Acoustic Alchemy
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Acoustic Alchemy
| For The Record... |
| Members include Greg Carmichael (joined group, c. 1985), guitar; Frank Felix (joined group, 2000), bass; Simon James (left group, c. 1985), guitar; Nick Webb (died in 1998), guitar; Tony White (joined group, 2000), keyboards. Group formed in England, early 1980s; released debut EP Red Dust & Spanish Lace on MCA Masters Series, 1987; signed with GRP, released Reference Point, 1990; released Arcanum, 1996; released Positive Thinking, 1998; group re-formed with new roster after Webb’s cancer-related death, signed with Higher Octave, 1999; released Beautiful Game, 2000; released AART, 2001. Awards: Gibson Guitar Award, Best Jazz Guitarist (Carmichael and Gilderdale), 2001; JazzTrax Live Performance of the Year and Album of the Year, 2001. Addresses: Record company—Higher Octave Music, 23852 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 2C, Malibu, CA 90265, website: http://www.higheroctave.com. International Manágement—The Art and Music Corporation, Munro House, High Close, Rawdon, Leeds, West Yorkshire England, LS19 6HF, website: http://www.a-m-c.demon.co.uk, e-mail: info@a-m-c.demon.co.uk. Website—Acoustic Alchemy Official Website: http://www.acoustic-alchemy.net. |
Jazz group
Having played adult contemporary, New Age, and smooth jazz to enthusiastic audiences in the United States since the mid-1980s, Acoustic Alchemy finally began to receive much-deserved chart success at home in England in 2000. Founding member Nick Webb, who died in 1998, did not live to see that level of success, but his longtime collaborator, Greg Carmichael, has Manáged to guide the group through its transformation, reinvigorating the music of Acoustic Alchemy while remaining true to its original sound.
The two acoustic guitars of Acoustic Alchemy are surrounded by bright, energetic melodies that often defy categorization. Fronted by Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale, and including Frank Felix on bass and Tony White on keyboards, Acoustic Alchemy has long been known to blend New Age, folk, jazz, reggae, and world music. Since Webb’s death, the group has continued to draw on varied influences, with Gilderdale contributing his history of blues, rock, and brass while White exerts his techno background.
Acoustic Alchemy began in the 1980s when Webb joined forces with fellow guitarist and Leeds College of Music student Simon James. Although the pair gigged steadily throughout England and Europe, audiences in the United Kingdom were lukewarm on the smooth jazz genre, and the duo’s self-produced album sold poorly. James eventually left the band. Webb then hooked up with Carmichael, and Acoustic Alchemy began to take off creatively and critically. Webb and Carmichael developed a highly successful collaborative approach to songwriting that continued throughout their partnership.
The pair would use a tape recorder to write melodies for Webb’s steel guitar and Carmichael’s nylon strings. From there, Acoustic Alchemy’s songs were fleshed out by writing parts for the rest of the band around this core sound. Webb was careful not to limit their creative process. In an article at the Smooth Jazz Vibes website, Jonathan Widran relates a comment by Nick Webb: "Our real challenge each time out is to maintain a balance between approaching different, uncharted styles and making them work to form the musical whole which is Acoustic Alchemy. Our whole band concept is not to appeal only to guitar buffs."
Then came a significant and, to fans, nearly legendary event in Acoustic Alchemy’s history: Webb and Carmichael got a gig playing live in-flight music on a Virgin Airlines flight between England and the United States. During a stay in Nashville, Acoustic Alchemy landed a record deal with the MCA Master series. In 1987 the group released the critically acclaimed EP Red Dust & Spanish Lace. MCA released two other CDs, Natural Elements and Blue Chip, before GRP bought Acoustic Alchemy’s contract in 1990.
Under the GRP label, Webb and Carmichael began to assert their musical talent. Their second release on
GRP, Reference Point, was nominated for a Grammy Award. The recording sessions for the CD Arcanum were filmed for a television documentary about the band titled Best Kept Secret, the documentary was released by GRP in 1998.
Acoustic Alchemy toured extensively in 1996 and then began recording Positive Thinking. During this time, Webb was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His dedication to his work was such that he continued recording between chemotherapy treatments, but he died before work on the CD was complete. With the production nearly finished, Carmichael was determined to go on with what the two had begun. He finished the CD with the band and asked John Parsons, a longtime supporting member, to take over for Webb on the tour. Although he was unsure about the future of Acoustic Alchemy without Webb, Carmichael eventually decided to carry on. "The fans gave us a lot of support," Carmichael told Brian Soergel in Smooth Jazz News. "I thought it was great and knew I wanted to keep Acoustic Alchemy alive." Gilderdale, who had been touring with Acoustic Alchemy since 1996 as a backing guitarist, officially became the second frontman in 1999.
