Grant's Guitar Corner - Michael Hedges
Larry Deniston | Published on 12/27/2023
My album pick for this month is Michael Hedges " Breakfast in the Field". 1981 Windham Hill records vinyl.
As the holidays are upon us, I tend to break out some Windham Hill records. Their somewhat melancholy feel seems to fit my mindset. Some people that may dismiss the label as " hot tub music" are missing the point that there's a lot of amazing musicianship. Michael Hedges is one of many, but definitely stands out. Known as a steel string guitar innovator, he pushed the boundaries of what you can do with an acoustic guitar, and yet stay imminently musical.
His album, " Aerial Boundaries" is more famous, but this album " Breakfast in the Field", his first, is also great. There's no harp guitar, but it sounds like it due to his extreme altered tunings. Michael Manring joins with fretless bass on a handful of cuts, as well as George Winston on piano on one. The playing is innovative, yet still calming and beautiful.
And the sound?.... excellent! It's like the guitar is right there in your room. Early Windham Hill records provided recording notes as well. 1981 and all analog! Check that Fred 😎. When I got my first Windham Hill record, I was so amazed at the sound and the music, I immediately went on a quest to buy all I could find. Being I started way back when, I probably got early pressings of them all.
I was fortunate to see Michael live at a little winery in Felton California. I even managed to videotape the show.. it's on VHS somewhere in my collection. I should digitize it someday. A fantastic show. It was a few years before his untimely and somewhat mysterious death. He will be missed. Check out this album if you like acoustic guitar music at all... you won't be disappointed.