Jan Akkerman
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Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. He first found international commercial success with the band
Focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...
, which he co-founded with
Thijs van Leer Thijs van Leer (pronounced: ; born 31 March 1948) is a Dutch singer and keyboardist, best known as the founding member of the rock band Focus as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in Amsterdam among a musical famil ...
. After leaving Focus, he continued as a solo musician, adding
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...
influences.


Biography

The son of a scrap iron trader, Akkerman was born in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
. He started playing the
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
before turning to the guitar. Around age ten he took guitar lessons and his first single, with the Friendship Sextet, was released in 1960, when he was thirteen years old. Akkerman won a scholarship to study at the Amsterdam Music Lyceum for five years, developing his composition and arranging skills. At fourteen he was in the rock band
Johnny and his Cellar Rockers Johnny and his Cellar Rockers was the Dutch guitar player Jan Akkerman's first band from 1963. It also featured the drummer Pierre van der Linden who later joined Akkerman in Brainbox and Focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts ...
with his friend
Pierre van der Linden Pierre van der Linden (born 19 February 1946) is a Dutch drummer, songwriter and member of the band, Focus. Biography Van der Linden was influenced by his childhood hero Buddy Rich. He finds inspiration in French philosophers and classical comp ...
. Both then joined The Hunters. After seeing a performance by classical guitarist
Julian Bream Julian Alexander Bream (15 July 193314 August 2020) was an English classical guitarist and lutenist. Regarded as one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century, he played a significant role in improving the public per ...
, he became interested in
renaissance music Renaissance music is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century '' ars nova'', the Tr ...
and the lute. He started the band
Brainbox Brainbox is a Dutch rock group from the late 1960s/early 1970s. The band was founded in Amsterdam by guitarist Jan Akkerman , drummer Pierre van der Linden and singer Kazimir Lux (Kaz). Their debut single was "Down Man", which established their ...
with Van der Linden,
Kaz Lux Kaz or KAZ may refer to: Businesses * KAZ Minerals, a British copper mining company operating in Kazakhstan * Kaz Incorporated, an American manufacturer and distributor of health care products * Kaz Records, part of Castle Communication, incorpor ...
, and
André Reijnen André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation o ...
. They recorded for
Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
. Akkerman joined the
Thijs van Leer Thijs van Leer (pronounced: ; born 31 March 1948) is a Dutch singer and keyboardist, best known as the founding member of the rock band Focus as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in Amsterdam among a musical famil ...
Trio in late 1969 which, as the nascent band
Focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...
, was the pit band for the Dutch theatrical production of ''
Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...
'' (recorded as an album in 1969). Under the name Focus, the band explored
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
, an amalgam of classical, jazz, and rock music, and had hits in the seventies such as "Hocus Pocus" and " Sylvia". The band's albums ''
Focus II ''Focus II'' (better known by its international title, ''Moving Waves'') is the second studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Focus, released in October 1971 on Imperial Records. Following the departure of original bassist Martin Dresden and ...
'' and ''
Focus 3 ''Focus 3'' or ''Focus III'' is the third studio album by Dutch rock band Focus, released as a double album in November 1972 on Imperial Records. Recorded after touring in support of their previous album, '' Moving Waves'' (1971), the album saw t ...
'' were certified
Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
. In 1973 Akkerman was voted Best Guitarist in the World by readers of the UK magazine ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
''. With manufacturer
Framus Framus is a German string instrument manufacturing company, that existed from 1946 until going bankrupt in 1975. The Framus brand was revived in 1995 as part of Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG, in Markneukirchen, Germany. The company's cus ...
he helped produce one of the first signature guitar models.
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
released his solo album ''Tabernakel'', which contains his playing the lute. His
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
''Eli'', recorded with Kaz Lux on vocals, won the Dutch
Edison Award The Edison Award is an annual Dutch music prize awarded for outstanding achievements in the music industry. It is comparable to the American Grammy Award. The Edison award itself is a bronze replica of a statuette of Thomas Edison, designed by ...
for best album in 1976. On the album, Akkerman experimented with a 12-string guitar tuned in parallel fifths. In the early 1980s he began to experiment with a
guitar synthesizer A guitar synthesizer is any one of a number of musical instrument systems that allow a guitarist to access synthesizer capabilities. Overview Today's guitar synths are direct descendants of 1970s devices from manufacturers (often in partner ...
, as on the album ''Oil in the Family''. In 1985, he reunited Focus with Van Leer for an album and accompanying concert. The band reunited again in 1990 for the Dutch television program ''Goud van Oud'' (''Old Gold''). During the 1990s and in the 2000s he continued playing with his own band, and also as a solo musician, accompanied by pre-recorded computer-generated background (Roland synthesizers and Linn drums). Akkerman was a
session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
with
André Hazes André Gerardus Hazes (30 June 1951 - 23 September 2004) was a Dutch singer and actor. As an accomplished levenslied singer, Hazes recorded 36 studio and live albums, and 55 singles prior to his death in 2004. His music is still well-known in th ...
and worked with Alan Price,
Herman Brood Hermanus "Herman" Brood (; 5 November 1946 – 11 July 2001) was a Dutch musician, painter, actor and poet. As a musician he achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and was called "the greatest and only Dutch rock 'n' r ...
,
Peter Banks Peter William Brockbanks (15 July 1947 – 7 March 2013), known professionally as Peter Banks, was a British guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. He was the original guitarist in the rock band Yes, and also the Syn, Flash, and Empire. ...
,
Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disbande ...
, Charlie Byrd,
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...
,
Paco de Lucía Francisco Sánchez Gómez (21 December 194725 February 2014), known as Paco de Lucía (;), was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer. A leading proponent of the new flamenco style, he was one of the first flam ...
, Ice-T, and
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...
. In 1992, he was involved in a serious car accident, but he resumed playing in 1993. In the late 1990s, after an absence of nearly 20 years, he was persuaded to tour the UK again. He wrote for the Dutch magazine ''GitaarPlus''. In 2013, Akkerman released the album ''North Sea Jazz''.


