Dutch musician Jan Akkerman has long been (and to some still is) regarded as one of the most talented guitarists on the planet. In 1973, the renowned Melody Maker magazine even elected him 'The best guitar player in the world'.
JAN AKKERMAN
The Russian Spy and I featured the famous lick that made his name.
Track: Am I Losing You (C. Montoya)
Album: Focus in Time (1996)
Label: Patio Music P.M.
Appears on: DALI CD Vol. 1
Akkerman made his name during the 1960s and 1970s with the hit The Russian Spy and I with the band The Hunters, which featured the famous lick that made his name in the music business.
Jan was asked to play the guitar on an album by vocalist Kaz Lux in 1969. This recording project turned into the band Brainbox. Their only album was released at the end of 1969 and was immediately hailed as a Dutch progressive rock classic.
Featuring covers like Summertime, Sinner's Prayer and Scarborough Fair, Akkerman arranged the cover version in a very original way and played some marvellous guitar solos.
In 1970, Jan Akkerman became a member of the band, Focus, which became popular around the world. Akkerman also began a solo career, recording several albums along the way. Interestingly, he played an alto lute on some of them, which seemed to shift his attention to other string instruments, including different types of guitars and electric sitars.
Akkerman left Focus in 1976 and engaged in various solo projects with very different musical directions.
In 1990, his album The Noise of Art was released, his first worldwide release since 1979. In 1996, Jan put his more than 30-year career into perspective, recording Focus in Time, part retrospective and part overview of his musical luggage.
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