JAN AKKERMAN

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Jan Akkerman - st (1977)

It took me some time to appreciate this album, but it turned out to be one of his major efforts. Side one of Profile and side two of Tabernakel both had something progressive like you would expect from ex-Focus guitar Jan Akkerman, but on his fourth offering Jan Akkerman changed his sound completely. First of all, Akkerman doesn't use any form of distortion! He plays solo guitar throughout the album with a clean electric guitar sound. At first I didn't like this, but turns out to be a great move by the Dutch guitar master. His guitar solo's became very stylish!

Another problem I had with this record was the fact that the complete record has a smooth jazz basis with disco influences. Among the influences are fusion, funk and symphonic music. The string sections are just amazing on this album! I have no record that has such warm, intense and inventive string arrangements. The bass-lines are between fusion and disco and so are the drums, this doesn't sound very interesting, but it leaves enough space for the fusion guitar chord progression, the guitar solo's and the string section. The result is an bombastic professional smooth-jazz album with a stylish and romantic feel and with the finest of clean guitar solo's.

Some tracks are a bit different from the other the tracks. Pavane is a down-tempo romantic piece with an emotional impact. On side two the up-tempo Floatin' with Pierre van der Linden (ex-Focus, ex-Brainbox) on drums gives away some of his amazing techniques.

Conclusion. Amazing fusion album interesting for both fans of the genre and people who would like to have an entrance for it. This is a good starting point. It has both very interesting jazz moment and a lot of technical achievements and a nice warm soothing romantic feel. Furthermore I would like to point out this might be of interest to audiophiles, the recording is amazing (oowh those strings are great!). Four stars.

One of most popular ex-Focus guitarist's Jan Akkerman solo album. Very light and relaxed, this album for long time was a problem for me - I just tried to understand it. Yes, not to feel, because European jazz-fusion, recorded there, isn't too much music, you can feel. Cool, technically competent, with strong classical music roots, it always sounded as "self closed thing" for me.

Then, after many listenings, I just decided, that it is simply not my cup of tea. I like some unusual guitar techniques and sound, but can't name full composition I could like in full. Strong influence of Dutch cool jazz, technically strong ( but never too much experimental), but very emotionless, and some old-fashion orchestration (ok, it sounds old-fashioned now, so for album ,released in 1977, let name it "dated").

It is not easy listening ( but very accessible music, not far from it), it isn't a real jazz-rock ( much more saloon jazz or chamber-influenced music), but still have many rock traces on it. The best name possibly is " chamber jazz in fusion clothes" , but again, it doesn't say too much.

Atmosphere is close to ECM recordings, but differently from many Nordic artists, music there sounds more conservative. And even if I can hear many attractive moments, the album in whole doesn't stick with me.

Possibly, it was played and recorded for different listener. In all cases, very competent music. Just try - may be it is album for you?

From 3 to 4 stars (according to the "mood" of the album) I should say - talking about its evaluation- that's the right score, cause the output is a little bit uneven, even though the best guitar style by this former Focus member is often able to emerge...well first of all it stands out alone as a unique "Akkerman's trademark", regarding of the maturity reached here, but it represents also a personal music style of his own!!

In particular the track "Streetwalker" and "Crackers" are the best example, but also the other tunes contain some good features, in spite of the light and too much relaxed mood, in comparison to the strong "fusion" experimentations at the guitar of the period...think of the powerful style concerning some other similar guitarists in the seventies (for example Jeff Beck for instance, or G. Moore in the Colosseum II experience).

Talking about the defects inside, I don't like the Akkerman music approach, being a little bit "cold" and characterized by a few emotions; nevertheless- despite the dated orchestrations- it's an interesting product, with its typical strengths and weaknesses (as within the best Dutch progressive/fusion albums) and something else, according to the artistic direction I've often seen in the works by Gong (note: such a strange and hybrid music-genre, in the middle between the Canterburian style and a kind of Chamber music, according to the early After Crying, but in an easier version).

Anyway this is probably the best album by J. Akkerman and it could be enough to evaluate the present work sometimes as good as the best fusion/Canterburian works outside Holland (especially in the UK)...so make your personal choice!!

Jan Akkerman is one of the most apreciate and well known guitarist from old school of prog and jazz fusion. Gained fame with Focus in the early '70's he manage to have aswell in parallel with Focus, a solo career until late 1976 when he departure from the band in their most succesful period. He rlease so far many album , very much apreciated by both jazz fusion lovers and progressive aswell. Selftitled album issued in 1977 is one of my fav from him and one of his best works for sure from solo side. Very crafted album, smooth with brilliant songwritting, shown a mature Akkerman in every way here. Even is kinda light in places is very well performed and quite complicated after repeted lisnings, is for sure a grower, at least in my case. . Crackers or Pavane are good ex of what ment in that period Akkerman in jazz fusion world, similar maybe in places with Solution also from Holland, or in places with Colosseum but less guitar oriented and more fusion then rock. Anyway for me a very solid album, prog arrangements are aswell present and some symphonic elements added, some good keybords interplays makes from this album a winner for sure, great cover art aswell. 4 stars easy.