Videos
Music
"Departure"
"Unconditional"
"Hawk Circle"
"The Meeting at the Window"
"Joanna"
"What Strangers are These"
"August Light"
"The Blue Hour"
"Dolphin Song"
"The Impending Death of The Virgin Spirit"
"Dark Blue Wind"
Photos
Biography
Considered the father of acoustic instrumental music, Will Ackerman has spawned three generations of acoustic guitarists and pianists through his groundbreaking work as founder of Windham Hill Records.
The new-age music pioneer and guitarists Trevor Gordon Hall, Todd Mosby and Vin Downes will perform solo, duet, trio and quartet and then unite at the end of this intimate concert.
PERSONAL NOTE FROM WILL ABOUT THIS CONCERT
Todd Mosby, an absolutely brilliant guitarist who plays a wide variety of styles, but is considerably influenced by the music of India will be on stage, as will Trevor Gordon Hall who is THE young phenom out there today… while incredibly dynamic as a performer his music is never about simple gymnastics… this guy is all about heart.
Vin Downes is a brilliant guitarist and a heart-felt composer. He is one of the best and most soulful guitarists drawing breath on the planet today. And, yes, they’re allowing me to play too ! I just squeaked in, but managed to make the team! These are all musicians I’ve been honored to produce. This will be as good a night of guitar playing as you could hope for. I know I’m very much looking forward to it! – WILL ACKERMAN
FOUR GUITARS HISTORY
More than 40 years ago guitarist Will Ackerman started what would become a massive world-wide movement known as Windham Hill Records. This label would go on to ignite a new music genre inspiring millions of people, including the select players on this album. Having produced legends such as Michael Hedges, Alex DeGrassi and more, Will also produced the three players joining him on this album. These individual projects led to discussions of future collaboration. In the late summer of 2018, Will, Vin Downes, Todd Mosby and Trevor Gordon Hall gathered together at Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont to record together. With a natural synergy between the players and engineer Tom Eaton at the helm, there was complete trust that this would be a special project. The recordings that resulted from this meeting of minds far exceeded expectations. The sessions captured many delicate and often unplanned moments, pushing each contributor in new directions. The end product is an exciting mixture of solos, duets, trios and quartets. This rare and intimate collaboration between friends honors the aesthetic and vitality that Will Ackerman pioneered with Windham Hill all those years ago.
“This is beautiful music. It takes me back to the best part of the 1980’s, when instrumental music was alive and part of the cultural consciousness. These four musicians have captured the spirit of that time, with writing and playing that engages the mind and heart. Bravo ‘Four Guitars’!” – ANDREW YORK
“Four very talented men who truly love guitars making wonderful music together. The playing on this album is beautiful.” – DAVID CROSBY
Press & Links
Official Links
Reviews/Articles
Apr 25 2019, Wind and Wire“…This is an album that even fulfills stratospheric expectations. I suspect that you can’t bring four virtuosos together and achieve better results than what Ackerman, Downes, Mosby, and Hall have wrought with this fantastic recording…” – Bill Binkelman (ZMR Radio Acoustic Music Reviewer)
Artist Reviews:
“4 very talented men who truly love guitars making wonderful music together. The playing on this album is beautiful.”
– David Crosby (Crosby, Stills and Nash)
“This is beautiful music. It takes me back to the best part of the 1980’s, when instrumental music was alive and part of the cultural consciousness. These four musicians have captured the spirit of that time, with writing and playing that engages the mind and heart. Bravo ‘Four Guitars’!”
– Andrew York (Grammy Winning Guitarist Los Angeles Guitar Quartet)
“Four guitars invites the listener to experience the sonic world of the acoustic steel string guitar in the most intimate and magical manner. The exquisite recorded sound of each instrument engulfs the listener. In songs like Unconditional one hears the careful entrance of each guitar adding it’s unique voice. Eventually deeply rich and resonant textures are revealed. Beautifully strummed chords, cascading arpeggios, heartfelt single line melodies and solos, luscious vibrato, jewel tone harmonics, wonderfully sustained notes and chords, percussive tapping all help shape these beautiful “songs without words”. Four musicians came together to share a lifetime of music making on four guitars. Those who are fortunate enough to hear what they created will be glad they did.”
– Benjamin Verdery (Composer and Professor of Guitar Yale School of Music)
“Four Guitars is more than the work of four fine players. It’s the extraordinary collaboration of four composers who clearly love the space they occupy together. Anyone who has ever collaborated in producing art will tell you it’s not easy. Doing it with four composers demands an even rarer form of magic. On this album, Will Ackerman, Trevor Gordon Hall, Vin Downes and Todd Mosby found it! Their shared vision is just beautiful to experience. Listen!”
– Alan Gross (Acoustic.Life Publication) (Grammy Winning Guitarist Los Angeles Guitar Quartet)
“I really admire the Four Guitars album that Will, Trevor, Vin, and Todd have put together. It’s personal, honest, and thought provoking, which is everything I love about solo acoustic guitar music.”
– Andy McKee (Fingerstyle Guitar Legend)
“These four masters meld their talents together into a single melodious voice that takes you on a remarkable musical journey.”
– Michael Manring (Bass Guitar Legend)
“I only have words to describe this clear dreamy crystalline ethereal serene music. But words only go so far. I suggest you use your own ears. The sound will quickly connect to your heart!”
– Dick Boak (Retired Artist Relations at Martin Guitar)
“It’s gorgeous. The playing is sensitive and beautiful, the interplay subtle and deep, and the instruments sound amazing.”
– Jon Gomm (Fingerstyle Guitar Legend)
“It’s very touching. There’s a closeness to it that is very rare. Even when the music very dense it feels very personal. I know I’m close to the instruments, but it feels so natural.”
– David Kahne (Grammy Winning producer Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, and more
Presenter Reviews:
“Will Ackerman’s ‘The Gathering, Four Guitars’ thrilled our audience with their virtuosity and they were an absolute delight to work with from start to finish. I look forward to bringing them back for another performance in the future.”
– Tim Reeve (Public Performances Manager at Montalvo Arts Center)
“Will Ackerman: The Gathering – Four Guitars is an outstanding show that I would heartily recommend to any venue with a strong guitar audience. Will Ackerman is simply an icon, as good in person as he was, and is, on his recordings. Trevor Gordon Hall made me feel like someone was channeling Michael Hedges, but with their own spirit intertwined. His playing is seemingly effortless, full of variety and surprises. And when playing with Will, there is a magical connections between the two artists and their instruments that make them seem like one. Vin Downes and Todd Mosby add their own unique and beautiful styles to the evening, making this a deeply satisfying show.”
– David Palmer (Executive Director at SOKA Performing Arts Center)
“The show was wonderful! The audience loved it. We were so pleased, a lot of fun.”
– John Pogue, (Executive Director at Riverside Performing Arts)