Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. He first found international commercial success with the band

Focus Focus (: foci or focuses) may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in East Australia Film *Focus (2001 film), ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based on the Arthur Miller novel *Focus (2015 ...

, which he co-founded with

Thijs van Leer Thijs van Leer (; born 31 March 1948) is a Dutch singer and keyboardist, best known as the founding member of the rock band Focus as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in Amsterdam among a musical family, van Leer ...

. After leaving Focus, he continued as a solo musician, adding

jazz rock Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music Music genre, genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, a ...

influences.

Biography

The son of a scrap iron trader, Akkerman was born in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

. He started playing the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

before turning to the guitar. Around age ten he took guitar lessons and his first single, with the Friendship Sextet, was released in 1960, when he was thirteen years old. Akkerman won a scholarship to study at the Amsterdam Music Lyceum for five years, developing his composition and arranging skills. At fourteen he was in the rock band Johnny and his Cellar Rockers with his friend

Pierre van der Linden Pierre van der Linden (born 19 February 1946) is a Dutch drummer, songwriter and member of the band, Focus. Early life Pierre van der Linden was born in Amsterdam in 1946. His father was Dutch actor Ab van der Linden, who was known in the Ne ...

. Both then joined The Hunters. After seeing a performance by classical guitarist

Julian Bream Julian Alexander Bream (15 July 193314 August 2020) was an English classical guitarist and lutenist. Regarded as one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century, he played a significant role in improving the public perc ...

, he became interested in

renaissance music Renaissance music is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century ''ars nova'', the mus ...

and the lute. He started the band

Brainbox In human anatomy, the neurocranium, also known as the braincase, brainpan, brain-pan, or brainbox, is the upper and back part of the skull, which forms a protective case around the brain. In the human skull, the neurocranium includes the calv ...

with Van der Linden,

Kaz Lux Kaz or KAZ may refer to: Businesses * KAZ Minerals, a British copper mining company operating in Kazakhstan * Kaz Incorporated, an American manufacturer and distributor of health care products * Kaz Records, part of Castle Communication, incorp ...

, and

André Reijnen André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries, as well in Portugal ...

. They recorded for

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...

. Akkerman joined the

Trio in late 1969 which, as the nascent band

, was the pit band for the Dutch theatrical production of ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

'' (recorded as an album in 1969). Under the name Focus, the band explored

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

, an amalgam of classical, jazz, and rock music, and had hits in the seventies such as "Hocus Pocus" and " Sylvia". The band's albums '' Focus II'' (1971) and '' Focus 3'' (1972) were

certified Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in 1973 for selling 500,000 copies each. The live album '' At the Rainbow'' (1973) and the band's fourth outing, ''

Hamburger Concerto ''Hamburger Concerto'' is the fourth studio album by the Dutch progressive rock band Focus (band), Focus, released in May 1974. It peaked at No. 20 on the UK charts. The title track is based on ''Variations on a Theme by Haydn'' by Johannes Brah ...

'' (1974), were certified silver by the BPI for selling 60,000 copies each. In late 1973 Akkerman was voted Best Guitar by readers of UK weekly ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'', beating favorites such as John McLaughlin,

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...

and

Ritchie Blackmore Richard Hugh Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English lead guitarist. He was a founding member and the guitarist of Deep Purple, one of the pioneering bands of hard rock. After leaving Deep Purple in 1975, Blackmore formed the band Rainbow ...

. Akkerman and Focus were the only ones to challenge the bias toward American and British pop artists. He placed in third a year later in ''MMs Polls, after

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

(#1) and

Steve Howe Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, London, Holloway, North London, Howe d ...

(#2) from

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...

. With manufacturer Framus he helped produce one of the first signature guitar models.

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

released his solo album ''Tabernakel'', which contains his playing the lute. His

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

''Eli'', recorded with Kaz Lux on vocals, won the Dutch

Edison Award The Edison Award is an annual Dutch music prize awarded for outstanding achievements in the music industry. It is comparable to the American Grammy Award. The Edison award itself is a bronze replica of a statuette of Thomas Edison, designed by ...

for best album in 1976. On the album, Akkerman experimented with a 12-string guitar tuned in parallel fifths. In the early 1980s he began to experiment with a

guitar synthesizer A guitar synthesizer is any one of a number of musical systems that allow a guitarist to access synthesizer capabilities. Overview Today's guitar synths are direct descendants of 1970s devices from manufacturers (often in partnership) such as ...

