Songbook; the introduction by Luke Sayers

During a recent live in-studio radio show appearance, the radio host remarked that "you walked in here with hair past your shoulders, a Willie Nelson t-shirt, and cowboy boots and I was expecting something country...but then you play a mean jazz guitar!" You can't judge a book by it's cover ( or in this case a CD by its cover ) and like his hero Willie Nelson, Luke crosses musical boundaries by finding the common thread which exists throughout American music.

The opening song "Lay it on me" is a Motown infused, Keb Mo style funky blues track about a strong and beautiful woman who needs to take care of herself as she does her loved ones. Next is the song Described in a review by Jenna Dixon of Arbor Web, "penned by ( Luke ) Sayers, the gospel-tinged "Hannah"...just gorgeous", is the emotional and honest tribute to Luke's grandmother. Track #3 is the semi-autobiographical "All the way" whose character's "feet followed his heart all the way". Timing and words play an important role in any relationship, especially when it comes to saying "I love you", which is the basis of the story in the achingly beautiful jazz flavored ballad "For me to know". Featuring just one acoustic guitar and one vocal, "Regret" tells the story of a man who only realizes his mistakes at the bitter end. Closing out "Songbook" is the plea for peace and humanity to be considered as a viable solution to global conflicts, "Another song for peace". This song puts poignant lyrics ( "we are bound by humanity, products of geography, ya simply have to open your mind" ) against the background of a funky reggae style groove. Luke keeps it simple, playing all the instruments including classical acoustic guitar, upright bass, steel string acoustic guitars, percussion, and all vocals. The emphasis is on the songs, and when you see Luke live you won't be missing a thing from the interpretations of the songs on this recording.

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