William Ackerman
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William Ackerman is a guitarist and composer of acoustic-based instrumental music. He founded and ran for many years the influential new age record label Windham Hill Records.
Born in West Germany but adopted by a couple who lived in Palo Alto, California. A self-professed poet and musician who briefly studied guitar with Robbie Basho, William Ackerman grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. After attending Stanford University, Ackerman dropped out to become a carpenter. Ackerman had composed some pieces of music for a performance of Romeo and Juliet at Stanford. In 1975, without having played a "paying gig"
Initially William Ackerman kept up his job as a builder but recording music took up more of his time until he was working on music full time. Ackerman ran his music label (Windham Hill Records) for years. He did just about everything from picking cover art to producing the records. Early albums featured himself (It Takes a Year) and his cousin, fellow guitarist Alex de Grassi Turning: Turning Back 1978. Although in later years critics would single out Ackerman's records (especially Childhood and Memory) and De Grassi's first record, the album that gained Windham Hill Records notice was the 1980 recording by George Winston Autumn. This record was well reviewed in Rolling Stone Magazine and, as a result of this national exposure the record began selling in large numbers. For many years it was the best selling album in the Windham Hill Catalog.
Ackerman found that life as a record label executive was, in his own words, making him crazy. His marriage ended in divorce and he eventually moved out of the Bay Area and across the country to Windham County Vermont. In 1992 he sold half of his stake in Windham Hill Records to BMG and stopped recording and producing. Life in Vermont away from the record business proved enjoyable and so Ackerman sold the remainder of his stake in Windham Hill Records in 1996.
Since that time he has released only a couple new albumns Sound of Wind Driven Rain' 1998 and Hearing Voices 2001 (both were nominated for a Grammy) and one albumn re-working some older songs - Returning 2004 (which won a Grammy award).
In addition to discovering George Winston, William Ackerman's other great discovery was Michael Hedges. Ackerman has often told the story of how he heard Hedges performing in a Palo Alto cafe and immediately wrote a recording contract for him on a paper napkin. Hedges and Ackerman performed concerts together for several years in the early 1980s and played together on one of William Ackerman's albumn. Some other notable artists he produced: Liz Story and Shadowfax.
Guitar Tunings: William Ackerman has said that none of his songs use the standard guitar tuning. He also says that only two songs share the same tuning (at least as of 2000). Ackerman's love of non-standard tunings (coupled with the use of a capo) allows him to play melodies where many of the notes can be played without fretting them allowing the strings to "ring free". He shared his love of non-standard tunings with Michael Hedges.
William Ackerman's musical influences are Erik Satie, John Fahey, Robbie Basho, and Leo Kottke. William Ackerman has told an anecdote about his musical debt to John Fahey. One of his early pieces of music sounded a great deal like a Fahey composition and so he visited Fahey, asked him if he thought the music was too similar, and played him the tune. Fahey said "You can have it!". The tune in question might have been The Rediscovery of Big Bug Creek, Arizona (from It Takes a Year).
[edit] Discography (partial list)
- The Search for the Turtle's Navel (later renamed: In Search of the Turtle's Navel) (1976) - Solo guitar.
- It Takes a Year (1977) - Solo guitar.
- Childhood and Memory (1979) - Mostly solo guitar, a few duets.
- Passage (1981) - Re-recordings of older pieces as duets (including one with George Winston), a few solo guitar pieces.
- Past Light (1983) - Mostly duets (including one with Michael Hedges).
- Conferring with the Moon (1986) - Mostly duets and some trios.
- Imaginary Roads (1988) - Mostly duets and trios.
- The Opening of Doors (1992) - Mostly duets and trios, several pieces with electric guitar and electric keyboard.
- A Windham Hill Retrospective: William Ackerman (1993) - A package of previously recorded tracks.
- Sound of Wind Driven Rain (1998) - Half solo guitar, half duets or trios, most songs were new.
- Hearing Voices (2001) - All songs feature the human voice, many different singers were used.
- Returning (2004) - Re-recordings of older pieces, nearly all as solo guitar tracks. Won the 2004 Grammy.
- Pure Will Ackerman (2006) - A package of previously recorded tracks.
[edit] Trivia
- Before starting his own record label, William Ackerman sent a copy of the music for his first album to several other record labels, including John Fahey's Takoma Records. He was rejected by all of them. Several years later John Fahey wrote back a short letter saying "Dear Will, I've reconsidered..." (anecdote told by Ackerman at the Windham Hill 30th Anniversary Concert).
- Other artists who performed on Ackerman's records include: Darol Anger, Chuck Greenberg, Michael Manring.
