michael manring tour dates

Michael Manring

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Michael Manring Announces New Tour Dates & Upcoming Album

Michael Manring checks in from the road to announce new tour dates, a new album, and bass camp appearances

From Michael:

Greetings from Italy!

I’m finishing up a trip here recording with my friend Gianfranco Continenza and playing some shows with the amazing acoustic guitarist Finaz and the wonderful singer-songwriter Jackie Perkins — and eating lots of great pasta! I have several local gigs coming up when I get home. Please have a look at the calendar below and swing by if you can. I’m especially hoping you’ll be able to attend our show at the Freight & Salvage on Wed. April 10. Also on the bill are guitarist Don Ross and a great duo called Glass House. The Freight is a fantastic listening room and getting a nice turnout there would bode well for future gigs!

I’m looking forward to doing some teaching this summer. I’ll be returning to the Golden Gate Bass Camp July 23-28. This is a wonderful event open to bass players of all types and skill levels and I’ll be working closely with students in group and private sessions. Please have a look at: http://goldengatebasscampsf.com and let’s see if we can take your bass playing to the next level.

I’m also happy to say I’ll be joining the band The Aristocrats for their “Aristocamp” June 18-21 in Big Indian, NY. These guys are amazing musicians, so it ought to be something special.

In recording news, I recently did a duet with Turkish bassist Ahmad Hani where we both played our acoustic bass guitars. You can have a listen here: 

And finally, I’m getting ever closer to the release of a new solo bass album. It’s called “Small Moments” and the music is all done. I’m just working on the artwork and packaging, so I hope to have news soon!

Thanks for your interest in my musical world!

——————————

UPCOMING EVENTS

Venerdì 15 marzo

MARINA di PIETRASANTA (LU), Il Rosolaccio Food & Music,

Via Versilia 157 – concerto h.22

info: 347 8225775 – www.facebook.com/SilviaFleaRicci/

Sabato 16 marzo

ROMA, L’Archivio 14, Via Lariana 14 – concerto h.22

info: 06 89561754 – [email protected]

clinic h.15,30 all’ Accademia Musicale LIZARD di Roma,

c/o Legend Studio, Via Albano 46/A – info: 328 4173096

Domenica 17 marzo

VELLETRI (Roma) Auditorium Casa delle Culture e della Musica, P.zza Trento e Trieste

clinic h.15 e concerto h.18

info: 392 9993934 – [email protected]

Saturday March 23, 2019

Oddfellows Hall

526 Main St

Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Solo, also appearing guitarists Mark Lemaire and Mark Kostrzewa

Sunday March 24, 2019

Tallman Hotel

9550 Main St.,

Upper Lake CA 95485

Tel. 707-275-2244

Afternoon concert and conversation with Motoshi Kosako and Paul McCandless

Thursday March 28, 2019

Private concert

San Francisco, CA

Friday April 5, 2019

Riceland Hall inside A-State Fowler Center

217 Olympic Drive

Jonesboro, AR 72401

As part of Todd Mosby’s New Horizons Ensemble

Wednesday April 10, 2019

Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse

2020 Addison St

Berkeley, CA 94704

Solo, also appearing Glass House and guitarist Don Ross

Sunday April 14, 2019

Village Theatre Art Gallery

233 Front Street

Danville, CA

with Jazz Harpist Motoshi Kosako

Saturday April 27, 2019

Oakland, CA

Details coming soon!

June 18-21, 2019

The Aristocamp

Full Moon Resort

Big Indian, NY

www.aristocamp.com

Instruction and performances

With Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller, Marco Minnemann, Francis Dunnery, Chad Wackerman

July 23-28, 2019

Golden Gate Bass Camp

Drew School

2901 California St

San Francisco, CA 94115

Solo instruction / performance

September 5-15, 2019

Tour in Germany

With guitarist Tony Kaltenberg

Thursday November 14, 2019

Jan Serr Studio

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

2155 N Prospect Ave F6

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Solo performance

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Michael Manring

• On tour: no
• Upcoming 2024 concerts: none

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The Backroom

Bankhead Theater, Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center

Teatro Diana

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Find out more about Michael Manring tour dates & tickets 2024-2025

Want to see Michael Manring in concert? Find information on all of Michael Manring’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2024-2025.

Unfortunately there are no concert dates for Michael Manring scheduled in 2024.

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Last concert:

Touring history

Most played:

• SF Bay Area (25)
• Philadelphia (3)
• Mexico City (2)

Appears most with:

• Jeff Oster (11)
• Todd Mosby (8)
• Carl Weingarten (8)
• Steve Lawson (4)
• Henry Kaiser (4)

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Michael Manring Tickets

Michael manring concert tickets.

Escape into the jazz-blues genre with Michael Manring tickets from TicketSmarter. Beginning with the birth of blues in the 1870s Deep South, the storytelling quality of the genre has made it one of the most beloved and intimate music styles. As the 1920s approached, jazz came on the scene and became a rousing compliment to an already-established musical movement.

Drawing from its origins in the traditions of African Music, the blues greatly influenced the emergence of early jazz. Often woven with themes of struggle and spirituality, the jazz-blues genre rose to prominence with early pioneers such as W.C. Handy, known as the father of the blues.

Popularly considered to be the soul of New Orleans and St. Louis, the unmistakable sound resonates with a diverse range of listeners. Instruments play a significant role in the stylization of the music itself and popular accompaniments include harmonica, saxophone and slide guitar. Artists like B.B. King brought the genre to a new generation in the 1950s.

As the music continued to emerge and evolve, musicians like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Joe Bonamassa carried the traditional sounds to contemporary audiences. Buy Michael Manring tickets today and get lost in the music.

How much are Michael Manring tickets?

On a whole, Michael Manring ticket prices can be found starting from various ranges as determined by the venue and whether the artist is performing at a festival. Admission for a 1-4 day pass at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival at the New Orleans Fairgrounds can start from around $90 - $430 and VIP options can begin at about $1,950. Choose the level that’s right for you and buy from our site today.

When do Michael Manring tickets go on sale?

The date and time that Michael Manring concert tickets go on sale will vary. Once a tour is announced, you can typically buy admission from us right away. Very often, we have tickets available in advance of a public sale and a pre-sale code is not required.

Michael Manring Tour Dates & Concert Schedule

Don’t be surprised to find Michael Manring playing at intimate jazz clubs and appearing on the lineup of festivals such as the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in Louisiana. Other popular performance platforms include the Birdland Jazz Club in New York City and the Chicago Blues Festival in Illinois. Michael Manring tour dates will typically feature an array of gigs at a variety of venues and events.

Show after show, the artist brings a signature style and smooth vibe that sounds superior to any stage. The Michael Manring concert schedule generally boasts a plethora of options. So, make plans to be in the audience!

Songs from the Michael Manring Tour Setlist

Michael Manring's setlist while performing in Bethlehem , PA at “Zoellner Arts Center” included the following songs:

• Makes Perfect Sense to Me
• Greetings, Earthlings!
• La Sagrada Familia

Source: Setlist.fm

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Modes Course 2024 led by Trey Gunn

Trey Gunn Punkt 1

• Maling List/Contact
• Invisible Rays
• TU - Live in Russia
• The Third Star
• I'll Tell What I Saw
• Music for Pictures
• One Thousand Years
• Live Encounter
• Road Journals
• Joy of Molybdenum
• Thunderbird Suite

Live Events

Tour Dates for 2024:

May 7 - Santa Fe, NM - Still to be confirmed May 9 - Phoenix, AZ (The Rhythm Room) May 10 - San Marcos, CA (The Bornemann Theater) May 11 - Los Angeles, CA (The  Baked Potato)
 May 12 - Los Angeles, CA (The Baked Potato)
 May 14 - Mill Valley, CA (Sweetwater Hall) May 16 - Stockton, CA (Haggin Museum)
 May 17 - Redding, CA (The Dip)
 May 18 - Arcata, CA (Arcata Playhouse)
 May 19 - Bend, OR (Volcanic Pub Theater)
 May 20 - Eugene, OR (WOW Hall)
 May 22 - Portland, OR (Alberta Abbey)
 May 23 - Seattle, WA (Triple Door)
 May 26 - Vancouver, BC - (BlueShore Financial Centre for The Arts)

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Past Events

Tu-Ner USA Tour 2023 

TREY GUNN - Warr guitar PAT MASTELOTTO - drums, electronics MARKUS REUTER - touch guitar August 14 - Piermont, NY (The Turning Point) August 15 - Allentown, PA (Allentown Symphony Hall) August 17 - Hudson Falls, NY (Strand Theater) August 19 - Rochester, NY (Loving Cup) August 20 - Buffalo, NY (Mohawk Place) August 22 - Cleveland, OH (Beachland Ballroom) August 23 - Detroit, MI (Joy Manor Westland) August 24 - Milwaukee, WI (Shank Hall) August 25 - Indianapolis, IN (Irving Theater) August 26 - Chicago, IL (Reggies Rock Club) August 27 - Benton Harbor, M (The Livery) August 29 - Columbus, OH (Woodlands Tavern) August 30 - Cincinnati, OH (The Ludlow Garage) August 31 - Asheville, NC (The Grey Eagle) September 1 - Charlotte, NC (The Milestone) September 2 - Chapel Hill, NC (Storybook Farm) November 29 - Brno, Czech Republic (The Crimson Marathon at SONO Music Club) November 30 - Prague, Czech Republic (The Crimson Marathon at Archa Theatre)

Deep Energy Orchestra   with the  Seattle Municipal Chamber Orchestra

Jan 31 -- Performance at Facebook Headquarters -- Seattle, WA Feb 2 -- The Chapel at the Good Shepard's Center -- Seattle, WA (Sold out! Standing-Room-Only) Feb 3 -- Vashon Center of the Arts -- Vashon Island, WA

w ith Jason Everett (bass, compositions), Fareed Haque (guitar), Radhika Iyer (7-string violin), Trey Gunn (touch guitar), Eric Smith (Keytar), Chaz Hastings (tabla) and the 15 piece Seattle Municipal Chamber Orchestra led by conductor Geoffrey Larson.

March 16-17, 2019 -- Essence of Music Workshop -- Moscozzi Studios, Seattle, WA

Trey will be co-hosting a workshop with ECM recording artist  Nik Bärtsch , Steve Ball and Daniel Reyes Llinas.

Space is limited.  Email contact HERE . 

