Acoustic Alchemy

In an industry where the definition of longevity is often skewed, best-selling instrumental jazz group, Acoustic Alchemy, with their trademark acoustic guitar synergy, can honestly say that have stood the test of time. With the release of "The very best of Acoustic Alchemy Vol 2 ". guitarists Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale celebrate a remarkable and successful two decades with their second " Best of " compilation . Ever evolving, yet instantly recognizable, they have become a true force in contemporary jazz. Their highly entertaining live show featuring Miles & Greg ably supported by Fred White on Keys and the mighty Grainger Brothers on bass and drums is often sighted as " the" live show of the genre.

Guitarists Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale celebrate a remarkable two decades plus since 1987’s Red Dust and Spanish Lace established the British ensemble as an ever evolving, powerhouse force in contemporary jazz. Their thousands of fans around the world may be feeling nostalgic, but the duo—while keeping their trademark acoustic guitar synergy front and center--is clearly committed to forging ahead..

Carmichael explains the energy is the result of a natural chemistry he’s developed with Gilderdale over the years since Gilderdale—formerly a backing guitarist with the band—became Carmichael’s full partner after the passing of founding member Nick Webb in 1998 and the release that year of Positive Thinking.

Acoustic Alchemy’s rich legacy is based on the extraordinary airplay, sales and critical reception given the many early Nick Webb-Greg Carmichael led recordings followed by those helmed later by Carmichael and Gilderdale. Carmichael with each successive recording is carrying on a legacy begun by Webb and a guitarist named Simon James in the early 80s; those early recordings were collected for the 1992 collection Early Alchemy. The road to instrumental stardom began when Webb and Carmichael provided the one-off-in-flight entertainment for a Virgin Airlines England to America flight, in search of an elusive recording contract; they often liked to say they “played their way to America”. Signed to the MCA Master Series label by Tony Brown, their popularity took off in conjunction with the rise of the New Adult Contemporary radio format.

Acoustic Alchemy’s early MCA albums—starting with Red Dust and Spanish Lace and continuing with 1988’s Natural Elements and 1989’s Blue Chip—were all later re-released on GRP. One of the band’s most remarkable recordings was 1996’s live in the studio date Arcanum, which featured new arrangements of classics, a few new tracks, and full orchestration. Recorded over three days at Pinewood Film Studios in England (home to all the James Bond films), the sessions were filmed by director Aubrey Powell for a television documentary of the band, released on video as Best Kept Secret; GRP re-released this on DVD in July, 2006 with extra archived live performance and documentary
footage. In 2002, Acoustic Alchemy also released Sounds of St. Lucia, a CD/DVD live concert package based on a performance recorded by BET television.

“The band has been through a lot of changes over the years, but the concept of two acoustic guitars has always been the emotional centerpiece which draws people close,” says Carmichael. “I’m happy these days because I love all the musicians in the band and it’s great touring with them and playing live onstage. For me, whether we’re jamming or stopping for gas at a truck stop, it’s honestly like being on vacation, and we’re excited to have so many loyal fans who have enjoyed taking the journey with us. The positive spirit behind our music and album titles comes from the wonderful relationship we have always had with them Acoustic Alchemy recently released in conjuction with Universal Music “ The Very Best of Acoustic Alchemy Vol 2 “ which they will be promoting throughout 2009..

Recent Discography
Brand new live album coming soon
"The very best Vol 2" on Universal Records / www.smoothjazz.com
"This Way" on Higher Octave/Narada Jazz’s association with Blue Note Records