In Webb’s absence, Acoustic Alchemy underwent a dramatic change in its sound and approach to writing. Carmichael wanted to keep the group’s distinctive sound while remaining open to new ideas and a renewed energy. On Beautiful Game, the group’s first CD after Webb’s death, Carmichael invited more input from the other band members. This method was a radical departure from the previous style of writing for the two guitars first and subsequently developing the rest of the parts.
On the Acoustic Alchemy official website, Carmichael stated, "Rather than having rigid ideas of what I wanted the new sound to be like, I felt very open to exploring new ideas, responding to the input of these other co-writers. I was open to what they might have to offer, including working with a computer alongside live musicians. The result is that while we can’t possibly recapture the old band, you can still hear the signature sound of [Acoustic Alchemy] but with different and positive new influences."
On the next CD, AART, all parts were written concurrently. This approach made Acoustic Alchemy more prolific than ever, resulting in 14 tracks recorded for the album. For AART, Gilderdale and Carmichael further utilized elements of the latest technology. "Together we realized we could kick off a tune from numerous angles, melody, bassline, weird computer generated sound, whatever," Gilderdale told Widran in Smooth Jazz News. "Still, the two of us are fervently in favor of a great melody, and none of the technical ideas ever get in the way of that."
In addition to Gilderdale, Carmichael, Felix, and White, Acoustic Alchemy’s collaborators on AART include the saxophonists Snake Davis and Andy Sheppard, keyboardists Simon Hale and Terry Disley, and producer Richard Bull, known for his work with Incognito, Basia, and Julia Fordham. The music has become less New Age than that of early Acoustic Alchemy, and the strong presence of Davis’s saxophone inspired energetic live performances on tour. Gilderdale told Widran in Smooth Jazz News, "Snake’s a fantastic player, and our music becomes even more exciting when he’s blowing. We’re always trying to make the show a little different, to fire off the energy of the other players."
Carmichael’s decision to both continue Acoustic Alchemy’s work and depart from it has paid off in critical response and support from their growing fan base. Beautiful Game made it to the top five on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart. AART was nominated for a Grammy Award, and both Carmichael and Gilderdale were honored with a Gibson Guitar Award for Best Jazz Guitarist. Critics and fans were pleasantly surprised by the high energy level and spontaneity of their live shows. In 2001 the online radio station JazzTrax named Acoustic Alchemy the JazzTrax Live Performance of the Year and gave AART the Album of the Year award. Gilderdale told Widran in Smooth Jazz News, "With all the transitions the band’s made these past few years, it’s exciting that we’re still pulling these great crowds and carrying on beyond our wildest expectations."
Selected discography
Red Dust & Spanish Lace (EP), MCA, 1987.
Natural Elements, MCA, 1988.
Blue Chip, MCA, 1989.
Reference Point, GRP, 1991.
Back on the Case, GRP, 1991.
The New Edge, GRP, 1993.
Against the Grain, GRP, 1994.
Arcanum, GRP, 1996.
Positive Thinking, GRP, 1998.
The Beautiful Game, Higher Octave, 2000.
AART, Higher Octave, 2001.
Sources
Periodicals
Arizona Republic, June 28, 2001.
Billboard, June 3, 2000.
Blues and Soul, November 13-26, 2001.
East Valley Tribune, September 14, 2000.
Echoes, November 2001.
Freetime Magazine, September 19, 2001.
Jam, June 1-15, 2000.
Jazziz, June 2000.
Jazz Rag, December 2001.
L.A. Jazz Scene, September 2001.
New Age Retailer, September 2000.
Radio & Records, December 7, 2001.
Smooth Jazz News, September 2000; September 2001.
Online
"Acoustic Alchemy," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (March 25, 2002).
Acoustic Alchemy Official Website, http://www.acousticalchemy.net (March 25, 2002).
"A Tribute to Nick Webb," Smooth Jazz Vibes, http://www.smoothvibes.com/nickwebb.html (March 27, 2002).
Additional material was provided by the Higher Octave publicity department, 2002.