  May 2019 - Security Project NW USA tour

May 15 - Portland, OR - The Old Church   TICKETS May 16 - Seattle, WA - Columbia City Theater   TICKETS May 16 - Seattle, WA - Columbia City Theater   TICKETS

June 8 --  SeaProg Festival  - Columbia City Theater -- Seattle, WA

Trey Gunn  and  Markus Reuter  join forces for this special, super-electrophonic performance. Both are players of extended-range touch guitars and both bring an enormous wrath of vision to the musical table. 

June 9-15 -- Touch Guitar workshop -- Seattle, WA

Markus Reuter and Trey Gunn. For all "tapping" instruments (guitars, basses, touch guitars, Sticks) and all level of players.

Registration info HERE

Facebook Event and discussion HERE

August -  Fauskivalen Festival Norway

August 9 -  Trey Gunn and Jerry Marotta join Eric Wøllo August 10 - The Security Project

NAMM show January 24-26 2019

Trey will be performing and demonstrating the Gig Performer software at the Tascam booth this year at the Annaheim Convention Center.

Deep Energy Orchestra  October 2018

  DEO website

Security Project  May/June 2018

  Security Project website

Security Project   November 2017

East Coast / Midwest USA tour

       Security Project website

Nov 2 - Kingston, NY (BSP - Front Room) Nov 3 - Newton, NJ (Newton Theater) Nov 5 - New Hope, PA (Havana Club)   Nov 7 - Northampton, MA (Iron Horse) Nov 8 - Pawling, NY ( Darly's  House) Nov 10 - Boston, MA (Regent Theater - Arlington, MA) Nov 11 - Schenectady, NY (Van Dyke Lounge) 2 shows Nov 12 - Syracuse, NY (The Lost Horizon) Nov 14 - Cleveland, OH (Beachland Ballroom) Nov 15 - Louisville, KY (Headliners Music Hall Nov 17 - Indianapolis, IN (The Irving Theater) Nov 18 - Auburn Hills, MI (Callahan's Music Hall) Nov 19 - Chicago, IL - Jerry Marotta drum clinic (venue TBA) Nov 20 - Milwaukee, WI (Shank Hall) Nov 21 - Chicago, IL (Reggie's)

  KTU in Poland   September 9, 2017

Katowice, Poland Festival info

Security Project  Spring 2017

Friday April 7 - Seattle, WA - Columbia City Theater  tickets

Monday April 10 - Tokyo, Japan - Billboard Live (two shows)  tickets

Tuesday April 11 - Osaka, Japan - Billboard Live (two shows)  tickets

Trey Gunn solo show with Stick Men

Jan 10 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door Jan 11 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door 

Security Project  - Mid-West and East Coast USA tour. October 12 - Nov 6, 2016

TU (Trey Gunn & Pat Mastelotto)  in Mexico and South America 2016

June 15 - Mexico City - Lunario  TICKETS   June 18 - Cordoba, Argentina - Casa Babylon Club -  TICKETS June 19 - Buenos Aires, Argentina -  Niceto Club June 20 - Santiago, Chile - Teatro Nescafe de las Artes   TICKETS

Security Project - West Coast USA tour 2016

• May 18 (Wed)   Seattle, WA --  Columbia City Theater 
• May 19 (Thr)   Seattle, WA --  Columbia City Theater
• May 20 (Fri)    Portland, OR --  Alberta Rose Theater
• May 21 (Sat)   Eugene, OR --  Cozmic
• May 24 (Tue)   Santa Cruz, CA --  Don Quioxte
• May 25 (Wed)  San Francicso, CA --  Social Hall
• May 28 (Sat)   Los Angeles, CA --  Whittier Center
• May 29 (Sun)  San Diego, CA --  Ramona Mainstage

March 30, 2016  Triple Door - Seattle, WA special guest (solo show) with Amandala.  Info Here

May 9, 2015  --  KTU  (Gunn, Mastelotto, Pohjonen)

Dukley Festival -- Budva, Montenegro

with Inna Zhelannaya  (Russia) Dahka Braka  (Ukraine) Namgar Lkhasaranova  (Buryat Republic) Radik Tyulyush  (Huun-Huur-Tu) and many others.

May 16, 2015 -- 12th Avenue Arts Center  -- 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA

14/48 festival -- two shows 9:30pm and 11:30pm

12 composers. 1 theme. 12 hours to compose / 12 hours to rehearse everything

The Composers: Ivan Artega • Eric Lane Barnes • Nate Bogopolsky • CD VSHZ and Perry Porter • Trey Gunn • Alex Guy • Gretta Harley • Gino Jevdjevic • Whitney Lyman • Sean Nelson • Steve Stearns • John Teske  The Band: Lesley Bain • Brian Bermudez • Beth Fleenor  • Haley Freedlund • Tristan Gianola • Erica Johansen • Adam Kozie • Michael Owcharuk • Birch Pereira • Taryn Webber 

Fri Feb 6, 2015 - The Borderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands Sat Feb 7, 2015 - Kulturkirche, Essen, Germany Sun Feb 8, 2015 - Wroclaw, Poland Mon Feb 9, 2015 - Opole, Poland Wed Feb 11, 2015 - Lucerna Bar, Prague, Czech Republic Thu Feb 12, 2015 - Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg Germany Fri Feb 13, 2015- Scala, Wetzikon, Switzerland Sat Feb 14, 2015 - Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland Tue Feb 17, 2015 - Viper, Florence, Italy Wed Feb 18, 2015  - Planet Club Rock, Rome, Italy Fri Feb 20, 2015 - Pavia, Italy Sat Feb 21, 2015 - II Giardino, Verona, Italy Wed Feb 25, 2015 - Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium Thu Feb 26, 2015 - Plaza Cinema, Mendrisio, Switzerland Fri Feb 27, 2015 - L’Amalgame, Yverdone, Switzerland Sat Feb 28, 2015 - Satellite Café, Villerest, France Sun Mar 1, 2015 - Trading Boundaries, East Sussex, UK Tuesday Mar 3, 2015 - The Arts Club

Jan 22/23/24, 2015 -- The Ballad of Ishtar --

Chapel Performance Space

Good Shepard's Center 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., 4th Floor Seattle, WA

An electro-acoustic, semi-improvised new work.

with Heather Bentley, Beth Fleenor, okanomodé, Jimmie Herrod, Ivan Arteaga, Evan Flory-Barnes, Trey Gunn, Ahamefule J. Oluo and Michaud Savage, Willaim Hayes. Paris Hurley Dances. Conduction led by Wayne Horvitz. 

October 26 - TU (+Stick Men) -- Prog Fest @ Reggie's, Chicago, IL

with Stick Men

Spock's Beard

 - - - 

October 7 --  Three Below  (Michael Manring, Trey Gunn, Alonso Arreola) @ The Triple Door -- Seattle, WA October 8 --  Three Below  @ Alberta Rose Theater -- Portland, OR  October 9 -- Three Below @ The Majestic Theater -- Corvalis, OR 

Get way down with three world-class bassists joining forces for a low-end rumble.

THREE BELOW  is:

Trey Gunn (King Crimson) Michael Manring (Windham Hill, Michael Hedges) Alonso Arreola (David Fiuczynski)

Sept 30 - October 5   Seattle Tapping Guitar Workshop with Markus Reuter

August 21 -- The Chapel @ The Good Shepard's Center, Seattle -- improv night, pairings of assorted players

Trey Gunn Beth Fleenor Amy Denio Alex Guy Randal Dunn Stephan Fandrich 

Saturday April 26, 2014 -- The Crocodile, Seattle I'll be one of 25 participants at this crazy event.

Seattle Rock Lottery

The Crocodile (2118 2nd Ave, Belltown) Saturday, April 26, 2014 Benefit for the WA Music Educators Association  Doors open at 9pm, show starts promptly at 10pm $10 advance / $15 at door (21+)  The Rock Lottery is simple, but effective. Twenty-five hand-picked musicians meet at 10:00AM at the evening's performance venue. These volunteers are organized into five bands through a lottery-based chance selection. The five groups are released to practice at different locations. The musicians have twelve hours to agree upon a band name and create three to five songs (with a one cover song limit). The bands then return to the venue and perform what they have created in front of a waiting audience.  The twenty-five musicians included in this experiment are carefully selected in an attempt to represent a wide variety of musical styles. This event will bring together many facets of the music community that may seem incompatible, as well as musicians whose interests may conflict. The challenge for these participants is to go beyond their personal and musical differences and work together to create a unified group project that still contains the personal styles of each of its members.  The Rock Lottery is a benefit, with all proceeds going to the Washington Music Educators Association. The musicians chosen to participate are unpaid volunteers. The participants are chosen by the Rock Lottery participant committee with suggestions from former Rock Lottery participants and other members of Seattle's music community.

Security Project Tour 2014 Venues and Dates! *Most venues already have tickets on sale, the rest should be available shortly!

