Search - Windham Hill in Concert on DVD

Michael Hedges is the reason

M. B Evans | Madison, Mississippi United States | 03/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always loved the music of the Windham Hill group. From Benson to Ackerman to Michael Hedges. Great mood music to relax to after a hard day at work. I enjoy mostly all of the musicians on this dvd, but I mainly purchased this dvd to see Michael Hedges perform. If you dont know who Michael Hedges is, you owe it to yourself to check him out. Unbelievable guitarist/musician. There is 15 performances on the dvd. Some are from Will Ackerman, which I enjoyed as well. Hedges has 7 performances out of the 15. In my opinion, he should have had the whole 15, but for the 7 perfoemances, this dvd is worth the price and then some...."

An Historic Performance

Dale | Asheville, New Caledonia | 04/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This concert DVD is truly the stuff of legend. Several different copies of the video version have graced my VCR for over 10 years. NEVER loan it out if you ever expect to see it again! I was completely floored to discover that it is now on DVD! Michael Hedges' performance will always be regarded as one of the greatest moments in the history of the acoustic guitar - he completely reinvented the instrument, much as Hendrix did with the electric. His live performances were profoundly life-altering experiences for many. His 1997 death hit me so hard that I named my son after him and both of my children were birthed to his music. And Will Ackerman - what can I say! He is the originator of the New Age movement in the late 70's - early 80's and the founder of Windham Hill Records, helping launch the careers of Michael, Rob Eberhard Young, George Winston, John Gorka, Liz Story, Alex de Grassi, Yanni, the list goes on. . . The emotional depth of Will's performance here is untouchable. I love his music most for it's living, breathing evocative melodies and wide open spaces. I can feel my heart tug and pull and center my spirit with just the first few notes and just keep slipping deeper and deeper. Scott Cossu, an incredibly talented pianist and composer is sinfully relegated to one song, but I absolutely advise checking out more of his work. Shadowfax also deliver a stellar performance. If you seek lighter fare with peaceful, soulful performances that can sail you to the stars, this DVD delivers. And if you are a thrashing headbanger looking for someone who can completely obliterate a guitar by slapping, tapping, knocking and banging in an organically musical way, this DVD delivers. No added footage over the original VHS and LaserDisc versions and paltry special features (text bios of the performers) cannot detract from an historic classic. Don't forget to get an extra copy or two to loan out and maybe some as gifts for real music fans. Buy it right now, because I can almost guarantee that it won't be in print for too long. . . and then it will be too late."

Setting the record straight

G. E. Stinson | LA | 02/26/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"RE "aldowhatever's" reveiw, i find it interesting that the first assumption is that someone was trying to fool the audience. that says more about the person writing that review than anyone on the dvd. as a matter of fact, there were several problems with the location shoot at red rocks. the audio and video were not usable. the only option was to go to a soundstage in hollywood to shot the footage because obviously you can't just book another gig at red rocks anytime you want. i'm not quite sure what to make of the comment, "the sound is just stereo." i don't how old the reviewer is but 5.1 surround was not availble to ordinary humans at that time. hello, wake up. it was the 80s. i agree with many of the reviewers that this dvd would be worth it if only for michael hedges' performances. michael was a gifted musician, beautiful person, good friend and touring comrade. he is sorely missed. g.e. stinson formerly of shadowfax."

Not exactly live in front of an audience

David Carlin | Philadelphia, PA USA | 05/11/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have no issues with the performances here, only that it appears that the entire show was recorded in a studio. There are moments afterward where Cameras pan to Red Rocks, but very misleading. I know Ackerman liked to control things a bit especially when Windham Hill was a young production company, and to his credit was very well done. I would rather have seen a blemished real-time performance without the studio closeups and studio type lighting. Hedges was great. It was astounding to me to hear how good a recorded acoustic guitar can sound and this was a trademark of Windham Hill in the beginning. Ackerman has since sold his rights to Windham Hill, and now the label is soaked in obscurity. It's only meaningful periods are the early 80's till about mid 1990's when Quality was still controlled."