or played stages big and small with a bevy of A list musicians such as Tom Politzer (Tower of Power), Skinny Bishop (Tommy James and the Shondells, Delaney Bramlett), Tuck Andress (Tuck and Patti), Barbara Long (Hiroshima,Phase 2 } Merel Bregante { Loggins and Messina, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Duke Dewey (Country Joe and the Fish, Bodacious, Eggs over Easy, Mad River) Nick Dewey { wrote ‘Runaway” for Jefferson Starship, their 1st top 1op 10 hit} Ritchie Cole, Carmel Jones (Horace Silver), Art Jackson (Count Basie Orch) Big L Barker (Charlie Parker) Kent Bryson (Leon Redbone, Nightwings),Alex Baum { Dan Hicks and his Acoustic Warriors}, Ed Burke (Ike and Tina Turner Revue), Jimmy Paxon (Stevie Nicks, Robben Ford, Dixie Chicks) Al Ortiz (Stevie Nicks) Hubert Tubbs (Tower of Power), Tim Sheridan (Eddie Money), Sandy McKee (Cold Blood) Steve Elliott (Ray Charles ) Chris Herold (Kingfish) Harold Atterbury (Albert King) Conrad Johnson ( B.B.King), Pete Wasner { Vince Gill, Albert Lee, Danny Gatton , etc}, Dave Perlman, Mark Epstein, Doug Burns,and too many others to mention here.

As a solo Singer-Songwriter he has opened for and sung with onstage- Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, Shooter Jennings, Quiet Riot, Patrice Pike, John Lee Hooker, Jason Mraz , The Black Moods, Mark Spolestra { featured in the Scorcesse bi-op on Bob Dylan “No direction Home’”, to name a few, done a cameo with Calico the Band with Manda Mosher, and has had his solo gigs patronized several times by Neil Young who lived 6 miles away from him between ‘69 and ‘77 when Sage lived on Skyline near Skylonda and in La Honda, Calif, who once gave him an “unofficial” quote/compliment shaking his hand and saying “Hey man, you sound GREAT“! He would know.

It is worth noting that on the 5 or 6 different gigs where Neil showed up- he didn’t just pop in and then leave.

In every instance, Sage was able to hold Neil's attention for upwards of two HOURS at a time.

The last gig Neil showed up at was in ‘97 at the San Gregorio General Store near where Neil was still living on his Ranch, Broken Arrow at the time. There were probably not more than 10 people in the place at 10:30 a.m. but Neil sat for the whole show. Sage was at his peak as a solo Singer / Songwriter PERFORMER back then and on tour at the time between Austin , Phoenix and Calf. Neil reached out his hand as Sage made for the bathroom having just played 2 hours without a break. Neil shook his hand en route and said” Hey Man , You sound Great’! an unofficial endorsement that lingers in the mind so many years down the road. the irony of this being that in 2012 , Sage ended up opening for Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real. {Willie’s Son} and singing 4 songs onstage with Lukas- 3 with Lukas singing harmony on Sage’s solo set which included “ One of these Days, - a Neil Young song. and one on Lukas and Band’s 3rd encore- adding an accapella high harmony on “ I shall be released , by Bob Dylan.

Within 2 years of THAT gig , Lukas and POTR would become Neil Young’s official backing band on tour and recorded at least two albums with Neil in place of Crazy Horse! it’s a long and winding road of intersecting connections throughout Sage’s career , but none ever leading anywhere but to the next low paying , obscure gig… though enough to always pay the bills and maybe fund some gear, keep the car running , pay the bills, and self fund his next recording project etc. This was a harsh period of life on the road at the most basic level - living to share his music at any cost. living FOR the song, BY the song, always gaining the respect of well known artists, but none really taking the extra step to give him a leg up the ladder in the biz. That wore thin after a lifetime of being just inches from breaking through . The proverbial “ Big Break” constantly being dangled in front of him but nothing actually coming through.

That’s saying something, considering on many of those gigs Sage played ONLY original material!

He toured New Zealand as a solo artist for 5 months in ‘99-2000 and was a popular mainstay of the Austin music scene between ‘98-2001, where he was included as himself in the quirky indie film “Have You Seen Clem” which won several film awards ,even showing at Cannes film Festival.

He WAS signed to an Austin label “ Audiopia” the day after he came back from a 5 month tour in New Zealand, and was given two 45 minute sets at the Legendary “ ANTONE’S , filling in for Shelley King.They were ahead of the curve in 2000 utilizing a new fangled thing called Mp3’s on a new format called the internet. They posted his 1997, 9 minute LIVE song “ Curse of Budapest” on Twocows .com radio and it made it to #2 sandwiched between Iain Matthews { Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort }at #1 and Lucinda Williams #3 and sat there in that spot for nearly 5 MONTHS! Sadly the Label folded within a year and all momentum was lost.