2/26 Woodstock, NY -- Bearsville Theater 2/27 Wilmington, DE -- World Cafe Live 2/28 Sellersville, PA -- Sellersville Theater 3/1 Millville, NJ -- Levoy Theater 3/2 private function 3/3 Buffalo, NY -- The Tralf 3/5 Syracuse, NY -- Westcott Theater 3/6 Burlington, VT -- Higher Ground 3/7 Montreal, Canada -- Le Gesù 3/8 Quebec City, Canada -- The Palais Montcalm 3/10 Boston, MA -- Hard Rock 3/11 New Haven , CT -- Toad's Place 3/12 Norfolk, CT -- Infinity Hall 3/13   Providence, RI -- The Met 3/14 Long Island, NY -- Paramount Theater

The timeless music of PETER GABRIEL has found new life through The Security Project. Featuring former members of Peter Gabriel Band , King Crimson , a former Marillion member’s tour, Carpet Crawlers UK , The Lou Reed Band , The Security Project not only recreates these masterpieces live, but gives them new musical wings for the 21 st century. The reviews have been glowing: “Scary Good Show!” raves Progression Magazine after their premiere in New York City. Noted musicians also have given a thumbs up, including Tony Levin, Larry Fast (both from Gabriel’s band) Steve Hackett (Genesis), Jon Anderson (Yes), Gabriel Mixer/Producer Tom Lord-Alge, Gabriel Analyst Lilywhite Leigh, to name a few, have all taken note. Founding member Jerry Marotta says: “Peter was always great at setting the table for us as musicians; he always got us started with great ideas… As we were creating SECURITY we had no idea we were making something so unique… I’m proud that with Security Project we’re able to deliver the deepest of those songs, and do it with real conviction -- playing them live.” What’s The Buzz? "TSP are a mind-blowing amalgam of disparate musical brilliance!" -Gabriel Researcher/Lilywhite Leigh " Sound as good -- at times maybe better -- than even Gabriel can nowadays"   -Time Out, NYC "King Crimson's Trey Gunn brilliantly injects a wicked warp to Gabriel's melodic weave." –G.A.S. Online " A Scary Good Show! "  -Progression Magazine "Great to see some of the original members doing it the right way."   -Steve Hackett (Genesis) The Security Project ~ Plays Live: Jerry Marotta : Drums & Percussion, Backing Vocal Trey Gunn : Warr Guitar, Backing Vocal Brian Cummins : Lead Vocal Fuzzbee Morse : Guitars, Flute, Backing Vocal David Jameson : Keyboards & Eigenharp

 Montage from recent rehearsals in Woodstock, NY

Tapping Courses 2013

Tapping Workshop 3

Trey Gunn & Markus Reuter

October 16-20 -- Seattle, WA, USA   Seattle Creative Arts Center 

For all tapping instruments and all levels

For this course we will be presenting a variety of work in tapping mechanics, ear training, fret board knowledge, improvisation, alternate approaches of the touch techniques, and other challenges that will help to focus your own musical vision.

A special addition to the course will be a daily class with Bruce Bookman Sensei of the Tenzan Aikido dojo. He will be giving a basic introduction to aikido practice, especially focused to connect with our work as musicians. Trey has been working with Bookman Sensei for the past seven years.

for more info:  [email protected]

____________________________________

KTU in Poland

Trey Gunn, Kimmo Pohjonen &      Pat Mastelotto in Poland

Sept 27   Krakow -- Klub Studio

Sept 28   Opole -- Filharmonia Opolska

______________________

Tapping Workshop 2

July 22-27 -- Innsbruck, Austria

http://touchguitarcircle.com/

Trey Gunn, Alonso Arreola &          Michael Manring

   mexico city, mexico.

July 18, 2013

Centreo Cultural Roberto Cantoral theater

Trey Gunn performs with The Security Project

**The Security Project: U.S. Dates** Feb. 6 (Wed) MILWAUKEE, WI Possible clinic with Jerry Marotta and Trey Gunn - TBA

Feb. 7 (Thr) MILWAUKEE, WI at Shank Hall: www.shankhall.com/

Feb. 8 (Fri) CHICAGO/ST. CHARLES, IL: The Arcada Theatre: www.oshows.com

Feb. 9 (Sat) PHILADELPHIA/SELLERSVILLE, PA: The Sellersville Theatre: www.st94.com/

Feb. 11 (Mon) NEW YORK CITY, NY: BB Kings, Times Square NYC: www.bbkingblues.com/

The Security Project

Josh Gleason, Jerry Marotta and Trey Gunn with David Jameson, Fuzzbee Morse. Members of Peter Gabriel's live "Security" band team up with King Crimson touch guitarist and the voice of Josh Gleason to reinterpret the pre-"So" material of Peter Gabriel.

Trey Gunn performs with The Security Project Saturday August 11, 2012 B.B. King's, NYC Tickets Here

Josh Gleason, Jerry Marotta and Trey Gunn with David Jameson, Fuzzbee Morse and Larry Fast. Members of Peter Gabriel's live "Security" band team up with King Crimson touch guitarist and the voice of Josh Gleason to reinterpret the pre-"So" material of Peter Gabriel.

The Seattle Mayor's Office of Film and Music presents

Wednesday May 30, 2012 FMI Happy Hour with Trey Gunn Film + Music + Interactive Happy Hour returns May 30 from 5-7 pm at Spitfire in Belltown, Seattle. This month features guest speaker Trey Gunn, guitar player who has worked with King Crimson, David Sylvian, Vernon Reid, Brian Eno, TOOL, Azam Ali, Maynard J. Kennan’s Puscifer, John Paul Jones, Robert Fripp, and David Hykes of The Harmonic Choir. Trey will speak to the value of original voice, how to find it, and how, as an artist and business professional, to use it to your advantage.  The event is free and does not require any registration or RSVP, but you must be 21+ to attend. 

http://fmihappyhour.tumblr.com/

Innsbruck, Austria June 18 - 23, 2012 The main question we all are asking is how to turn notes, rhythms, technique, and fret board knowledge into music? And how to do it  immediately. Practicing scales and fret board calisthenics develop one's capacity to play scales and calisthenics - not necessarily to play music. Our belief is that playing music and developing one's own musical vision should be the beginning. Then technique should be the work that follows. This way you are truly working on the things that support where you want to go as a player. For this course we will be presenting a variety of work in tapping mechanics, ear training, fret board knowledge, improvisation, alternate approaches of the touch techniques, and other challenges that will help to focus your own musical vision. The players who come will be exposed to a plethora of ideas and practices to try out and see what truly fits their musical life.

more details and registration

December 15, 2011, 8:00pm -- The Chapel, Good Shepard's Center, Seattle, WA

Duets with my pal, Beth Fleenor.

Longtime friends Beth Fleenor (Kultur Shock/Wayne Horvitz) and Trey Gunn  (King Crimson/Tu) come together for this special, one-night only performance. Using their usual respective artillery (Fleenor on clarinets, voice & electronics and Gunn on touch guitar) as well as other found objects, the duo will improvise an evening length concert at the Chapel Performance Space.

Tickets and more info

October 29, 2011, 7:30pm -- Kulturhuset in Halmstad, Sweden

Trey joins the team IB for an intimate concert. We spend five days rehearsing and writing then....

The line up also includes: Aranis Trio (Jana Arns, Liesbeth Lambrecht, Joris Vanvinckenroye) www.aranis.be Jakko Jakszyk www.jakko.com Morgan Ågren www.morganagren.com Isildurs Bane (IB) www.facebook.com/ibexpo

TU ( Trey Gunn & Pat Mastelloto ) in Texas in April!!

with special guest Chrysta Bell

Thursday, April 28, 2011 >> Austin, Texas - One World Theater

Saturday, April 30, 2011 >> Dallas, Texas - Granada Theater

Get your Tickets now! Dallas tickets are moving fast.

Trey Gunn in Sweden in March

Trey will be music coaching the creative process at IB EXPO 2011. with Henry Kaiser, Midaircondo and Morgan Agren.

March 19, Stockholm, MelloClub

Trey will be performing with Morgan Agren, Sebastian Oberg, Mats Oberg, Gustaf Heilm and Mamadou Sene.

TU (& KTU ) in Russia in November

November 11, 2010 -- tu in valdivostock , russia.

Rock Club Zabriskie Point

November 16, 2010 -- TU in Ekaterinburg , Russia

State Variety Theatre     tickets

November 18, 2010 -- TU in Moscow , Russia

Gogol' Club

November 21, 2010 -- KTU in Perm , Russia

Perm Philharmonie

September 25, 2010 --  Quodia in Mexico City

7:00 pm, Casa del Lago - Chapultepec Park International Poetry Festival with Mexican poets Julián Herbert and Jorge Rangel

July 3, 2010 --  TU (Trey Gunn & Pat Mastelotto) in Warsaw, Poland

with Stick Men (Tony Levin, Michael Bernier & Pat Mastelotto) Sala Kongresowa Plac Defilad 1 00-901 Warsawa, Poland

June 19, 2010 --  Here/Now Project -- Seattle, WA

I have been invited to participate in a very unusual performance next weekend here in Seattle. There will be 8 musicians and 8 dancers. An audience member will come up and draw the name of two musicians and twodancers from a hat. The four will improvise for 8 minutes, then another grouping of four will be picked for the ...next 8 minute segment. And so on, until everyone has gone. The people involved have no idea whowill be there, and most likely I won't even know any of the participants. This looks like a very well crafted event, as the time constraints insure that: One, nobody goes on too long and Two, 8minutes is just long enough that you can't expect to last it bybringing in any ideas. You must go to the well that is present, here in the event. I'm excited. HERE/NOW: Installment 5 Saturday, June 19th, 2010   Open Flight Studio (OFS) 4205 University Way NE / 98105 SEATING: 730-8pm SHOW: 8-945pm for more info: www.herenowonline.blogspot.com

Trey discusses Quodia and multi-media creation/performance

Kirkland Arts Center Saturday March 27, 2010,  2:00-4:00 pm

In this workshop, Trey Gunn will present portions of Quodia and discusses the original creative vision for the project, how it began and how it evolved, its current state and its future, and how it fits in with his body of work.  Quodia is a multi-media storytelling/ performance project established by Trey Gunn (of King Crimson) and Joe Mendelson (of Rise Robots Rise) in 2003. This project combines music, film, sound design, literature, and theater into an elegantly layered, immersive performance experience. Part movie, part theater, and part concert, Quodia tells archetypal fairytales, driven by high-tech digital tools – laptops, keyboard, electronic percussion, Warr guitar, video projectors, and a large screen. Quodia inspires a degree of audience participation through intentional use of narrative “holes”, where audience members are encouraged to use their own imagination.

info and registration                      flyer for this event

TU (Trey Gunn & Pat Mastelotto) + Lori Goldston

Trey and Pat will be joined by cellist Lori Goldston , for this unique performance. Lori is best known for her work with Nirvana, including the "MTV Unplugged" sessions.

Kirkland Performing Arts Center Saturday, April 3, 2010

Kirkland, Washington (greater Seattle area)

for tickets and more info

TU article about the show

Concert Dates

2020/’21.

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International Symphonic Metalcore Band No Kings Allowed Announces New Album; First Single Out Now

French chaotic hardcore power-trio btk unshared new single/music video “bandaison”, centershift releases new single “a fire within”.

• THE MERINGUES Debut Dynamic New LP Pavlova’s Dog with Post-Punk and Power Pop Panache
• Johnny O’Neil’s “Take Me Down” Music Video Selected at Seven Film Festivals Around The World Video Takes a Look at the Epidemic of Opioid Addiction
• Odium Humani Generis Unveils New Track “Idée Fixe”

ALBERTO RIGONI & MICHAEL MANRING Release New Album “Grains of Sand”

Bass Virtuosos ALBERTO RIGONI & MICHAEL MANRING Release New Album “Grains of Sand” Today September 15th!

