Rock, Metal

Jan Akkerman - C.U. (2004)

2018-04-30T14:06:45Z

Jan Akkerman - C.U. (2004)


1. See You (7:59)
2. In Between the Sheets (6:18)
3. I'm in the Mood (5:43)
4. Dance the Blues Away (7:56)
5. Cottonbay (10:07)
6. Kloenk (5:57)
7. Blowing (4:50)
8. Slow Man (6:30)
9. Urbanstring (4:54)

- Jan Akkerman - Guitars
- Wilbrand Meiske - Bass guitar
- Michel van Schie - Programming, drums
- Ronald Molendijk - Drum programming, additional keyboards
- Jeroen Rietbergen - Keyboards, additional programming

On his first outing since 2000, Amsterdam's best-known guitarist, Jan Akkerman, issues a smooth electric jazz date full of twists and turns with material that ranges from a slinky funk cover of the Isley Brothers' "In Between the Sheets" to the full-on house music of "Urbanstring." It's an unfocused batch of tunes to be sure, but the thing that holds them together is Akkerman's trademark spare, single-string style that never gets in the way of the groove. It's hard to point out what might have compelled him to make this record, but fans will delight in it nonetheless. ---Thom Jurek, AllMusic Review

When former Focus guitarist Jan Akkerman came to the UK for a tour a few years ago, he brought with him a clutch of new compositions that had the making of a superb fusion album. Needless to say, the tunes never really surfaced again but their lineage can be detected on this new CD. Aided by his keyboard player Jeroen Rietbergen and bassist Willy Meischke, (who get writing credits on several tracks) 'CU' nods a head to contemporary dance beats whilst Akkerman's trademark guitar licks remain intact.

Produced with and featuring Rietbergen's popular Dutch band 'Soulvation' this approach melds Akkerman's always percussive rhythm guitar and fluid solo lines with fat synth programming, jazzy keyboard fills, and drum beats. The die-hard Akkerman fans will hopefully relish this new style because it is always grounded in the guitarist's consummate good taste and ear for a pretty melody and there are plenty of familiar motifs to provide an anchor if one were needed.

More important, this CD may pull in new listeners who will be drawn to the very relevant and contemporary feel, and once hooked will almost certainly want to know more about this fantastic guitar player. There are not many guitarists around today of Akkerman's versatility and fewer of his stature would take such risks as this. But, then, Akkerman was never an easy guitarist to pigeon-hole and the overall feeling is that here is a player having fun and enjoying himself. After hearing tracks like 'See You', 'I'm In The Mood' and the exquisite 'Cotton Bay', others will do too. ---David Randall, getreadytorock.com

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Jan Akkerman - From The Basement (1984)

2012-01-27T09:01:59Z

Jan Akkerman - From The Basement (1984)


01. Headbanger
02. All Along The Watchtower
03. Dark Rose
04. Wallenberg
05. From The Basement
06. P.C.B. Chicken
07. Status Quo				play
08. She Let Me Do What I Want
09. Blues From The Tews
10. Cherubim & Sepharim
11. She Can't Say Don't
12. Took Her To Locronan
13. Then Rollright Stones (The Tewes)
14. No More Parking				play
15. When I Was A Cocktail In A Waitress Bar
16. Ellington's Way

Musicians:
- Jan Akkerman - Guitars
- Dino Walcott - Bass, Vocals
- Hans Waterman - Drums
- Thijs van Leer - 2o synthesiser on 'Headbanger'
- Piet Eisma - Percussion
- Sergio Costillo - Simmons on 'Headbanger'

Jan Akkerman is known for his work with Dutch prog-rock band Focus in the '70s. He has released a string of musically very different solo albums since the late-'70s, and it's easy to understand why 1984's "From the basement" is one of Jan's few U.S. releases. It features a synth-heavy blues rock that sounds very similar to that of ZZ Top's commercial breakthrough "Eliminator". With drum machines, sequencers, and a guitar synthesizer, but since ZZ Top have done this kind of music with more fun and passion, "From the basement" is hardly more than an inferior duplication. "Headbanger", "Dark rose", and "P.C.B. Chicken" are energetic, danceable 'space boogie' tracks, but they suffer from a too streamlined and clean sound, a problem that plagues most of the songs. The 14-minute cover version of Dylan's "All along the watchtower" (of course, popularized by Jimi Hendrix) is mostly tedious, just as "Wallenberg" and the moody title track. The CD's second half contains some previously unavailable demo recordings, but apart from "Ellington's way", there's nothing particularly interesting to discover there. With a flawless sound quality and extensive liner notes about the equipment Jan used for this album, "From the basement" will automatically appeal to other musicians. It's not an original and innovative album, though. --- loteq (Regensburg/Germany), amazon.com