The same thing had happened before around 2001 in Tucson when Sage was signed to “ License Film Music , run by Eric Heitaus. A good guy, and true believer in Sage’s talent,Eric signed Sage to a 4 song licensing deal that was for his company set up to funnel songs to film and TV, through Universal fils in L.A.

Under that deal Sage actually was able to record two full band recordings and also provided two pre-existing } recordings. Unfortunately That company ALSO went bust within less than a year of the deal. The upside was Sage retained all rights to his songs and the recordings which were later released on his 2019 album “ Portrait of the Artist as a Complete Unknown” vol 2&3.

Another earlier fiasco happened when Sage’s 1989 “ New Age} instrumental album, which sold 1000 copies in bookstores without ever playing a single gig in support of it , was sent to Gabriel Roth { R.I.P.} who had a new book out called “ The 5 rhythms of Life” and was doing MASSIVE dance / Healing workshops all over the world, and was booked solid for the next 5 YEARS ,was given to her while doing a gig in Marin, Ca. Sage got a call from her then husband/ manager wanting Sage as “ their FIRST official artist to be signed to their label besides Gabriel herself who had a Rock Band collective called Gabriel Roth and the Mirrors. Her album has been in constant rotation in Sage’s tape Deck for months. THIS was the proverbial “ ship coming in” Sage had been working toward forever, and this was in 1989!

But again there were snags.Sage wanted them to change the cover to COLOUR and go to CD and put up the money for that transition from it’s existing bxw cassette format. They wouldn’t do it , opting to have Sage provide the product and they would market it as is. Sage said no, as he was selling OK at the time , not quite realizing the importance of the moment and that he needed a foothold somehow that would put him on the map. He said “ NO” to their “ NO, and that was that. The single biggest blunder of his career.

Well, almost, there have been MANY situations that were missed opportunities laid at Sage’s feet throughout the years where he misread the moment. Very early on , in 1970, he moved to Nashville, driving with a woman friend across the country from their hippie commune in N. Calif in Woodside on Skyline on a rambling two week road trip. But the DAY BEFORE leaving he met a man and his wife who had JUST arrived FROM Nashville who gave him a contact to meet who would put him up until he got on his feet. He had $40.00 to his name when he LEFT Calif. After a short stay with these folks in Nashville, he got a day job at Mr D’s fish and chips in the west end as a fry cook. He was 18.

His “ boss” was this lovely Red Haired lady whose BROTHER was one of the MEMPHIS HORNS, that backed Elvis among the many MANY hit recordings of the day. But, the STORY goes that “ One day, the Guy whose home I was living in took me to the river and we smoked a joint and he asked” What do you want to accomplish here in Nashville”? I said “I would mostly like to become a studio musician and learn the trade.” He had already heard most of my SONGS and knew I was a decent but not yet a “ great” player , but he said he had a “ FRIEND” he thought might help me get into the scene… So he takes me over to KRIS KRISTOFFERSON’S house near Vanderbilt University! He wasn’t there but his house mate put me in touch with him on the phone and we set up a time to call when he had a little time. He was on the road with Billy Swan at the time. I remember talking to Kris from a pay phone a few days later and he agreed to meet me if we could schedule when he got back, but that window got closed when he basically had to go right back on the road and I was working and missed the moment! This was 1970. Kris wasn’t yet the star he was to become. It was all pretty low key.

Another missed opportunity was when one of the studio owners Sage auditioned for set up a meeting to meet the president of Decca Records Nashville after hearing a couple of his songs. Problem was it was a long and essentially confusing meeting in which both the men just told dirty jokes and rambled on about nothing until it was time to leave.

“ He was never introduced to me as anybody important so I wasn’t sure if it was just a loose connection or what? They never once even talked about music, which was the ONLY reason I was there. at the very end, though the guy says” Well I hear you’ve got some good songs”? Why don’t you bring them by the studio and we’ll take a look at them”? He gave me an address and I went by the next day and it says “ DECCA RECORDS”! It was the President of Decca Nashville! BUT, Like the idiot I was at the time I thought, Honestly , I just felt a ripoff coming. MY songs weren’t copywritten back then and I didn’t really like the guy from the meeting the night before because he never talked to me all night and I had to take a bus across the Cumberland river to get there! I was filled with paranoia and decided not to go in, and THAT moment passed forever”!