Bass virtuosos ALBERTO RIGONI (solo, BAD As, Kim Bingham, Vivaldi Metal Project etc.) and MICHAEL MANRING (solo, Alex Skolnic, Steve Morse etc.) are glad to announce the release of their new album “Grains of Sand”, coming out today, September 15th.

The album, fully instrumental, spans from prog to fusion, jazz, ambient and features Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, A-Z) on drums. Also, on some tracks the duo invited some bassists as special guests such as Billy Sheehan, Stuart Hamm, Adam Nitti and more.

Alberto Rigoni says: “After the release of ‘Song for Souls’ in memory of my father I said I was going to retire (at least for a bit) but well… I could not resist making an album with one of the best bass players in the world like Michael. Hope you will enjoy it!”

Michael Manring says: “Alberto is a prolific artist with a deep love of the bass. His enthusiasm is inspiring and it’s always a pleasure to work with him.”

The duo have already released two videos that you can view at the following links: https://youtu.be/GuXJxlNYcBY  (“No Escape” feat. Adam Nitti) https://youtu.be/G5SjE0vRU54  (“Grains of Sands” ft. Billy Sheehan)

“Grains of Sand” will be available in digital, Digipack CD and limited edition tape/cassette! You can pre-order “Grains of Sand” at  http://albertorigoni.bandcamp.com

Released by Manthing Music BMI (© 2022)

More information at Alberto Rigoni –  https://linktr.ee/albertorigoni Michael Manring –  https://manthing.com MANAGEMENT –  https://www.facebook.com/SplitScreenManagement  |  http://www.splitscreenproduction.com

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Michael Manring Tour Dates

Michael Manring has just updated his tour schedule.

Fri. Oct 24 Godfrey Daniel’s Coffeehouse 7 East Fourth Street Bethlehem, PA 18015-1601 (610) 867-2390 Solo Performance

Sat. Oct 25 Five Towns Music College Dix Hills Long Island, NY 11746 Guitar Festival Workshop 1PM, Concert 8PM Solo and with guitarists Rudy Perrone and William Ackerman

Fri Oct 31 Muddy Waters Club CALVARI (Genova) (with Jacquie Perkins)

Sat Nov 1 Euro Bass Day Verona, ITALY tel: 045 8205716 Solo Performance

Sun Nov 2 La Mosca Bianca Jazz Club VENTIMIGLIA (Imperia) (with Jacquie Perkins)

Wed. Nov. 5 Cherbourg, FRANCE to be announced Solo performance

Thu. Nov. 6 Le Triton 11 bis, rue du Coq Français 93260 LES LILAS (Métro Mairie des Lilas) Paris, FRANCE tél : 01 49 72 83 13 email : [email protected] with guitarist Cyril Achard

Fri. Nov. 7 HOLLAND To be announced Solo and with Jan Wolfkamp

Sat. Nov. 8 HOLLAND To be announced

Fri. Dec 5 Budapest, HUNGARY Special Fractal Music performance organized by guitarist Sandor Szabo details to be announced

Sun. Dec. 7 European BassDay Viersen, GERMANY solo

Dec. 8 – Dec. 14 ESTONIA tour

Jan. 9, 2009 Al Ringling Theater Baraboo, WI 608-356-8864 8PM Backing up singer-songwriters John Gorka and Susan Werner

Jan. 15-18 NAMM convention Anaheim, CA performances for Markbass and Zon

Feb. 13, 2009 Sheldon Theatre 3648 Washington Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63108 314.533.9900 MetroTix 314.534.1111 Backing up singer-songwriters John Gorka and Susan Werner

Wed. Feb. 18, 2009 Bee Hive 541 Tremont St Boston, MA 02116 http://www.beehiveboston.com/ 617-423-0069 with Project M

Thu. Feb 19, 2009 The Stone Church 5 Granite St. Newmarket, NH 03857 603-659-6321 http://www.thestonechurch.com/ with Project M

March 2-15 Italy tour

March 29 Stretched Strings Concert Series Doylestown, PA with guitarist Tim Farrell

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Ambiente Solstice Releases “Short Stories” with Sean O’Bryan Smith, Michael Manring, and Vail Johnson

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The Strandberg Project Releases “The Works” Box Set

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Windham Hill Records

Windham Hill Fan Discography and Community

Category: music

A winter solstice discography.

Windham Hill music is many things to many people – and one of the largest is music to play over the winter holidays. Check out a new site dedicated to the many holiday albums released on Windham Hill Records over the years, from the very first Winter Solstice album through more recent reissues. http://www.awintersolstice.com

Windham Hill Logo Origin

In a discussion over at the Windham Hill Lovers Facebook group, Will Ackerman talked about the original of the classic Windham Hill logo:

“ The logo was designed by my friend Jay Durgan… he and I were on Skyline Blvd above Palo Alto and Stanford and slightly over onto the western side on Old La Honda Rd. and walking in an open field ringed with redwood trees… Jay looked to the west and saw  the sun going down behind the redwood trees and said something like “there’s your logo.” It was inventive in that it was a line drawing that incorporated a “half tone” in part of the shadow of the trees.”

Poloroid posted by photographer Randy Lutge

Join the new Windham Hill Lovers Facebook Group

Introducing Windham Hill Lovers on Facebook

Fan of George Winston, Will Ackerman and other Windham Hill artists? Join to experience and share music, photos, concert info, recent releases, memories and more at the new Windham Hill Lovers group…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/windhamhilllovers/

The Windhaming Oaks have sprouted another acorn. I’ve seen so many thoughtful comments from people who care about the music and artists who came together to form Windham Hill Records. It seemed right to have a place of our own with a multitude of voices and perspectives on the music we love.

Windhaming.com will remain as a discography project (and keep the comments coming) Windhaming’s Facebook page will remain as a place to promote the activity here, and with weekly posts of music.

Windham Hill Reissues and more – It’s a good time to be a Windham Hill fan

Windham Hill Re-issues – From a mighty oak, many acorns spring.

New re-issues, Windham Hill artists performing live, Imaginary Road studios carrying on the tradition – it’s a good time to be a Windham Hill fan

In 2009, I was trying to find liner notes for a Windham Hill album online google responded with an uncharacteristic yawn – nothing there. A quick search for a complete discography of one of the most important American labels of the late 20th century yielded incomplete results.

So much good music being ignored – it reminded me of how the now mighty Blue Note records was treated in the early 80’s before their owners realized the value of a good label. I already owned 40-50 of the 106 vinyl re-issues, and had a desire to learn WordPress and a lot of time on my hands between jobs.

And so was born Windhaming.

It felt like I was a lone voice holding up the value of Windham Hill artists (I wasn’t, but close to it). Did something change, or only our awareness of it?

Artists were touring, but few re-issues were coming out – Valley Entertainment had only two at the time. Will Ackerman had already founded Imaginary Road and artists he was producing were winning awards, but it was well before he issued the very Windham Hill-like compilations known as The Gathering (and The Gathering II).

I update the Facebook page much more frequently than this main site. if you’re not following us on Facebook, now is the time: http://www.facebook.com/Windhaming

Here’s a (certainly incomplete) roundup of some current Windham Hill activity:

Windham Hill Re-issues

The reissues are here! We’ve been beating the Windham Hill drum (okay, gong) for many years and hardly heard an echo. Now, we are in an era with a slate of reissues: – GrassTops Recordings has put out two Robbie Basho Windham Hill albums (with Visions of the Country transferred to digital by yours truly). – Valley Entertainment has released 10 titles (mainly later retrospectives), – Adventure Music has just re-released Mike Marshall and Darol Anger’s Chiaroscuro and Darol Anger and Barbra Higbie’s Tideline, with three more titles scheduled to come. – Audio Fidelity has just re-issues Michael Hedges’ Aerial Boundaries on vinyl and SACD.

Windham Hill Artists record and tour

So many artists regularly perform and record. Some are much better than others in promoting their concerts, but in the past two years, we’ve seen the following artists live (links to tour pages, where available):

• Will Ackerman
• Barbara Higbie 
• Alex De Grassi
• Michael Manring
• George Winston

Also recording, touring or otherwise active:

• Mike Marshall
• Darol Anger
• Scott Cossu
• Philip Aaberg
• Mark Isham 
• GE Stinson and Phil Maggini of Shadowfax
• Linda Waterfall 
• David Qualey
• Russel Walder
• Ira Stein (plays sometimes in the SF Bay Area, but has no real web presence we could find).
• Malcolm Dalglish
• Eugene Friesen
• Wim Mertens
• Paul McCandless
• Pierce Pettis
• Clff Eberhardt
• Daniel Hecht is now an author

Imaginary Road Studios – the new Windham Hill

Will Ackerman, along with Tom Eaton, continues to produce outstanding music that will be familiar to WH fans under the aegis of Imaginary Road studios. So much good new music.   http://imaginaryroadstudios.com

So go, get out there and explore. The artists are generally performing much better 30 years on than ever before. Let some new music grow on you till it gives you the same thrills as the old classics. Most of all, enjoy.

WH-1035 Windham Hill Records Sampler ’84

Windham hill records sampler ’84 – selections from the windham hill records album catalogue, michael hedges / mark isham / william ackerman / george winston / shadowfax / alex de grassi / scott cossu / billy oskay & micheal o domhnaill, windham hill records sampler ’84 review.

Coming at the absolute crest of Windham Hill’s artistic and financial success, this is arguably the album to recommend if you are only to have one Windham Hill album. And if you were relegated to some kind of special hypothetical hell that allowed only one Windham Hill album in your life, well, it would be a hell with a bit of mercy in it if this were indeed the one pressing to keep you company. It’s got it all: Hedges, Ackerman and de Grassi on the groundbreaking acoustic guitar end; George Winston’s Thanksgiving representing the holiday albums to come with its autumnal glow, and the ensemble performances of Shadowfax, Nightnoise (before they were Nightnoise), Scott Cossu, and Isham’s On the Threshold of Liberty.

The Windham Hill Annual samplers were a driving force in the label’s popularity. Ask anyone who was around at the time, and they’ll remember either George Winston, the Winter Solstice albums or the samplers. The samplers were frequently featured on the Billboard charts, far outselling the original albums in virtually every case. Each release has its own flavor. ’81 had a focussed purity on solo performances, ’82 adds contemplative complexity akin to chamber jazz. On this release, there’s an expansiveness and confidence in the composition and performances that for the first time brings the underlying joy to the surface.

