Michael Hedges

The late Michael Hedges was an acoustic guitar deviant. He did things to his instrument that you couldn't believe even when you saw them with your own eyes. His use of alternate tunings (Try these out for size, low to high: CGDDAE; CGDDBB; DADEAB) and novel playing styles (slapping the fretboard; tapping, knocking, and hitting the guitar body; tapping strings with both hands) made him sound like a one-man band on solo acoustic. He was frightening; at least he frightened ME.

Sadly, his life was cut short in an auto accident back in 1997.

SPECIAL NOTICE:

I am looking for a video that seems to be out of production.  The video is called "An Evening With Windham Hill Live," and it features performances by William Ackerman, Michael Hedges, and other Windham Hill artists performing live at Red Rocks, CO (or a place that looks awfully similar).  I am interested in purchasing a copy of this VHS cassette.  If I can't get an original, I will gladly pay for a good, hi-fi video copy of the tape, OR a copy made from the laserdisk of that performance. If you have this tape and/or are willing to sell it or make me a copy, please drop me a line at mavassbe@io.com.  Thanks!!

Though you CAN (and probably WILL) look him up on your own, the Windham Hill Web site raves:

In addition to complementing his guitar work with wind instruments, synthesizers, and acoustic and electric basses, Michael Hedges proved to the record-buying world what his concert audiences already knew: that his is a truly unique musical "voice"--one whose eccentric, multifaceted parameters can be neither defined nor constrained by prevailing standards. 

If you haven't heard him, take a risk and go FIND him. But I'm warning you now, he's so good he'll make you wanna quit playing.

Seriously.

(Okay, go ahead, but don't say I didn't warn you....)