Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 8/7/84; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ucbvax!cuccia From: cuccia@ucbvax.ARPA (Nick Cuccia) Newsgroups: net.music,net.audio Subject: Re: Windham Hill? Message-ID: <2288@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Mon, 1-Oct-84 05:40:53 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.2288 Posted: Mon Oct 1 05:40:53 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 2-Oct-84 05:55:45 EDT References: <3175@rabbit.UUCP> <635@noscvax.UUCP> Organization: University of California at Berkeley Lines: 76 Apologies for the null message. Here goes the serious stuff, from an article from the Daily Californian (UC-Berkeley's unofficial campus newspaper/propaganda/rag/birdcage liner/all of the above) on 17 Aug 1984. This was in a semi-review of a recent "An Evening at Windham Hill in Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco. "Once upon a time," (William) Ackerman said, "we were regarded as sort of the high-tech heir to the Tacoma tradidition." Tacoma is the label that established the work of John Fahey and Robbie Basho, steel-string guitar pioneers. "And then we did the (Erik) Satie (album) and George Winston, and they said, 'Well, that Satie defies us; we don't know what to make of that. But George Winston must be folk piano because it's on Windham Hill and Windham Hill is a folk label. . ." They were content to say, 'Well, it's a solo label, you know.' "Then we very carefully added duets, trios, quartets. If you look at the development of the catalogue, the first trio was on (Michael) Hedges and the first quartet was on (Scott) Cossu and the first quintet was on De Grassi. But they were still saying, 'Well, but it's an acoustic label, isn't it?' And so then we brought in the electric instrumentation. And they said, 'Well, it's a jazz label.' Will Ackerman waxes sprightly here: "In order to counteract that, I'm doing an album of Gregorian chant and I'm doing some hammer dulcimer; and the Billy Oskay/Michael O'Domhnaill album, Nightnoise, is Irish-derivative, and. . . "We're talking about a synthesis of many forms of music, rather than being any one single identifiable form." This eclecticism and fluidity is refreshing. An additional surprise at the Davies Hall concert was Michael Hedges' song, "Face Yourself". Heretofore, Windham Hill has avoided vocal work; Hedges will be the first artist to release an album on the label with voice and guitar, rather in the old folk manner. Sure, it's not great writing, but it says what the label is all about, which is basically what you make of it. I have about half of what is on the Windham Hill label and its associated/subsidiary labels (Hip Pocket, Lost Lake, and Dancing Cat (George Winston's new label)). My personal recommendations are: George Winston: Autumn, December William Ackerman: Turtles' Navel, Passage, Past Light (Visiting) Liz Story: Solid Colors Darol Anger/Barbara Higbie: Tideline Bill Quist: Piano Solos of Erik Satie Shadowfax: Shadowfax, Shadowdance Mark Isham: Aerial Boundaries Windham Hill records are distributed through A&M records, so there should be few problems with availability. My favorite thing about the albums (outside of the music) is the quality control. Many of the albums are digital mastered on the Sony PCM-2 system (please correct me if I'm mistaken); inside liners are thick plastic (not paper), pressings are very high quality, graphics are nice, the normal shrink & warp wrap is replaced with an oversized, reusable plastic cover. The price is also reasonable ($10 list, about $8 at local (Berkeley) record stores). Included in the record is also a pamphlet inviting you to join their mailing list (cost: a stamp for postage). Needless to say, I think that Will Ackerman and Co. are doing something right. Nick Cuccia ucbvax!cuccia cuccia%ucbmiro@Berkeley