The mastering here is by the legendary Bernie Grundman. Grundman was mastering engineer for A&M records for many years before staring his own studio in Hollywood in 1984. The BG mark in the runout grooves generally is as good a guarantee of quality as is Rudy Van Gelder’s RVG mark. Production is most frequently by Steven Miller, whose work clearly grew with the label – or possibly helped drive the growth of the label.

Windham Hill Records Sampler ’84 Liner Notes

• Aerial Boundaries 4.45
• Michael Hedges
• Naked Ear Music BMI & Windham Hill Music BMI
• Aerial Boundaries WH-1032
• Produced by William Ackerman, Michael Hedges and Steven Miller

• On the Threshold of Liberty 7.29
• Windham Hill Music BMI
• Vapor Drawings WH-1027
• Produed by Steven Miller
• Ventana 5.18
• William Ackeman
• Past Light WH-1028
• Produced by William Ackerman and Steven Miller
• Thanksgiving 4.04
• December WH-1025
• Produced by William Ackerman and George Winston
• Shadowdance 5.20
• Greenshadow Music BMI, Administered by Windham Hill Music BMI
• Shadowdance WH-1029
• Produced by Chuck Greenberg
• Western 4.02
• Alex de Grassi
• Tropo Music BMI, Adminstered by Windham Hill Music BMI
• Southern Exposure WH-1030
• Oristano Sojourn 4.55
• Silver Crow Music BMI and Windham Hill Music BMI
• Islands WH-1033
• Produced by Steven Miller
• The Cricket’s Wicket 6.16
• Billy Oskay and Micheal O Domhnaill
• Nightnoise Music BMI and Windham Hill Music BMI
• Nightnoise WH-1031
• Produced by Billy Oskay and Micheal O Domhnaill
• Digital Transfer and Assembly by Steven Miller and Dan MacDonell at M&K Sound Corporation, Culver City, CA
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA
• Cover Photo by John Cooper
• Design by Anne Robinson
• Manufactured by Windham Hill Records, a Division of Windham Hill Productions Inc. Box 9388, Stanford, CA 94395 (c) (p) 1984 Distributed by A&M Records, Inc.
• Windham Hill is a registered trademark of Windham Hill Productions Inc.
• All Rights Reserved.

WH-1034 Liz Story Unaccountable Effect

Unaccountable effect review.

From Mark Isham’s opening synthesizer notes to the title track Unaccountable Effect, it’s clear that Liz Story’s second album (and Windham Hill’s 34th release) is delving into new territory with grace, emotion and depth. Liz Story’s debut Solid Colors shines brightly as one of the many high points in the Windham Hill catalog and in the rich selection of solo piano releases across the decades.

So how do you follow up a brilliant debut? An artist has a lifetime to create their first release, and generally a year or so for their second. For lesser artists the cracks start to show, and either you get a weaker rehash of the first album. For Liz Story, a further depth is revealed as the ideas and passions revealed in Solid Colors gain dynamic impact and space.

Unaccountable Effect is the thirty-fourth Windham Hill release and Liz Story’s second album.

Unaccountable Effect Track Listings

• Unaccountable Effect Ο 8:10
• Devotion 3:02
• Mostly The Hours 4:16
• Starfinder 4:42
• Rope Trick 6:12
• My Heart, Your Heart Π 3:54
• Leap of Faith 3:53
• Deeper Reasons 6:03

Unaccountable Effect Credits/Liner Notes

All compositions by Liz Story and published by Windham Hill Music (BMI) except Ο by Liz Story and Mark Isham, published by Windham Hill Music (BMI) and Earle-Tone Music (ASCAP)/Lost Lake Arts Music (ASCAP) and Π by Dick Grove published by Dick Grove Publications (ASCAP)

• Liz Story: Piano, all selections. Drum on “Deeper Reasons.”
• Mark Isham: Synthesizer on “Unaccountable Effect.”
• Bob Conti: Percussion on “Deeper Reasons.”

Produced and engineered by Steven Miller.

All selections recorded at Sound Castle Studio Center, Los Angeles, CA.

Assistant engineer: Jeff Vaughan

Windham Hill Vinyl Collection

Still in progress, the Windhaming Windham Hill Vinyl collection has recently expanded and moved into a new home under the Windhaming Oaks. We’ve had a few requests for photos over on the Windhaming Facebook Page, so we’re sharing pictures here as well. If you haven’t visited the Windhaming Facebook page, come take a look. It’s a nice community of music lovers, with frequent videos from Windham Hill artists.

I purchased about 30 LP’s, and about 50 CD’s before starting Windhaming. The remaining 100 or so have been purchased generally one by one for $1 or $2 at Amoeba in Berkeley or San Francicso. The Audiophile editions were largely found at the Beat in Sacramento. I’ve shopped a lot in Europe lately (Budapest, London, Moscow and Hamburg) and haven’t found a single Windham Hill album there, though my ECM collection has grown a bit. I’m about to place all the albums in “Blake” sleeves – the crystal-clear protective outer jackets, and so took a moment to photograph the collection while it was easier to read the titles.

You’ll see several duplicates. These are generall promo and non-promo copies, but also a few audiophile editions, DMM masters, or alternate covers (what’s up with two covers for Isham’s Film Music?) There is a copy of every disc up through 1083, then a few still missing.

Click on the picture for a larger shot. Enjoy – and feel free to respond with pictures of your own collection.

WH-1033 Scott Cossu Islands

Wh-1033 scott cossu islands review.

With Islands, Scott Cossu builds on the group efforts of his first two Windham Hill releases, with a  star-studded group of collaborators. Mining much of the same territory as Spyro Gyra and the Pat Metheny group, Cossu adds a romanticism and sweetness that belies the genuine complexity and ambitious appropriation of influences. Islands is Cossu’s second release on Windham Hill, following Wind Dance .

If you’re coming new to Scott Cossu, you may be in for a treat. But for me, this is a tough album to review. I’ve heard the tracks that made it onto samplers (Ohana and Oristano Sojourn) too many times; they had lost freshness, and only hearing the non-sampler tracks allowed me to appreciate the album as a whole.  The relatively flat and thin recording (when compared to other Windham Hill releases) doesn’t help. This was the early days of digital, and the recording doesn’t do justice to the amazing musicianship that courses throughout the album. What a treat to listen to the album anew.

After opening with the high-energy, if over-synthesized Ohana, Cossu fears nothing by delving into the near eight minute Gypsy Dance – wending its way from a quiet piano piece through a spirited two-step between piano and violin. St. Croix is a richly colorful and plaintive conversation between piano and horn, and Islands gives a cheery Caribbean vibe with the facile flute playing of Dave Valentin.

Cossu seems to save his more relaxed and experimental tracks for the second side, from the 7 minute crescendo of Harlequin Messenger to the pastoral Fawn, the feel is just right – searching, and with an optimistic, but not cloying or celebratory quality, Cossu’s musicianship and compositional skills shine.

I would call Islands underappreciated, but apparently it’s just me who was a late adopter. Both fans and critics celebrate Islands. You might, too. Thanks to the magic of YouTube and the very excellent WindhamHillLovers channel, you can listen for yourself below.

Islands Track Listing

• Gypsy Dance 7:52
• St. Croix 4:49
• Islands 3:47
• Harlequin Messenger 7:14
• Vashon Poem 3:31
• Oristano Sojourn 4:55*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_IsBLxDEA4&list=PL2A72506EA8058EC2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nenTdieeJ24&list=PL2A72506EA8058EC2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhkXZ0RRcP4&list=PL2A72506EA8058EC2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Ud4cRfQP4&list=PL2A72506EA8058EC2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpRhX_vaaqA&list=PL2A72506EA8058EC2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0zClX07F3c&list=PL2A72506EA8058EC2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C8I7KLz9Mk&list=PL2A72506EA8058EC2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOB2Z1wGSjQ&list=PL2A72506EA8058EC2

Islands Credits and Liner Notes

• Recorded at Skyline Studios , New York City; March & April 1984
•      Assistant Engineer Arthur Payson
• Additional recording at Sorcerer Sound, New York City
•      Assistant Engineer: David Avidor
• Mixed at Skyline Studios, New York City
•      Assistant Engineers: David Young & Scott Ansell
• Ohana & Oristano Sojourn mixed at Sorcerer Sound , New York City
•      Assistant Engineer: Mario Salvati
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering , Hollywood, CA
• Graphic design by Anne Robinson
• Cover photo by Wernher Krutein/PHOTOVAULT
• Liner photo by Robin Paris
• Scott Cossu: Piano
• Dave Valentin : Flutes
• Mark Egan : Bass and 8 string bass
• Danny Gottleib : Drums
• Roger Squitero : Congas and percussion
• Steve Gaboury : Synthesizer
• Michael Urbaniak : Violin
• Tom Varner : French horns
• Eugene Friesen : Cello
• *Flutes arranged by Dave Valentin
• All songs composed by Scott Cossu
• Silver Crow Music/Windham Hill Music (BMI)
• Dave Valentin courtesy GRP Records
• Mark Egan and Danny Gottlieb courtesy of Antilles Records
• Tom Varner courtesy of Soul Note Records

Special thanks to Will Ackerman, Anned Robinso, Steven Miller, Steve Lowy and all the people at Windham hill for their long and continued support. Also to my family, Robin, Jenny and our Creator.

Islands: Recorded on Manhattan, the most famous island, represents my progression of travels and my love of islands, their inspirations and the gypsy spirit within. May this music help unite us all as a family of islands.

(c) (p) Windham Hill Records, 1984.

<<note: liner notes taken from the Canadian release, WH-9-1033 – it’s just what I had on hand>>

WH-1032 Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries

Aerial boundaries review.

Sgt. Pepper, Kind of Blue, Aerial Boundaries.

Few albums stand at both the pinnacle of a genre and simultaneously transcend them. Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries is one of those few albums that served to define a genre by showing all that it is capable of, while simultaneously and immediately appealing to both casual listeners and those most in the know.

With Aerial Boundaries, Hedges atypical tunings and two-handed percussive technique brought his music to another level beyond that of his first recording “Breakfast in the Field”.

