Michael Hedges’ Aggressively Beautiful New-Age Guitar | 100 Guitarists Podcast
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- Guitarist Michael Hedges transcended genre with his incendiary two-hand technique, oddball instruments, and plethora of unique tunings. And his creative cover arrangements, from Sheila E. to Zappa, are in a world of their own. On this episode, we hear from his family, friends, and scholars who share what Hedges’ music means to them, and what’s in store for Hedges fans.
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I stumbled on Michael Hedges by accident when I borrowed the Library album "Aerial Boundaries". In Australia is was difficult to buy "new age" type music in the 1980s so it was either via some obscure Radio Station or the local Library.
I liked the guitar playing on "Aerial Boundaries" so much that I tried to get hold of other material by Michael Hedges. No internet at that time but as it happened the local Library also has a copy of "Breakfast in the Field".
It introduced me to the whole line of Wyndham Hill artists including George Winston.
I enjoy listening to musicians that are a little quirky and creatively original and unique and Michael Hedges certainly falls into that category.
Glad you chose Michael Hedges to put on your list - great stuff.
Great episode - thank you for spreading the word and sharing Michael's story!
Trying to explain what hedges did is like trying to be a tour guide on an alien space ship.
Saw him live twice. Once with Leo kottke they did a duet together. Huge influence on many levels. Those first albums of his are a treasure. The Windham hill pressings on vinyl were very fitting to his excellence of his songs.
Thanks for adding him to the list.
I discovered Michael from the Acoustic Guitar player magazine article after his death. Live on the double planet one on my favorite.. i discovered alternative tunings, and that changed my approach to how I play
I used to book my bi-weekly sales trips around Michael's Fall Tour schedule throughout the 90s, just so I could experience his music at different venues around the U.S. Always looked forward to the 3-5 new covers he would be playing, such as Almost Cut My Hair, Come Talk To Me, She Drives Me Crazy, Comfortably Numb, Buffalo Stance, Eminence Front, and more. A true talented original, and such a great sense of humor! Very thankful that he turned me on to other great artists like Patrick Brayer, Shadowfax, Leo Kottke, George Winston, etc.. We miss you Michael!!
What's crazy is that he will always remain underrated. So many careers birthed because of Michael's work.
What a pleasant surprise! I first heard about Michael Hedges around 1985. I used to pick up a magazine about compact disc - which at the time were considered new tech. The magazine had a review of Aerial Boundaries and based on that I picked up the CD and was of course blown away. Somehow I heard he was playing in NJ (live Long Island) and went with my GF to Club Benet - which was a supper club. So after dinner and many drinks Michael played - and I was completely blown away - hearing his music was one thing. But seeing was entirely different. Michael at this time toured alone with no tech in a van. After the show fans starting just walking up on stage and chatting with him. I stumbled up....nearly tripping over his guitar chords and told him I had never seen anything like what he did to that guitar that night. He only used his Martin. Note that every song that Michael ever played live or recorded each have their own unique tuning. He never, ever played in standard and never used any tuning for more than one song. His musical knowledge may have been light years ahead of anyone before or after him. I saw Michael around 6 or 7 times - once in the Bottom Line NYC - sitting at the next table over from Graham Nash and David Crosby who got up to do a few songs with him. I actually met Michael about 4 times after various shows as he was always chatty and a wonderful soul. Michael NEVER changed strings - if they did not break he did not replace them - including studio recordings. He hated the sound of new stings. Fave covers are Eminence Front by the Who, Gimme Shelter/Stones - he really could play anything and make it interesting including songs that i did not like by the original artist (lucky star - madonna!). Most of the show I saw him he played solely the Martin for Acoustic and then various harp guitars (acoustic and electric), IF you were really lucky he would break a string and put it on and tell a story about something mundane but always remain entertaining. To this day if I am going to purchase new stereo equipment I bring Aerial Boundaries to test the sound. I miss Michael and his music but love seeing new young artists take what Michael did and expand upon it. Thank you for bringing light to one of the most talented musicians in history whom many people don't even know about.
His version of "Lucky Star" is so good!
Hi Thomas !! And you were at this performance ➡♡David Crosby + Graham Nash, in the audience, join Michael onstage for the amazing encores, two CSNY tunes written by Neil Young: Helpless + Ohio 🥳 ♡Michael Hedges Concert ♡ October 16, 1991 ♡ The Bottom Line, New York City ruclips.net/video/ybGDJiaYWTo/видео.html
"There is not anyone on the face of God’s beautiful blue earth that plays the guitar like Michael Hedges". - Steve Vai.
♡Michael Hedges + Steve Vai shared magazine covers, a Flexi-disc(6", 33 ⅓ RPM), a friendship + the joy of music!! So wonderful that Steve Vai + Dweezil Zappa attended Michael's concert , Performance Hall, Musicians Institute, Los Angeles (Fall 1992) 🙌🏻Steve Vai is a 2024 Sustaining Sponsor ($1,000+)🎬 Oracle: The Life & Music of Michael Hedges.
