Acoustic Alchemy has spent thirty years creating music, earning critical acclaim for their albums, including three Grammy nominations, and building a reputation as one of the most exciting live bands in the business.
Over the past decade, the band has featured Greg Carmichael on nylon guitar, Miles Gilderdale on steel-string acoustic and electric guitars, Fred White on keyboards, and the powerhouse rhythm section of Greg Grainger on drums and his brother, Gary Grainger, on bass.
Despite a tragic setback in the late 1990s and the inherent challenges of the 21st-century music industry, the group has assembled and sustained a vast and loyal following that stretches well beyond their U.K. origins.
The band’s story begins with two guitarists, Nick Webb and Simon James, who recorded a self-financed, self-produced album in the mid-1980s entitled “Acoustic Alchemy.” Shortly after the release, James left to study flamenco guitar in Spain, leaving Webb to promote the record on his own.
Webb then partnered with rock guitarist Greg Carmichael. Webb had studied jazz at Leeds College of Music, while Carmichael had a classical background from the London College of Music. Together, they adopted the name Acoustic Alchemy.
The duo initially worked for Virgin Airlines, recording in-flight music for trans-Atlantic flights, before signing with MCA. Their 1987 debut album, “Red Dust & Spanish Lace,” featured percussionist Mario Aragandoña and drummer Bart Smaak, and was produced by German sound engineer Klaus Genuit at Hansa Haus Studios in Bonn.
After releasing two more albums with MCA, “Natural Elements” (1988) and “Blue Chip” (1989), Acoustic Alchemy moved to GRP, where they enjoyed a successful run throughout the 1990s. Their 1990 album “Reference Point” was nominated for a Grammy Award and was followed by other notable releases including “Back on the Case” (1991), “The New Edge” (1993), “Against The Grain” (1994), and “Arcanum” (1996).
“Positive Thinking” (1998) was the last recording with Webb, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His worsening condition prevented him from contributing to the album, and he passed away in February 1998. The album was released later that year.
Webb’s death left the band’s future uncertain. At the time, the lineup included two acoustic guitarists, with electric guitar, bass, and drums. Gilderdale, who played electric guitar, expanded his skills on acoustic guitar and stepped into Webb’s role alongside Carmichael.
The band then moved to EMI’s Higher Octave label, releasing a series of successful albums starting with “The Beautiful Game” (2000). This album, known for its genre experimentation, introduced keyboardist Anthony “Fred” White. Their Grammy-nominated album “Aart” (2001) remains their best-selling record, featuring saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa. “Radio Contact” (2003), their final release on Higher Octave, included the band’s first vocal track, “Little Laughter,” performed by Jo Harrop.
“This Way,” released on Narada Jazz in 2007, featured collaborations with the jazz/funk/soul band Down to the Bone and guest trumpeter Rick Braun.
“Roseland,” released in 2011, is Acoustic Alchemy’s latest studio album. Self-produced in Gilderdale’s home studio in York, England, and with post-production in London and Germany, the album was released on their own label, Onside Records, and licensed to U.S.-based Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group.
In 2014, the band released “Live in London,” their first double album, featuring live performances of songs from “Roseland” as well as classic tracks from their 16-album catalog.
Throughout their journey, Acoustic Alchemy has aimed to reach the broadest possible audience by exploring the full potential of instrumental music, embracing a wide spectrum of styles without being confined to any single genre.
“For a lot of people, instrumental music is just a sound that plays in the background,” says Carmichael. “But we put a lot into it – not just with this record but with every record we’ve ever made. I’d like to think that after all these years, we’ve learned how to take people on a journey. A lot of our fans have said that we do that for them. As long as they keep coming back, and as long as they want to stay on that journey, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing.”