Much has been written about Hedges. I don’t have much to add – simply, If you are not familiar with this recording, you must hear it – and on a good system. If you are, it’s time to hear it again.

Aerial Boundaries Samples

We are fortunate that Randy Lutge has posted so many of the recording from the New Varsity Theater. Hedges was an electrifying live performer, and as perfect as the songs seem on vinyl, they reach another level of depth and complexity still when performed live. Spend a little time on YouTube and you’ll be amply rewarded.

Enjoy the samples, Liner Notes, Credits and “Remembering Michael Hedges” below.

Aerial Boudaries

Rickover’s Dream

After the Gold Rush

Spare Change

Menage a Trois

The Magic Farmer

Aerial Boundaries Track Listing

• Ó   Aerial Boundaries 4:45
• Ó   Bensusan 2:30
• Ó   Rickover’s Dream 5:00
• Ó   Ragamuffin 3:15
• ζ    After the Gold Rush 4:10
• Ó   Hot Type 1:31
• ∞   Spare Change 5:45
• Δ   Menage a Trois 7:10
• ♦   The Magic Farmer 3:50

Aerial Boundaries Credits

• Michael Hedges: Guitar
• Mike Manring: Fretless Bass on “After the Gold Rush” and “Menage a Trois”
• Mindy Rosenfeld: Flutes on “Menage a Trois”

Produced by William Ackerman, Michael Hedges and Steven Millar

Ó     Recorded live to 2 track digital master at Windham Hill Farm, West Townshend, VT, using the Fedco Audio Labs remote truck. Engineered by Steven Miller, assisted by Tom Arrison and Nick Gutfreund.

ζ     Recorded live to 2 track master at Sheffield Studio, Baltimore, Maryland. Engineered by Bill Mueller.

♦     Recorded live to 2 track master at Different Fur Studio, San Francisco, CA. Engineered by Steven Miller.

Δ     Recorded at Mobius Music, San Francisco, CA. Engineered by Oliver DiCicco. Mixed to digital by Steven Miller at A&M Studios, Los Angeles, CA.

∞     Realized at the Peabody Electronic Music Studio, Baltimore, MD. All sounds are of guitar origin. Engineered and edited by Michael Hedges. Mixed to digital by Steven Miller at the Peabody Recording Studio.

• Digital transfers by Mark Boeddeker at Master Digital, Venice, CA.
• Original Mastering by Bernie Grundman, A&M Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
• Cover photo by Richard Santangelo.
• Liner photo by Cathye English.
• Design by Anne Ackerman Robinson.

All compositions written and arranged by Michael Hedges, published by Naked Ear Music (BMI) and Windham Hill Music (BMI) except “After the Gold Rush” by Neil Young, published by Broken Fiddle Music (ASCAP) and Cotillion Music (BMI).

Manufactured by Windham Hill Records. A Division of Windham Hill Productions Inc. box 9388 Stanford, CA 94305

©(P) Windham Hill Records, 1984

• Distributed by A&M Records, Inc.

Windham Hill is a registered trademark of Windham Hill Productions Inc. All rights reserved.

Aerial Boundaries Liner Notes

Thanks to Randy Lutge, Steven Miller, Hilleary Burgess, Thayne and Ruth Hedges, George Winston, Geoffrey Wright, Steve Backer, Anne Robinso, Will Ackerman, Alex deGrassi, Mindy Hedges, Steve Reich, Admiral Rickover, Mike Manring, and Pierre Bensusan for their encouragement, support and inspiration.

The telescope was invented in 1608 by a Dutch lens grinder, Hans Lippershay. One day Lippershay discovered accidentally that by putting lenses at both ends of a tube and then putting the tube up to his eye, he could view things “close up”. He called his device a looker, and thought it would be useful in war. Galileo got hold of one, improved it a little, and they used it himself to challenge prevailing ideaas abotu the solar system. This music is dedicated to the spirit of Galileo.

Remembering Michael Hedges

Immediately after Hedges died in 1998, Acoustic Guitar magazine and Alex de Grassi did a lengthy recollection of of Michael, consistent with the stories I’ve heard from engineer Harn Soper. I do not own the rights that this content, but given that the web is old enough that I’ve seen valuable pages disappear over the years, I have decided to do a cut and paste. (If you own this content, and want me to remove it from this page, simply contact me via the comments below.)

The death of Michael Hedges in a car accident last November sent a quake of shock and sadness through the music community, and tremors are still being felt. Using radical alternate tunings and two-handed tapping and percussion techniques, Hedges redefined the language of the acoustic guitar, cutting an extraordinarily influential path. For this special tribute, we look back at Hedges’ life and music, through the eyes of his friends and collaborators. Alex de Grassi, Hedges’ labelmate at Windham Hill and a groundbreaking guitarist himself, compiled the stories that follow from hours of conversations, some of which occurred at a small gathering of San Francisco Bay Area musicians who had known and worked with Hedges for years. Several of these people also shared rare photos: the black-and-white images of Hedges’ landmark recording sessions for  Aerial Boundaries  were rescued from water-damaged negatives, and most are published here for the first time. Together, these words and pictures provide an unprecedented front-row view of the life and music of a guitar revolutionary.

–Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers

FIRST ENCOUNTERS

RANDY LUTGE  ( manager/owner of the New Varsity Theater, Palo Alto, California ) It was the summer of ’79 or ’80, and I was sitting in the lobby of the Varsity Theater when a fellow with very long hair and a guitar walked down the courtyard, looking like a street musician out to hustle up a gig. It was Michael, walking in from a day at his computer/electronic music class at Stanford, and he said, “I hear this is the place to play in Palo Alto.” I said, “Yes, perhaps. What sort of music do you do?” Mike said that he didn’t much like to be pigeonholed into any one style but that he liked Neil Young a lot.

“Aha! We have all kinds of people, all the time, who do Crosby, Stills, and Nash. We’re really not interested.” “What would you like me to sound like?” he asked. “Well, if you walked in here and said you sounded like Alex de Grassi or Will Ackerman, I would be much more intrigued.” “All right, I’ll be back tomorrow,” he said.

The next afternoon back he comes with a cassette tape in hand. The night before he had recorded “Silent Anticipations”   and one other piece. It seemed so bold at the time that the tape got put on right then, with everyone including Mike checking it out. It was clear from the first few notes that it was very eclectic, complex stuff. I told him the place was his, whenever he wanted, as often as he wanted. He played the next night. That evening was so special that we got out the early primitive video camera and taped, as we would do for so many later shows. Michael spent the next several years having the Varsity as his musical home base, going eventually from tips in the courtyard to large concert events in the theater.

WILL ACKERMAN  ( founder of Windham Hill Records ) I was accosted on the street by Randy Lutge of the New Varsity Theater. He said, “Look, I’ll give you two free tickets to the movie tonight and dinner if you’ll come hear this guy play.” I’m hearing that all the time and I’m thinking, “Oh God, but two free tickets and a dinner, that’s pretty good.” So he takes me to that little upstairs room overlooking the courtyard, and Michael was there playing for just a handful of people. At the time, he was playing most of the stuff that’s on  Breakfast in the Field [his first album, 1981], obviously some pretty impressive stuff. I started writing out what I could remember of a contract on a napkin and had him sign it. It was a way of saying to Michael how completely overwhelmed I was and how sincere I was about wanting to work with him. That was one of the quickest propositions in the history of Windham Hill.

MICHAEL MANRING  ( Windham Hill recording artist ) At the time we met, I was playing in a band in D.C. and doing a bunch of pickup gigs. One night in Baltimore I was doing basically a jazz gig with Lon Efram. We played this place where we did a set of dinner music and then a set of pretty much whatever we wanted. Mostly we were playing jazz tunes, but in the second set Lon told me to play some of my solo bass stuff I was working on at the time. Michael was there–I think he had lent us a PA–and he came up to me after the set and was real excited. He saw that I was goofing with some stuff on the bass that was like what he was doing on the guitar. We started talking about all kinds of stuff. He seemed such a strange person and very intense. I remember asking Lon, “Is this guy OK?” Lon said, “Yeah, he’s a pretty good guitar player.”

So we got in this intense conversation right away about a lot of music that we liked. We had a lot of common tastes in music. We were talking about Jimi Hendrix and Anton Webern and Morton Feldman and Harry Partch. I didn’t know very many people who knew about their music. I think we talked about Van Halen.

Michael said he was working on this demo tape for this little record company that nobody ever heard of, especially me. And of course that was Windham Hill. I went up a couple of weeks or a month later and played on his demo. I met him at his apartment, and he said, “Man, you gotta hear this record”–and it was your record [Alex de Grassi’s  Turning: Turning Back ]. Then we did the demo in the Peabody electronic music lab. He gave me a tape of some of his electronic music and some of his chamber stuff for unusual ensembles like vibes, cello, and guitar. I still have a copy of a piece he did for flute and tape. He actually started performing it in ’90 or ’91. An atonal piece, as I remember, it was based on frequency relationships. One of the first things we talked about in our first conversation was composing with the Fibonacci series [a numerical sequence developed by 13th-century Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci]. There was this book we were both interested in that analyzed Bartók’s music in terms of the Fibonacci series. We had both been doing “Fibonacci” compositions at that point. He was also writing pop music at the time. He had already written “Watching My Life Go By.” He had a bunch of other songs like that that he never played again.

We talked about music constantly, sometimes staying up all night. The amazing thing about him was he’d be playing something that was totally rocking, totally melodic, and yet really intellectually challenging, and the two things would be happening completely interweaved with each other. He wrote a piece I used to love to play. It was a pop song, but the melody was a 12-tone row. It was gorgeous, and you wouldn’t know it was a tone row unless you analyzed the music. And that was so much how he thought.

ALEX DE GRASSI  I remember when I heard his first album. I hadn’t met him yet–I’d just been hearing about him through Will. I heard the record and I went, “Wow, this guy’s great!” The piece that really stood out was “Breakfast in the Field,” because it was such an unusual approach to solo guitar. A lot of the other pieces on the album were great pieces, but they sounded a little like Martin Carthy, a little like this and that. It wasn’t until  Aerial Boundaries  came out [1984] that I thought the really amazing stuff emerged.