Such was a few of many other similar situations that manifested over the next 50 + years in more ways than can be counted. However these and all the stories that can be remembered are going into a book Sage plans to write this year { or at least start? } at the age of 72 .{ it is Jan 2nd 2024 as of this update}

He also opened for Clint Black at the famed “Celebrity Theatre in PHX, AZ in the backing band for “Arrowheart” which he had been tapped by their management { Gardner Cole, keyboardist for the 70’s band “ Ah Ha!, and author of MANY hits including “ Open Your Heart “for Madonna } to create and organize a live band as “ bandleader” for that gig.

June 5th, 2024 UPDATE:

On Mar 16th, 2024 Sage RELEASED his new 6 song EP titled ‘EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD” ON MOST DIGITAL STREAMING PLATFORMS. (PANDORA, APPLE , DEEZER, YOUTUBE ETC. )

the EP also features ”JAMES DEAN’S CRASH SITE'“ which Just WON “Best Production / Best Song /Best Performance of an Original Song” at the 2024 New Mexico MUSIC AWARDS IN ABQ, NM May 19th , 2024!

Several of his songs have won various song contests and a few were included on CD compilations As a result of those contests.

Some of his contest wins resulted in getting free studio time which produced recordings that were featured on various albums of his own over the years.

Today, he is happily married to his wife Toni, living on a 40-acre farm just outside Las Cruces, NM with their three Corgi’s, 13 cats and kittens, 31 chickens, and 21 canaries.

He continues to write new songs and sporadically release new material while mainly playing local bistros, vineyards, and small clubs in his 57th consecutive year as a working musician.

The 6 songs from the New EP { Eyes In The Back Of My Head") can be found on the “Audio/Video/ photo page on this website by going back to the homepage and clicking it on the menu at top.}

That session was begun initially with Merel Bregante { original Drummer for Loggins and Messina} at Cribworks, in Liberty Hill, Tx, and 6 of those songs recently completed with Kevin Langford at the Board, in Mayhill, NM, and posthumously mixed even further by Sean Kendall at Ivory Wing Records in Las Cruces, NM } . They were mastered in Austin by Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Mastering.

Sage’s career has never resulted in “fame and fortune “ ( so far...) as is traditionally associated with “success” in the music business, though his “success” would be his ability to stay working as an “original music artist” WITHOUT major “fame and fortune” ( i.e. - being a household name, playing high profile tours, major press, and having a fat bank account)… due to just having good music skills and solid performance skills.

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

There is something called a “life path” and early on Sage’s life took the road less traveled that resulted in something that was it’s own reward, all the while, documenting much of it in poems, song, and journals , and even an hour-long PBS style video (1991) that may yet be re-released one day in an upgraded form.

That video documents Sage’s 10 year departure from the world of popular music {‘86-96} into the extremely Mystical world of Tibetan Shamanistic Sacred Dance and E. Indian Classical dance,as the protege’ of Sacred Dancer’s “ Asoka and Sujata”, who mentored him in their craft as the only one they passed on their tradition to , after 43 years onstage and screen as the famous husband and wife team, from the 40”s 50”s and early 60”s. { Their own discography includes appearances in 12 Hollywood movies including the 1951 Oscar winning film “Salome” with Charles Laughton, as well as appearing in Fredrico Fellini’s film “ Juliet of the Spirits”.

Asoka and Sujata were also major Stage performers in the 50’s who had done command performances for mahatma Ghandi, Prime minister Nehru , and the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, in the 50’s and 60’s and were contemporaries and teachers of Ruth St. Denis , {in E. Indian Classical dance}, Grande Dame of Modern Dance, who in turn was mentor to Martha Graham! so , no small thing to become their Protege’… at 35 years old no less!

During That part of Sage’s personal and professional journey he self produced and performed 72 one man shows from San Francisco to Vermont and garnered 5 Artist Grants, including Rockefeller {FLOW FUND} and NEA grants to both learn from many teachers, and disciplines and teach workshops based on his cumulative real life knowledge, and experiences in Sacred Dance and Shamanistic perspectives during the mid 80’s}

All told, Sage’s LIFE is a story yet to be properly told, where the epic FAILURES are actually sweepingly grand even poignantly beautiful ) and as colorful, if not more so, than his many minor but significant achievements as an artist and working blue-collar musician.

That is a story that bends the mind and breaks the heart but also makes one smile with mute recognition of one’s own life experiences which are often “imperfect “ while leading us to a greater depth, however obscure in the greater scheme of things.

There is SO much more to this story but space doesn’t allow for it here.

As mentioned, Sage is working on his book of anecdotes, memoirs, poems, songs, and a MUCH more detailed “story” that will prove to be a fascinating read.

Stay tuned- the book is a couple of years away but meanwhile, some of his music can be found HERE and in various local haunts where he still performs - at the top of his game.

Reviews

*Note: More Guitar was posthumously added in the final version of Broken Dream. See Audio Clips.