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Jan Akkerman - Minor Details (2011)

2012-02-05T09:55:21Z

Jan Akkerman - Minor Details (2011)


01.Free wheeling
02.Beg Sir				play
03.Dinner time
04.Love train
05.Blind baby
06.Minor details
07.Joy
08.Fernando's minibar
09.Kharmah chantalah
10.Searching for Angela
11.As long as you're near
12.San Frisky
13.The Arrogant Frogs
14.Mena Muria				play

Personnel:
- Jan Akkerman - guitars
- Coen Molenaar - keyboards
- Wilbrand Meischke - bass
- Marijn van den Berg - drums
- Eric Vloeimans - trumpet on "Joy" and "The Arrogant Frogs"

A new Jan Akkerman album is always a revelation, not least because he is not the most prolific of players in terms of album releases.

Minor Details is the follow-up to 2003's 'C.U.' (yes, it is that long ago) and has been produced 'virtually' via the Internet together with his regular band mates and germinated whilst on tour in Brazil last year. The production doesn't suffer at all for this.

In terms of Akkerman's hallowed guitar-ing, the Focus days do seem as distant a memory as Thijs van Leer with hair and this 70 minute plus offering continues the jazz fusion vibe of his late 1980s albums and indeed that of its immediate predecessor.

Guitarophiles may debate the man's current 'tone' and technique, even the familiar motifs, but there is no denying he has never lost his way with a melody or an intriguing song title.

In places there is a definite Steely Dan thing going on (notably 'Dinner Time') and a Santana-esque 'Searching For Angela'. 'Joy' - with Akkerman deploying wah - features one of two guest appearances from Dutch jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans in a Miles Davis-fuelled funk romp. But only on 'Mena Muria' is there anything approaching a Focus vibe (as in 'Focus I' and Focus II').

It's just a pity that, again, Akkerman has failed to interrogate his hard drive and offer up some arguably superior fusion work that he brought to the UK back in 2000. There may be a lack of killer melodies on this album aka 'Cotton Bay' on 'C.U.' (although the broody 'Kharmah Chantalah' comes close) but overall it smacks of a good groove and well suited to warm weather and late nights.

In that context there is nothing really of revelation here, just plenty of examples of Akkerman's good taste and his cohorts' fine musicianship. It will mostly appeal to his loyal fanbase. Job done. --- David Randall, getreadytorock.com

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Jan Akkerman – Jan Akkerman (1977)

2011-12-13T09:38:44Z

Jan Akkerman – Jan Akkerman (1977)


01. Crackers - 4:17				play
02. Angel Watch - 9:48
03. Pavane - 5:28
04. Streetwalker - 6:57
05. Skydancer - 5:11
06. Floatin' - 5:10
07. Gate To Europe - 3:00		play

Personnel:
- Jan Akkerman - guitars, arranger
- Joachim Kühn - keyboards
- Cees van der Laarse - bass
- Bruno Castelucci - drums
- Pierre van der Linden - drums (06)
- Neppie Noya - percussion
- Michael Gibbs - arranger (strings & flutes)
- Roger Webb - conductor (strings)
- Richard DeBois – producer

After his sudden departure from Focus in 1976 on the eve of a sellout tour Jan Akkerman played as a sideman with a variety of Dutch artists as well as on a couple of albums by jazz tenor saxophonist Tony Scott. In 1977 he recorded his fourth solo album which was simply entitled "Jan Akkerman" which sounded nothing like Focus`neo-classical stylings.This album was much more sophisticated and refined than his previous work. A hollow body electric replacing his Gibson Les Paul Special gave his playing a definite cleaner sound becoming much more melodic, incorporating lush chords and crisp guitar lines.

The tracks fluctuate between upbeat soft fusion and straight jazz sometimes with a funky approach featuring techno-like percussion, a good example being the track Crackers which was a piece originally written for Focus. A string section provides a moody background to most of the tracks and gives the album somewhat of an etheral feeling to it as heard on the delicate Pavane. Modal keyboard phrasings by Joachim Kuhn also give the album further depth. The final composition on the album, the brooding acoustic Gate To Europe, is the only track which echoes his years with Focus sounding similar to the haunting Le Clochard from 1972`s Moving Waves.