MANRING  I remember doing  Breakfast in the Field  and thinking, “This guy’s got a wonderful music sense.” I don’t know if I encouraged him or not, but we talked about getting more intense, more rhythmic; we were both real interested in the tapping thing. When we were touring for  Breakfast in the Field,  we used to do his tunes and a lot of covers. We would do a bunch of Neil Young tunes and a bunch of Beatles tunes. We were on our way to play in Ashland [Oregon], and he was saying, “We need to do a new Beatles tune,” even though we were already doing five Beatles tunes. I remember saying, “Oh, we should do ‘Come Together.’” And he said, “Oh, no, no–that’s much too crazy, we could never do that.” And I said, “No, Michael, we really should do it. I think it would be great–we gotta do something different.” We were playing all the acoustic stuff–“Rocky Raccoon,” all the mellow stuff. I finally talked him into it, and we stopped at some small town and found a music store that had the music so that we could learn the lyrics. I taught him the lyrics as we continued driving and then we played it that night. So I don’t know if I encouraged him, [but he began] to get a little wilder.

BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES

STEVE MILLER  ( engineer/producer ) I remember Will saying when we were getting ready to do the live record [ Windham Hill Live,  Berklee Performance Center, Boston, 1983], “Wait until you hear this piece [‘Rickover’s Dream’] that Hedges is going to do.” I didn’t hear it until we did the dress rehearsal that first day. I just went, “Holy shit!” It definitely knocked me out. I had never heard anything like that. It was the next step from that piece “Silent Anticipation.”

WILL ACKERMAN  “Silent Anticipation”   was striving for something, but “Rickover’s Dream” was cinematic. It’s such a realized piece.

MILLER  The first day he showed up [to record in Vermont], we were all psyched because at the live show at Berklee he had shown up with this TC [Electronics] chorus. It was so cool, that sound we got on the live record [ Windham Hill Live ] for “Rickover’s Dream.” So when he showed up, I said, “Where’s that box?” He said he had left his stuff at the Greyhound station in Boston and it got ripped off. So right off the bat we had to get him a chorus.

The first thing we recorded was maybe one of the more acoustic pieces, like “Ragamuffin” or something. And then we did “Rickover’s Dream.” Will and I actually were both kind of bummed out because it wasn’t as cool as the live version; that was the piece Will had been saying to everyone, “This is the most influential, important acoustic guitar piece of the last 50 years.” And then, as I remember it, we did the piece “Aerial Boundaries.” Will and I talked, and I said, “I’m going to try to take it another step further than ‘Rickover’s Dream.’” And he said, “Do it. This will be great.”

ACKERMAN  As far as [recording the album]  Aerial Boundaries,  I almost have amnesia.

MILLER  There’s a good reason why Will doesn’t remember much, because he got poisoned on the second day! He was building his garage, and he was putting some sealer on it, and we didn’t see him for two and a half days.

ACKERMAN  Oh yeah, I was really sick! No wonder I was out! What I remember, what I think I remember, is Michael being in the living room. Steve had created this monster sound [out of “Aerial Boundaries”], and Michael was basically horrified. I remember him saying that he was looking for an acoustic record, and this had gone into this very different place.

MILLER  He freaked! He totally wigged out and ran out of the [remote recording] truck and went into the woods for a few hours. And we couldn’t find him. Nick Gutfriend [owner of the remote recording truck] and I played football for half the day. And then Michael came in and smoked a huge joint. It took him a few times [listening] before he went, “Wow, that’s pretty wild.” And then the next day Michael and I went and found Will at his property.

ACKERMAN  And I had poisoned myself [with the sealer]. It was bad. I was so dizzy that when I went to try to get out of that room, I fell down the trap door. And you know, that  wasn’t funny. I was hurtin’. I was stark naked on the ground in either October or November. . . . Oh, God.

MILLER  And Michael was kind of uptight at that moment, because he still wasn’t, I don’t think, really convinced that this [recording of the piece “Aerial Boundaries”] was the thing. And then when Will told him what had happened [in the garage], it totally loosened him up–he felt a lot better [ laughs ]. . . .

He did the piece “Spare Change” on a four-track. These days people would be able to cut and paste that together on samplers. I came to Baltimore [Peabody’s studio] and helped him get started, and I came back about five days later. I didn’t realize what he was doing. He had written the melody backwards, physically on paper, and played it backwards, and then turned the tape over so it would play the melody. I said, “Jeez, Michael, I’m anal, but I don’t have the patience to do that!”

Not only that, but there’s that one chord that drops in pitch. So we’re going, “How do we make that happen? Like a whammy bar or something on the acoustic guitar?” So we sat there for an entire evening trying different techniques to make that thing happen until finally the two of us were pressing the recorder at synchronized times and I was rolling this oscillator that vari-sped the machine down. We were there for five hours getting that one thing to happen.

TRANSCENDING TECHNIQUE

ALEX DE GRASSI  I remember doing a little promotional gig with Michael at an audio dealer in San Francisco when  Aerial Boundaries  and my album  Southern Exposure  had just come out. Michael asked me if I minded if he stood up when he played. It had never occurred to me to stand up and play solo guitar. I had played standing back in my street musician days, but I always felt that I had more control over my playing by sitting down. Everybody I had seen playing solo guitar–Leo Kottke, John Renbourn, Ralph Towner–all sat when they played.

I told Michael whatever he wanted to do was fine with me. Then I sat back and was amazed at both the precision and energy of his playing as he stood and played. It really changed my thinking about what was possible. In Randy Lutge’s video of Michael playing at the Varsity back in ’82, you can see even though he was standing up, he had the hand position and technique of a classical player even when he was playing a Neil Young song.

MICHAEL MANRING  He was actually a pretty good classical guitar player. He was playing Sor, Tarrega, and Bach. He wasn’t going to do that as a profession, but he could sit and play that stuff well. He studied classical guitar at Peabody, although he was an electronic music major.

DE GRASSI  I can see how there might have been some influence from Sor in Michael’s playing because a lot of those Sor studies have to do with overlapping voices and the duration of notes. That was something that Michael did so well–along with all the other innovative techniques in his vocabulary.

JOHN STROPES  ( Hedges transcriber/publisher ) It was clear from the beginning that the current state of notation for guitar would be inadequate to fully express Michael’s compositions. Now, it could also be argued it’s pretty inadequate for anyone else’s guitar music too. It only gives you a little bit of information. But he had really cut new ground, exploring new areas of guitar technique that had not been previously exploited, such as duration of notes, for example–carefully controlling when notes stop. That was something that was rarely, if at all, expressed. You can write a half note, but when you play the guitar it often might not be a half note. And we all know this and we have lived with this for many years, but in order to capture the real truth of Michael’s music it seemed like it was incumbent upon us to develop notation that would be able to focus in on those things that make it unique. We had not only to try to develop notational devices, but also to test them with groups of students to make sure that in fact you could get a result at the other end that was somewhat similar to the original performance. It’s something that more guitar music should focus on.

I think what surprised us all was that he not only had the technique to be a significant artist, but that we had in our midst a great composer. I think on one level or another it’s what struck everyone.

MANRING  He got so far away from technique. I think he was actually a little bit uncertain about his technique. When we met, he was studying with this jazz player Larry Woldridge. And Michael kind of couldn’t do that Pat Martino thing. I remember for years him trying to play like that. Certainly he had the brains to do it, but somehow the particular connections involved in making that kind of music just never seemed to work for him. But then he took all his musical skills and put it in this other direction that was totally amazing.

TUCK ANDRESS  ( Windham Hill recording artist, with Tuck and Patti ) Michael had the ability to completely distract you from how dazzling the technique was by being so musical.

MANRING  I think Michael never felt like the guitar players who have all the chops; he never had that cockiness about his chops. And he was always real, real shy about playing with other people or playing other people’s music.

BOB DUSKIS  ( former head of A&R at Windham Hill ) I remember we were in Philadelphia on a Windham Hill tour staying in the same hotel as the rock band GTR, which featured Steve Hackett from Genesis and Steve Howe, one of Michael’s heroes, from Yes. We’re in the elevator, and Steve Howe gets on with one of his roadies. Hedges says to him, “Hey, you know what I have in this case? I have a Dyer harp guitar.” Howe says, “Yeah? I’d love to check it out.” So we get out of the elevator. Howe has no idea who Hedges is. Hedges pulls out the guitar, and suddenly he knows he has the opportunity to play for one of his guitar heroes.

So he begins to play, and Howe’s jaw just hits the ground. He stands and watches him for a minute. Then Michael gives him a cassette of  Aerial Boundaries . As he is walking away, we overhear Howe say to his roadie, “That guy was fucking unbelievable!” Michael was walking on air the rest of the day.

OTHER VOICES, OTHER INSTRUMENTS

MICHAEL MANRING  He always talked about wanting to find a drummer we could play with and having a band. We tried it a couple of times. Something about that was really hard for him, but I never quite figured out what it was. I’d offer to bring some drummers up, and he would get excited about it but then change his mind.

Sometimes when we played with a group of people, he would get lost, kind of buried. The amazing things that he did were often the more subtle things that made you listen more deeply. It was hard to hear those things in a big group.

When Michael and I played together, we just never seemed to get in each other’s way. There was always plenty of room. It was certainly a thrill to play with him. It was like a conversation, and we would always get into something deep right away. Sometimes we wouldn’t play together for a few months, and then we’d play a gig and just be right back continuing that musical dialogue barely saying hello. It’s too bad he didn’t play with more people; he was such a treat to play with. He was a great listener. Everything was different every night. For a guy who “didn’t improvise,” he was a better improviser than almost anyone I’ve met. He wasn’t a jazz player, but he always found some new place to take the music. And it always seemed appropriate, perhaps reflecting something that had happened that day. He was definitely somebody who was fully awake.

PATTI CATHCART  ( Windham Hill recording artist, with Tuck and Patti ) Michael and I sang together one time at Stanford. I can’t remember what songs we did, because we literally were just jamming–we were by the skin of our teeth. I’ve always been a complete fan of Michael’s vocal style; I love the way he sang. I know it was always hard for him to get Windham Hill behind him on his vocal projects. We all played together just last September in Chicago and Montalvo [Los Gatos, California]. His singing had just gotten more beautiful. He was playing the hell out of the guitar and singing like an angel.

TUCK ANDRESS  I remember in the early days he was playing a lot of piano, which of course he wasn’t doing later. He was good at that too! I remember talking to him one time back then, and he seemed bemused at the fact that he had really gotten over doing this acoustic guitar and singing thing. He said he loved doing that, but that was just one of the things that he did, and that it just worked. This was just when he was beginning to get a lot of notoriety. He said he would “definitely ride this thing out and go for it, but somewhere along the line I’m going to do some of these other things that are equally interesting to me.” So we never really got to hear a lot of those other things. But he had quite a variety of talents.