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Acoustic Alchemy
- Genres: New Age
Biography
During the late '80s and '90s, Nick Webb and Greg Carmichael produced a series of mellow albums classified as adult contemporary music, though the guitarists encompass the range of jazz and new age as well. Both grew up in England during the '60s listening to pop/rock, though Webb studied jazz guitar at Leeds College of Music while Carmichael focused on classical guitar at the London College of Music. Originally formed by Webb and Simon James, Acoustic Alchemy later became Webb and Carmichael; the duo initially worked for Virgin Airlines, providing in-flight music on trans-Atlantic trips. Signed to MCA in the mid-'80s, Acoustic Alchemy released its debut album, Red Dust & Spanish Lace, in 1987. After two subsequent releases, the duo signed with GRP in 1990. Their second GRP album, Reference Point, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Positive Thinking followed in 1998 in the wake of Webb's February 6 cancer-related death; their jazz content was quite small, but Acoustic Alchemy's albums consistently charted number one on the adult contemporary charts. By 2000, Carmichael unveiled a revamped Acoustic Alchemy that included longtime sidemen like bassist Frank Felix, guitarists John Parsons and Miles Gilderdale, and keyboardist Terry Disley, as well as new members such as keyboardist Tony White. That year's The Beautiful Game was the new lineup's first release. AArt followed in 2001 and proved to be the group's biggest splash, landing them another Grammy nomination that year. Empowered by that success, the band continued to tour and, when they had time, record. The resulting two albums, 2003's Radio Contact and 2005's American/English (still on Higher Octave), further solidified the new lineup and ushered in the release of the concert/documentary DVD Best Kept Secret in 2006. 2007 found Acoustic Alchemy collaborating with Higher Octave labelmates Down to the Bone for the album This Way. In 2011, Acoustic Alchemy marked the band's 30th anniversary with the release of the album Roseland. ~ John Bush, RoviWikipedia on Answers.com:
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Acoustic Alchemy
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| Acoustic Alchemy | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Instrumental, smooth jazz[1] |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | MCA GRP Higher Octave Music Narada Jazz |
| Members | |
| Greg Carmichael Miles Gilderdale Greg Grainger Julian Crampton Gary Grainger Anthony "Fred" White Eddie M |
|
| Past members | |
| Terry Disley Nick Webb John Parsons Simon James Bert Smaak Mario Argandoña Frank Felix John Sheppard |
|
Acoustic Alchemy is an English contemporary instrumental and smooth jazz[2] band formed in England in the early 1980s (c. 1981), originally fronted by acoustic guitarists Nick Webb and Simon James. The band is currently fronted by Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale.
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Contents
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1981-1989: Early days
During the 1980s, there was little grateful audience for this form of music in the UK, and the big players in the genre were all American. The pioneering sound of two duelling acoustic guitars — Simon James on nylon and Nick Webb on steel — was a fresh touch on the genre, often backed up by a double bass, percussion, and occasionally string quartet The Violettes. A couple of records were pressed by Webb, but at a considerable loss. In the mid-1980s, James left the band; in the 1990s he would go on to form Kymaera, a similar, albeit more Latin oriented band. In 1985, Webb then discovered Greg Carmichael, a guitarist with a London pub band called The Holloways (not affiliated with the current indie band of the same name) who became James' successor.
The new pairing got work as an in-flight band on Virgin Atlantic flights to and from the United States. Six weeks after sending demo material to Nashville-based label MCA, the band was called to record their first album. The pair had literally played their way to America, and in 1987 released their debut album, Red Dust And Spanish Lace. The project saw them joining forces with other like-minded musicians such as Mario Argandoña on percussion and Bert Smaak on drums. The album was the first of many to be recorded at the Hansa Haus Studios, in Bonn, Germany. This was where they met sound engineer Klaus Genuit, who has worked on many of the band's albums.
Red Dust And Spanish Lace was an instant hit — the first single, "Mr. Chow", fused aspects of Chinese music with reggae. Two more albums followed with MCA — Natural Elements (1988) and the poppier Blue Chip (1989). The title track from Natural Elements became well known in the UK as the theme music for the popular BBC TV programme Gardeners' World.
