CD/Vinyl Review: Will Ackerman Returns On Vinyl & The Jon Stickely Trio Wants You To "Maybe Believe"

Grammy award winning guitarist Will Ackerman may be best known as the founder of Windam Hill Records, but his album "Returning" is the latest vinyl to be produced by Audio Fidelity. In 2004, Ackerman decided to re-record some of his most well-known instrumentals for prosperity, but instead created a timeless album that can certainly find a home with anyone.

 

Audio Fidelity has taken the album and made it available on 180g vinyl for the first time. The clarity that Audio Fidelity delivers is unprecedented as you can almost feel the plucking of the strings as in the gentle opener "The Bricklayer's Beautiful Daughter." You can hear Will fall in love again to his early compositions "Pictures" and "Barbara's Song" as you follow along to every single note that is being played. His music tells a story as in "Processional" and will relax your mind and take your troubles away for the "Last Day At The Beach." The album was produced by Ackerman and was mastered by Kevin Grey for this new timeless release as Audio Fidelity continues to raise the bar on these amazing sounding albums. To find out more about this new vinyl version of Will Akerman's album "Returning," please visit audiofidelity.net.

 

American guitarist Jon Stickley recently released his new album with the Jon Stickley Trio titled "Maybe Believe." It features a dozen tracks that find the group diving back to their roots, as in the gentle flow of the opening song "Jewels." They pick the tempo up with the bluegrass feel of "Playpeople" and incorporate some gypsy jazz into "Almost With You." The first of the album's 3 cover songs is a twist on Bill Monroe's "Jerusalem Ridge," which the band has already been performing live. The Jon Stickley Trio find solace in their gentle cover of the Aphex Twin cover "Avril 14th," before picking up the pace with a frantic delivery of "Cecil." The album finishes with the punk-like energy of "Mt. Sandia Swing" and the gypsy jazz guitar picking of "Lady Time." The Jon Stickley Trio are currently on the road with a string of dates that run through to September. For a complete list of dates and to find out more about their new album "Maybe Believe," please visit jonstickley.com.