Michael Hedges often spilt his fretboard into two separate guitars - thus his ability to play and sound like more than one guitar at the same time - stunning.
Hard to imagine that there are musicians alive who are unaware…but here we are and it’s good that you’re reminding folks.
My observation is that there’s always too much emphasis on his technique and not enough on his musicality and, more importantly, his intentionality.
The things he did with his hands and body were in service of performing specific sounds at specific times…like EVH and Vai. That’s why he was considered an innovator.
I wish more people who emulate him would focus on the inspiration, and spend less time rapping and tapping for the sake of it.
Pierre B, Tibbets, even Ackerman…it was about intentional sound.
Yes.... he composed music and songs with a story and purpose. The music is alive.
thanks for sharing this!
Miss him!
🤍🕊🤍 🔥"Michael Hedges' Passionately Beautiful Torched Guitar" 🔥 MH plays with a soul on fire🔥TORCHED🔥 MH: called his sound at different periods: Violent Acoustic Guitar · Heavy Mental Guitar · Savage Myth Guitar · Upper Primate Guitar · Torched Guitar (Volcano): “my soul is on fire, and here comes some music, erupting out”- MH. MH’s word: Torched: a state of heightened physical/spiritual awareness he aspired to and worked toward, a state of being "on fire" with an all-consuming creative life-energy. {"their fingers are hot, but their souls aren’t on fire”- MH}. His technical innovations serve the composition. MH’s goal: to have acoustic guitar as part of marching bands. MH studied ballet🩰{🔔 harmonics}.
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Andrew Gorny commented: learn MH's detailed techniques, he created a new vocabulary; study his work!!
Michael Hedges Never used a standard tuning at any given time ( Of course I can't recall who made this claim) it drove me to take on the task of changing up my tuning at every instance and I lasted only a week.
I was starting to lose my mind a little.
27:30
So boring
Sucks, right? Instead of listening to people talk about it, check it out for the cure. Start with the song Aerial Boundries... or not.
I feel fortunate to have been able to see him live, he was incredible!
Jealous!!!
To me, anyway, Michael Hedges was like a Steve Vai on acoustic guitar!!! But Michael was very flamboyant and outside the box when it comes to the way acoustic guitars can be played!!!! 😊😊🙂😀😃🙂
Glad I came across this. I bought a Leo Kotke double album from disc replay back in 1999. Still love it
Michael Hedges ♡Visionary composer, Acoustic guitar genius, Brilliant performer, Multi-instrumentalist, Singer-songwriter, Guitar Player “Hall of Fame”, Musical prodigy, Peabody Conservatory, Carnegie Hall...
💽 Michael Hedges
♡Oracle (1996)wins 1997 GRAMMY Award - Best New Age Album (40th Grammy Awards)
♡Taproot (1990) NOMINATION - Best New Age Album (33rd Grammy Awards)
♡Aerial Boundaries (1984) NOMINATION - Best engineered recording - Non-classical
(27th Grammy Awards)
Michael Hedges · Solo records
Breakfast in the Field (1981)
Aerial Boundaries (1984)
Watching My Life Go By (1985)
Live on the Double Planet (1987)
Taproot (1990)
the Road to Return (1994)
oracle (1996)
Torched (1999)
Thanks for talking about Michael! He changed acoustic guitar playing forever. If you saw him live (as I had the honor to several times) the passion that he put into every note and the laser-focused audience eye contact reached deep into your mind and heart. You mentioned MH and Pierre Bensusan, but to extend that appropriately it was also notably Alex de Grassi, Billy McLaughlin and Preston Reed that ushered-in something truly unique in the acoustic guitar world at that time. He used a whole-body-anything-that-makes-sound attack in his playing, and it was great that you folks referenced how important his "dancing" was to what he did. He moved the air around him in any way he could and it all produced amazing sound and visuals.
Tha new documentary film mentioned here and being created by his son Mischa Hedges and brother Brendan Hedges that outlines his life, music and lasting legacy is going to be a landmark and I hope more folks will learn about Michael through that and appreciate him in a whole different light. Please, go to the URL shared in the comments from this YT video at his official site for more info on the film and how you can support the creation of it.
I've got two instruments - harp sympitars - dedicated to his memory, and I have had the honor of playing some of MH's music with Michael Manring (Chava's Song, in particular) and also organized the 2017 Remembering Michael Hedges 20 Year Tribute concert. Hopefully, those of you that have been touched by him and his music will find a way to experience more and play his music live in the future (there's another Remembering concert coming in August this year). Michael Hedges lives-on in his music and you! Peace.
NOT a finger style acoustic player. He used a pic on probably 3/4 of his songs. Y’all lost me right there. Pay attention and do your research.
i can't get past the ums and uhs.!