LARGER THAN LIFE

TOM LARSON  ( tour manager 1995–1997 ) I probably saw Michael in concert for the first time in ’88 or ’89. I was blown away by the bigness of his live guitar sound. At that point, I thought, “This is someone I would be interested in working with.” He played voicings that you didn’t normally hear on guitar. Also the color and the sonorities were part of what attracted me to his music in the first place.

I feel really rather spoiled and lucky and fortunate that I got to hang out with him for the last couple of years. We did about four tours and some summer dates. We did a couple of openers for Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and that was a real treat. We went to Brazil. That was interesting. I met him in Brazil, and he showed up with no hair. He had had this helmet made [seen on the cover of  Oracle ] with holes to stick his hair through, and then he goes and cuts his hair all off. We did four nights in Brazil. It was fun to see how strong the response was. He was doing the Peter Gabriel tune “Talk to Me,”   and I think he was doing “Pinball Wizard.” The last two weeks we were out on tour he was doing Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.” He was doing it on the harp guitar. Normally on the harp guitar he had five strings in the bass section, but for that tune he had to wire up a sixth string. He had gotten an extra tuning machine from Steinberger that he liked, and he put it on. At the intermission he would have the monitor tech undo that string so it wouldn’t goof him up in the next set when he had to play “Because It’s There,” one of the harp guitar features.

Michael was incredibly particular about his monitor mix. When I started out with him he had two wedges down front so he’d get that nice stereo imaging. Then he’d have two more speakers behind him that were usually in mono. Towards the end, those speakers became stereo, and then he wanted stereo side fills as well. So he’d end up having this huge six-speaker system on stage, so that wherever he went on stage, he was literally inside his sound. He also would want reverb in the monitors. It ended up working really well, and the guitar sound in the front of the house at the Baltimore Artscape Festival [1997] was the biggest sound I ever heard from any acoustic guitar in my life. I just remember sitting there and thinking, “This is really fun.” There were probably five to eight thousand people out on the hill that day. Later that day we came back and listened to Tito Puente and grinned from ear to ear and danced. Later that night he showed me his old haunts in Baltimore.

WIDE-EYED AND WILD

ALEX DE GRASSI  Michael was known to have his eccentricities, but underneath it all one senses he was still that wide-eyed, somewhat innocent Oklahoma boy.

TOM LARSON  He had his rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, but he also had a really solid sense of where his family was. It was always a treat whenever his mom would come to shows; she would bribe us for good seats with cookies and stuff like that. So he had a bit of both senses, but it was that innocence that was great. One of the things that I thought he did really well–whether with fans after a show, with promoters, or with me–was the way he had of making you feel, at that moment, like you were the center of the world, that you were the focus of his utmost attention. He gave himself completely to whoever he was talking to, or to whatever he was talking about. If we were talking casually or listening to a Rolling Stones song or a Prince song, he was totally able to go into that moment. That’s the way he looked at life–go for every moment. He was curious about everything–somewhat innocent, but it never seemed to hurt him.

He wanted to fly if the drive was over three hours. Part of his regimen was making sure he had time to do his yoga every day, so sometimes he’d end up doing it at the airport. He had this rug, and he’d sit there by the gate while everyone else was sitting in those chairs. He’d be on the floor doing these stretches on his rug or rolling around on this nine-inch–diameter spiked blue ball. He was definitely eccentric. One thing his success gave him–and he was never a wealthy man–was that he made enough money in his career so that he never had to do anything he didn’t want to do. He was always pretty much able to do the music that he wanted to do, and call it what he wanted.

During the last couple of tours he was really into his Chinese meditation and the theory of five elements. The song “Oracle”   was originally called “The Fusion of the Five Elements.” It has five specific sections that deal with water, fire, earth, wood, and metal. The song keeps repeating that cycle. He was exploring that along with the Chinese herbs. He’d go to that side of his personality on some nights. Other nights, say in a club, it would be a looser vibe and he might decide to have a white Russian or a shot of tequila–although he would just kind of sip it and maybe drink half of it, just to be in the culture.

JOHN STROPES  Michael’s music came from a deep source within himself. He was a very spiritual person, and his music embodied profound things for people. Music was not his life. More than anyone he realized that music was  about  life. He felt driven to be a composer; he had that talent. But it was by expressing what was going on in his life that his music had such an ability to move people.

WILL ACKERMAN  My memory of Michael is much more of the guy than the musician. He was such a character . . . truly the only one of those on the planet. He seemed to embrace all aspects of life evenly. There didn’t seem to be the division in him between good and evil. Whatever it was, it was fascinating to him. He seemed to embrace the gutter as well as the sun with an equal amount of fascination. I always kind of admired him for that.

MICHAEL MANRING  Whenever I hung out with him, big things happened. Whether it was ridiculous, tragic, or inspiring, big things would always happen. He lived his life with so much intensity. Every experience was magnified. I would worry about him sometimes. He used to love to walk on those cliffs by his place in Mendocino [California]. That’s just how he lived his life: on the edge.

RANDY LUTGE  Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him. Remembrances of trips to Lake Tahoe, being woken in the morning to share a newly scribed “Rickover’s Dream,”   and joining him for a trip to the Grammies when  Aerial Boundaries  was nominated [Best Engineered Record]. Sometime last spring, about ten in the evening, I got a call. It was Michael. We hadn’t seen each other in a while, could he stop by? We spent an hour or so together, catching up on our lives. We played a song or two together, and he reminded me of some chording he had taught me years earlier for Neil Young’s “Don’t Let It Bring You Down.” Mike was not only good to listen to, he was good at listening, and would always turn a conversation about what was happening for him into inquiries about his friends’ lives. Very special, deeply missed.

TOM LARSON  I last saw Michael after a gig at Club Bené [in New Jersey]. We were back at the hotel with Evan Brubaker, the monitor engineer and a good singer-songwriter in his own right, and Karen Haskell, who was driving and selling merchandise. The four of us sat around and just talked and had a great time. Michael had this crystal with him. It was probably 12 inches long and four inches in diameter–big white crystal, probably weighed about 25 pounds. He had picked it up about two weeks earlier, and he was sitting there talking about pumping crystal and lifting it over his head. It was sort of a joke, but he was sort of serious, and he was talking about how he was going to get himself in shape and we were having some good yucks. And then, all of a sudden, he pulls out the  Tao Te Ching  and reads something that was terribly profound and funny:

If you realize that all things change there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you aren’t afraid of dying, there is nothing you can’t achieve. Trying to control the future is like trying to take the master carpenter’s place. When you handle the master carpenter’s tools, chances are that you’ll cut your hand.

The next morning his girlfriend Janet came down from Long Island to pick him up, and we all said good-bye. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “Best tour yet. We really got it on this one.” And he was genuinely the happiest I’d ever seen him.

——————————————-

There is a Michael Hedges memorial fund available at: Children of Michael Hedges, c/o Bank of America, 228 North Main Street Fort Bragg, CA 95437 USA

There are several good Web sites devoted to the memory of Michael Hedges. The official site is  www.nomadland.com . Another interesting fan site can be found at  www.rootwitch.com .

WH-1031 Billy Oskay and Micheal O Domhnaill nightnoise

Wh-1031 billy oskay and micheal o domhnaill nightnoise.

Nightnoise is the first Windham Hill album to include Celtic music influence, at a time before Celtic music was considered one of the pillars of New Age (along with synthesizer washes and the more folk-inspired music that Windham Hill is best known for. Regardless, Oskay and O Domhnaill cover new ground here and there is much to like.

Both artists have such a large body of work, and such an impressive story to tell that I have held off writing any reviews on their work hoping to have the time to do justice to their efforts and to tell their story in a way that would enhance your enjoyment of this rich and ambitious album. That’s not going to happen, but I encourage you to do a little searching and you’ll quickly find a lot more to listen to that is well worth your while.

Within the Windham Hill catalog, Nightnoise fits well within the trajectory started by Clockwork with ensemble performances emphasizing song structure and ambience over individual performances. There is enough complexity to the music to sit and listen to it with focus, but the moods shift subtly, and the feeling is always so pleasant that this has become one of my go-to dinner music albums, where it serves as a background to friendly conversation and relaxed entertaining.

Like Montreaux, the album name became the de facto name of the band for future releases.

Nightnoise Track Listing

• Nightnoise 4:17 B. Oskay
• The 19A 3:08 M. O Domhnaill
• Bridges 7:43 M. O Domhnaill
• False Spring 4:12 D. Bottemiller, B. Oskay
• City Nights 3:26 B. Oskay
• After Five 3:12 M. O Domhnaill
• Menucha (A Place with Water) 4:33 B. Oskay
• The American Lass 3:05 M. O Domhnaill
• The Cricket’s Wicket 6:16 M. O Domhnaill
• Billy Oskay: Violins; violas; piano on False Spring, City Nights and Menucha; harmonium on Menucha
• Micheal O Domhnaill: Guitars, whistles, piano and harmonium on Bridges, After Five and The American Lass, The Cricket’s Wicket; and harmonium on The 19A
• Tommy Thompson: Bass on Nightnoise and City Nights
• Cricket: itself
• Produced by Billy Oskay and Micheal O Domhnaill
• Engineered by Billy Oskay with assistance from M. O Domhnaill
• Recorded during 1983 a the home of Billy Oskay, Portland, OR
• Mixed in February 1984, Recording Associates, Portland, OR
• Mix engineered by Billy Oskay and Mike Moore
• Mix engineering consultant: Steven Miller
• Original mastering by Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA
• Cover Photo by Steven Harper
• Liner Photo by Michael Moran
• Graphic Design by Anne Ackerman Robinson
• Special thanks to Windell Oskay, Peggy Feindt, Tom Bocci, Barry Poss, Steven Miller and Mike Moore
• Instruments:
• 1962 Viola, 1964 Violin; Wm. F. Oskay
• 1977 Guitar: Kenny White
• Yamaha C7D Grand Piano, Harmonium and Whistles
• Manufactured by Windham Hill Records, A Division of Windham Hill Productions, Inc. Box 9388 Stanford, CA 94305
• (c) (p) Windham Hill Records, 1984