Michael Hedges - Breakfast In The Field (1981)

The discography of acoustic guitar virtuoso Michael Hedges might have been tragically cut short after sixteen years, but it contained some sublime music.  It all began here, after Windham Hill boss William Ackerman discovered Hedges playing in a coffee shop and offered him a deal immediately.  It's an interestingly low-key start for someone of Hedges' jaw-dropping talent, especially in the laidback pair of opening tracks.  The reverbed production of Aerial Boundaries hadn't been intergrated into Hedges' sound yet, making Breakfast In The Field a showcase of his raw sound that still resonates.

And with just that guitar technique front and centre (barring backup cameos from Windham Hill mainstays Michael Manring on bass and George Winston on piano), it becomes apparent as the record progresses just how much the label had struck gold with their new signing.  The album consists of mostly brief pieces, delightful little miniatures of skill and melodic sensibility, like the atmospheric title track or the nightclub down the street-inspired Funky Avocado.  The most drawn-out track is the almost five minutes of Two Days Old, another gorgeous highlight of an essential album.  A major talent had arrived, in the most understated, unpretentious way possible.

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pw: sgtg

Previously posted at SGTG:
Aerial Boundaries
An Evening With Windham Hill Live