Discography

* ''Talent for Sale'' (Imperial, 1968) * ''
Profile Profile or profiles may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Music * ''Profile'' (Jan Akkerman album), 1973 * ''Profile'' (Githead album), 2005 * ''Profile'' (Pat Donohue album), 2005 * ''Profile'' (Duke Pearson album), 1959 * '' ''Profi ...
'' (
Sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...
, 1972) * ''Tabernakel'' (Atlantic, 1973) * ''
Eli Eli most commonly refers to: * Eli (name), a given name, nickname and surname * Eli (biblical figure) Eli or ELI may also refer to: Film * ''Eli'' (2015 film), a Tamil film * ''Eli'' (2019 film), an American horror film Music * ''Eli'' (Jan ...
'' (With Kaz Lux) (Atlantic, 1976) * ''Jan Akkerman'' (Atlantic, 1977) * ''Prism'' (With Tony Scott) (Polydor 1977) * ''Live'' (Atlantic, 1978) * ''Aranjuez'' (With Claus Ogerman) (CBS, 1978) * ''Jan Akkerman 3'' (Atlantic, 1979) * ''Live In Kiel & Stuttgart 1979'' (With Joachim Kühn)(Sandra Music Productions 1979) * '' Transparental'' (With Kaz Lux) (
Ariola Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerat ...
, 1980) * ''Oil in the Family'' (CNR, 1981) * ''Pleasure Point'' (WEA, 1982) * ''It Could Happen to You'' (
Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
, 1982) * ''Can't Stand Noise'' (CBS, 1983) * ''From the Basement'' (CBS, 1984) *
Focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...
(With Thijs Van Leer) (Vertigo, 1985) * ''The Complete Guitarist'' (Charly, 1986) * ''Heartware'' (Skydancer, 1987) * ''The Noise of Art'' ( I.R.S., 1990) * ''Puccini's Café'' (EMI, 1993) * ''Blues Hearts'' (EMI, 1994) * ''Focus in Time'' (Patio Music, 1996) * ''10000 Clowns On A Rainy Day - Live'' 2CD (Patio Music 1997) * ''Live At The Priory 1997'' (Akkernet 1998) * ''Blues Root'' (With Curtis Knight) (Universe, 1998) * ''Passion'' (
Roadrunner The roadrunners (genus ''Geococcyx''), also known as chaparral birds or chaparral cocks, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos with long tails and crests. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States and Mexico, us ...
, 1999) * ''Live at Alexanders'' (Akkernet, 1999) * ''Jazzah!'' Mini Album (Akkernet 2000) * ''Live in Viersen & Leverkusen 2001'' - DVD (Alpha Centauri Entertainment 2003) * ''C. U.'' (Coast to Coast, 2003) * '' I'm In The Mood - Live 2002/2003'' (No Label 2003) *''Fromage A Trois - Live Recorded 2006'' (No Label 2006) * ''Live In Concert - The Hague 2007'' CD+2DVD (Alpha Centauri Entertainment 2007) * ''Live In Concert 2007'' (No Label 2007) * ''Minor Details'' (Digimode Entertainment 2011) * ''North Sea Jazz Legendary Concerts'' (Bob City CD+DVD 2011) * ''Close Beauty'' (Music Theories, 2019)


Awards and honours

* Knight of the
Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...
(Netherlands, 28 December 2012) * (Netherlands, 11 April 2009) *
Golden Harp The Golden Harp ''(Dutch: Gouden Harp)'' is awarded annually to Dutch musicians for their entire oeuvre. Golden Harps have been awarded 42 times. 149 different persons or (musical) groups have had the honour of receiving the award which is conside ...
award (Netherlands, January 2005)


References


Bibliography

* David Randall, ''In & out of focus : the music of Jan Akkerman and Focus'', London : SAF Publishing, 2003, * Brigitte Tast, Hans-Juergen Tast: ''„be bop” - Die Wilhelmshöhe rockt. Disco und Konzerte in der Hölle.'' Verlag Gebrüder Gerstenberg GmbH & Co. kg, Hildesheim 2007, . * Brigitte Tast, Hans-Juergen Tast: ''„be bop” - Rock-Tempel & Nachtasyl - Band 2 zur Legende''. Hildesheim: Verlag Gebr. Gerstenberg 2009. .


External links


Official site

Jan Akkerman biography in the Muziekencyclopedie (in Dutch)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Akkerman, Jan 1946 births Living people Musicians from Amsterdam Dutch rock guitarists Dutch male guitarists Jazz fusion guitarists Lead guitarists Progressive rock guitarists Harvest Records artists Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau Male jazz musicians Focus (band) members