Comfortable in any guitar format and a self taught lute player ( the lute is very different from the guitar ) this 1977 musical departure with a more jazzy style shows why Jan Akkerman is one of the most versatile of guitar players on the planet. It was also a foreshadow of the many more experiments were to occur in this guitar god`s esoteric career both as a composer and player. --- Vibrationbaby, progarchives.com

A collection of tightly arranged jazz-rock with as much of an emphasis on the Joachim Kuhn's keyboards as on the ostensive title attraction. "Floatin'" uses the backdrop of Pierre van der Linden's proto-techno drumming to showcase Kuhn's talents on the electric piano, and the lengthy "Angel Watch" gives Kuhn even more room to stretch out, though the latter is made rather tiresome by its incessant hi-hat disco beat. Akkerman's guitar is more subdued here than in his work with Focus; "Crackers" alternates between brittle, reverbed plucking and lush strumming, and only the gentle acoustic guitar and strings of brief closing track "Gate to Europe" give much of a nod to his progressive fans. --- Paul Collins, allmusic.com

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Jan Akkerman – Profile (1972)

2011-11-01T09:10:46Z

Jan Akkerman – Profile (1972)


01. Fresh Air (Jan Akkerman) - 19:51 including:
a). Must Be My Land
b). Wrestling To Get Out
c). Back Again
d). The Fight
e). Fresh Air - Blue Notes For Listening
f). Water And Skies Are Telling Me
g). Happy Gabriël?
02. Kemps Jig (Anonym) - 1:32
03. Etude (Matteo Carcassi) - 1:30
04. Blue Boy (Akkerman) - 2:23						play
05. Andante Sostenuto (Anton Diabelli) - 4:07
06. Maybe Just A Dream (Akkerman) - 2:33
07. Minstrel/Farmers Dance (Akkerman) - 1:43		play
08. Stick (Akkerman) - 3:38

Personnel:
- Jan Akkerman - guitars, bass (01e-01g), auto-lute (02,03,07), Spanish guitar (05), electric Fender piano (01)
- Pierre van der Linden - drums (01,04,06)
- Bert Ruiter - bass (01a-01d,04,06)
- Ferry Maat - piano (08)
- Jaap van Eyck - bass (08)
- Frans Smit - drums (08)
- Tim Griek – producer

In 1972, Focus was experiencing planetary success with the single "Hocus Pocus" and the accompanying LP Moving Waves. With this kind of momentum, guitarist and leader Jan Akkerman decided it was time for a parallel solo career. Profile is not disconnected from his work with Focus, but was at the time a good medium to show the extent of his talent. The two main musicians on this record apart Akkerman himself are Focus alumni Pierre van der Linden (drums) and Bert Ruiter (bass). The first half contains "Fresh Air," a 20-minute epic in seven parts. This is a jazz-rock track like Focus rarely recorded (except maybe the In and Out of Focus version of "Anonymous"). Akkerman is smoking on the electric guitar and the whole thing sounds a lot like early Mahavishnu Orchestra: There is a strong sense of urgency to it coupled with the feeling that these guys were having a wonderful time. The second half is more eclectic in styles and in results. Here, Akkerman indulges in his interest for medieval and classical music. A rendition of "Kemps Jig" (a medieval tune that was also part of Gryphon's repertoire) and an Etude by Carcassi are both played on the lute, and Diabelli's Andante Sostenuto is performed on Spanish guitar. A rather poor blues number and two Focus-inspired tracks complete the set. More technical, the album's second half is a showcase for Akkerman's guitar chops, but it is really "Fresh Air" that best exemplifies his talent both as a composer and a performer and puts this album a cut above other prog guitarists' solo projects, namely Steve Howe's first two records. ---François Couture, allmusic.com

Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist, constantly experimenting with new equipment and guitars. Akkerman's distinctive guitar sound is characterised by his pioneering use of volume swells which produce a smooth, fluty, sustained tone, and other complex techniques such as sweep picking, tapping, and high-speed alternate picking. He also pioneered the use of the lute in a rock band, reflecting his interest in medieval and Renaissance music and culture. He first reached world acclaim in the 1970s when he was seen as the core of the Dutch rock band, Focus, together with Thijs van Leer.