1990-1998: Mainstream success
Acoustic Alchemy were soon moved to the world's biggest jazz label, GRP Records as MCA bought GRP in February 1990. Six more albums followed, starting with the 9-track Reference Point (1990), featuring a cover of Dave Brubeck's classic, "Take Five". Then a live favourite, the track was the band's only recorded cover to this day. The critically acclaimed Back On The Case (1991) followed, a ten-track collection which rivalled the innocent brilliance of the band's début four years previous.
Webb also uncovered fourteen early tracks from 1982 – 1987, featuring Simon James, which were released as a compilation called Early Alchemy (1992). The New Edge (1993) and Against The Grain (1994) followed.
For their eighth album, Arcanum (1996), the band decided to take a retrospective look back by re-recording some of the band's most popular tracks. The album was recorded in London's Pinewood Studios, along with the string section of the London Metropolitan Orchestra. The collection included three new tracks, "Columbia", "Something She Said" and "Chance Meeting", along with recreations of nine classics.
Positive Thinking... (Acoustic Alchemy) (1998) was to be Acoustic Alchemy's last album with original frontman Nick Webb. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer prior to starting work on it, and became progressively worse throughout the project. In the end, he could only offer inspiration, as he was too weak to play at recording sessions. Nick Webb died on February 5, 1998.[3][4] However, the album was perceived as one of the band's best. With the general upset surrounding Webb's passing, David Puttick, an artist and composer, had a large part in the composition behind the songs "Auguststrasse 18" and "Limited Excess",by donating two of his own compositions to be used as backing tracks for the guitar duo, but was (erroneously) never credited.After the release of "Sounds Of St Lucia",which featured a live version of "Auguststrasse 18" in 2003,five years after Nick Webb's untimely death, the matter of credits to David Puttick had still been forgotten.
1999: Reform and changes
After Nick Webb's death, Greg Carmichael decided to continue with the band, but with big changes. He brought in understudy Miles Gilderdale as his playing partner, and the band moved label to EMI's Higher Octave, home of fellow guitarist Craig Chaquico, and popular synth trio 3rd Force. The début album on the label, The Beautiful Game (2000) brought dramatic changes. New, stronger influences came from all sorts of genres, and it soon became clear that experimentation and diversity were to be a key element to the new band.
The Beautiful Game saw the introduction of Anthony "Fred" White playing keyboards. A 30 year old from the north of England who is currently writing his own album.
AArt (2001) was released a year after, and was their biggest release to date. Playing for over an hour, containing fourteen tracks, and with assistance from saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Acoustic Alchemy's third album with Higher Octave, Radio Contact (2003), featured the band's first ever track to include a vocal, "Little Laughter", performed by Jo Harrop.[5] Harrop was a backing vocalist, found by Gilderdale whilst doing a session with Latin singer Enrique Iglesias.
The band's previous release, American/English (2005), is an eleven track collection which further explores a wide range of varying genres, all with the signature Acoustic Alchemy feel.
Early in 2006, bassist Frank Felix left the band, to concentrate on other projects. The position now has been filled by two bass players; former Incognito and Down to the Bone bassist, Julian Crampton for UK dates and Gary Grainger (brother of longtime drummer Greg Grainger) in the US.
GRP decided to re-release a documentary-style video of Acoustic Alchemy, entitled Best Kept Secret, on July 25, 2006. It was released in DVD format, and contained archived live performance and documentary footage, featuring Nick Webb. A Region Free version, for international fans, was released September 25, 2006.
On the February 4, 2007, Acoustic Alchemy announced that they had recently completed recording the album, This Way, released in the United States on June 6, 2007. Comprising eleven tracks, it features special guest appearances from trumpeter Rick Braun and collaborations with label-mates Down to the Bone.
Acoustic Alchemy are currently touring and working on their new album "Roseland", due to be released in summer 2011.[6]
Discography
Singles
In 1991, GRP Records released Volume 2 of their GRP Christmas Collection. Acoustic Alchemy played "The Earl of Salisbury's Pavane" (track #7 at 3:03 long).
DVDs
Acoustic Alchemy has produced two DVDs:
- DVD of Sounds of St. Lucia: Live (2003)
- Best Kept Secret (2006, re-release of VHS from 1998)
Albums
References
External links
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Mentioned in
Blue Chip
(1989 Album by Acoustic Alchemy)
Pat O'Donnell
(Jazz Artist, '90s)
Reference Point
(1991 Album by Acoustic Alchemy)
Smooth Grooves, Vol. 2
(2000 Album by Various Artists)
Against the Grain
(1994 Album by Acoustic Alchemy)
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