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Jan Akkerman – Tabernakel (1973)

2011-11-04T09:31:46Z

Jan Akkerman – Tabernakel (1973)


01. Britannia by John Dowland (arranged & adapted by Jan Akkerman & George Flynn) - 3:55
02. Coranto For Mrs. Murcott by Francis Pilkington (arranged & adapted by Jan Akkerman) - 1:26
03. The Earl Of Derby, His Galliard by John Dowland (arranged & adapted by Jan Akkerman) - 1:56
04. House Of King (Jan Akkerman) - 2:22
05. A Galliard by Anthony Holborne (arranged & adapted by Jan Akkerman) - 2:10
06. A Galliard by John Dowland (arranged & adapted by Jan Akkerman) - 1:31					play
07. A Pavan by Thomas Morley (arranged & adapted by Jan Akkerman) - 3:04					play
08. Javeh (Jan Akkerman, George Flynn) - 3:21
09. A Fantasy by Laurencini Of Rome (arranged & adapted by Jan Akkerman) - 3:18
10. Lammy - 14:00 including: 
a). I Am (Jan Akkerman, George Flynn)
b). Asleep, Half Asleep, Awake (Jan Akkerman)
c). She Is (Jan Akkerman, George Flynn)
d). Lammy, We Are (Jan Akkerman, George Flynn)
e). The Last Will & Testament (Anthony Holborne/arranged & adapted by Jan Akkerman & George Flynn)
f). Amen (George Flynn, Jan Akkerman)	

Personnel:
- Jan Akkerman - lute (01-03,05-07,09,10), bass (01), electric guitar (04,10), percussion (04,10), acoustic guitar (08,10), organ (10)
- Roy Lucas - drums (01,10)
- Carmine Appice - drums (04,10)
- Tim Bogert - bass (04,10)
- George Flynn - arranged by flute & strings (04), harpsichord (08,10), piano (08), glockenspiel (08)
- Daniel Waitzman - flutes (10)
- Geoffrey Haslam – producer

Back in 1973, rock guitarist Jan Akkerman temporarily put down his electric guitar, took up the lute, and raided the 400-year-old back-catalogue of lutenists such as John Dowlands and Anthonie Holborne.

Such things just don't seem to happen any more. Jazz musicians such as Keith Jarrett extend their repertoire by delving into the Baroque era, but I don't know how many of today's rock musicians have the interest or capability to do likewise, even if their record companies were interested.

I have to say that the styles in this album are so varied that, even at the height of the 70s progressive era, it probably sunk with very little trace. There are solo lute pieces, lute with orchestral backing (the low points of the album for me -- too Wakeman-esque), rock and jazz rock. For me, the solo lute pieces are the highlights and a total joy, and I will certainly buy several more lute / John Dowland CDs. It's sad that Akkerman didn't record an album entirely of lute songs, but I can imagine that his record company insisted on including some rock tunes to attract the Focus fans.

I should add that if you like this, you will almost certainly enjoy the ECM CD, 'In Darkness Let me Dwell', dedicated to John Dowland tunes. ---Gavin Wilson, amazon.com

This album -- which, despite being third in most discographies, was actually Jan Akkerman's first official solo album -- must have been a real shocker to a lot of Focus. Rather than working from the flashy, electric guitar side of the group's sound, Akkerman chose to expand on the lute sound that he'd explored on Focus III's "Elspeth of Nottingham." Tabernakel represented Akkerman at his most formalistic, playing almost entirely in a classical idiom on lute and acoustic and electric guitars (with one brief side trip to the bass). The repertory is drawn largely from 16th century Tudor England, including compositions by John Dowland and Antony Holborne, rearranged by Akkerman and harpsichord virtuoso and scholar George Flynn. He gives one major concession to progressive rock in the form of the fuzz-laden reinterpretation of "House of the King," which misses the flute part from the Focus original but is still worth hearing as a guitar showcase.

Tabernakel is otherwise the real article as far as its classicism -- the 14-minute-long "Lammy" comes close to being pretentious without quite crossing the line, and all of the album is a fascinating solo departure for the guitarist. What makes this album doubly intriguing is that apart from Flynn, Akkerman's accompanists come entirely from the rock world: Tim Bogert, Carmine Appice, and veteran R&B drummer Ray Lucas, none of whom seems to skip a beat in their work here. Recorded at Atlantic Records' studios in New York and released in 1974, when Focus was still near the peak of its fame, Tabernakel sold reasonably well at the time, but had been unavailable from the late '70s until 2002, when Wounded Bird Records reissued it in a good-sounding CD edition. --- Bruce Eder, allmusic.com

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