, as on the album ''Oil in the Family''. In 1985, he reunited Focus with Van Leer for an album and accompanying concert. The band reunited again in 1990 for the Dutch television program ''Goud van Oud'' (''Old Gold''). During the 1990s and in the 2000s he continued playing with his own band, and also as a solo musician, accompanied by pre-recorded computer-generated background (Roland synthesizers and Linn drums). Akkerman was a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

with

André Hazes André Gerardus Hazes (30 June 1951 – 23 September 2004) was a Dutch singer and actor. As an accomplished levenslied singer, Hazes recorded 36 studio and live albums, and 55 singles prior to his death in 2004. His music is still well-known in ...

and worked with

Alan Price Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician who first found prominence as the original keyboardist of the English rock band the Animals. He left the band in 1965 to form the Alan Price Set; his hit singles with and without the group ...

, Herman Brood,

Peter Banks Peter William Brockbanks (15 July 1947 – 7 March 2013), known professionally as Peter Banks, was an English guitarist. He was the original guitarist in the rock bands Yes (band), Yes, Flash (band), Flash, and Empire; he was also a guitarist f ...

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish musician. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of Rock music, rock band Cream (band), Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a ...

, Charlie Byrd,

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

Paco de Lucía Francisco Sánchez Gómez (; 21 December 194725 February 2014), known as Paco de Lucía (), was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer. A leading proponent of the new flamenco style, he was one of the first flamen ...

Ice-T Tracy Lauren Marrow (born February 16, 1958), known professionally as Ice-T (or Ice T), is an American rapper and actor. He is active in both hip hop music, hip hop and heavy metal music, heavy metal. Ice-T began his career as an underground r ...

, and

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...

. In 1992, he was involved in a serious car accident, but he resumed playing in 1993. In the late 1990s, after an absence of nearly 20 years, he was persuaded to tour the UK again. He wrote for the Dutch magazine ''GitaarPlus''. In 2013, Akkerman released the album ''North Sea Jazz''.

Discography

* ''Talent for Sale'' (Imperial, 1968) * '' Profile'' (

Sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" an ...

, 1972) * ''Tabernakel'' (Atlantic, 1973) * ''

Eli Eli most commonly refers to: * Eli (name), a given name, nickname and surname * Eli (biblical figure) Eli or ELI may also refer to: Film * ''Eli'' (2015 film), a Tamil film * ''Eli'' (2019 film), an American horror film Music * ''Eli'' (Jan ...

'' (With Kaz Lux) (Atlantic, 1976) * ''Jan Akkerman'' (Atlantic, 1977) * ''Prism'' (With Tony Scott) (Polydor 1977) * ''Live'' (Atlantic, 1978) * ''Aranjuez'' (With Claus Ogerman) (CBS, 1978) * ''Jan Akkerman 3'' (Atlantic, 1979) * ''Live In Kiel & Stuttgart 1979'' (With Joachim Kühn)(Sandra Music Productions 1979) * ''

Transparental ''Transparental'' is the ninth solo album by Dutch guitarist Jan Akkerman, released in 1980. It appeared under the name "Jan Akkerman and Kaz Lux". Track listing #"Inspiration" - 6:20 #"Apocalypso" - 6:35 #"Concentrate Don't Hesitate" - 6:35 # ...

'' (With Kaz Lux) (

Ariola Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola Express, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international ...

, 1980) * ''Oil in the Family'' (CNR, 1981) * ''Pleasure Point'' (WEA, 1982) * ''It Could Happen to You'' (

Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

, 1982) * ''Can't Stand Noise'' (CBS, 1983) * ''From the Basement'' (CBS, 1984) *

(With Thijs Van Leer) (Vertigo, 1985) * ''The Complete Guitarist'' (Charly, 1986) * ''Heartware'' (Skydancer, 1987) * ''The Noise of Art'' ( I.R.S., 1990) * ''Puccini's Café'' (EMI, 1993) * ''Blues Hearts'' (EMI, 1994) * ''Focus in Time'' (Patio Music, 1996) * ''10000 Clowns On A Rainy Day - Live'' 2CD (Patio Music 1997) * ''Live At The Priory 1997'' (Akkernet 1998) * ''Blues Root'' (With Curtis Knight) (Universe, 1998) * ''Passion'' ( Roadrunner, 1999) * ''Live at Alexanders'' (Akkernet, 1999) * ''Jazzah!'' Mini Album (Akkernet 2000) * ''Live in Viersen & Leverkusen 2001'' - DVD (Alpha Centauri Entertainment 2003) * ''C. U.'' (Coast to Coast, 2003) * '' I'm In The Mood - Live 2002/2003'' (No Label 2003) *''Fromage A Trois - Live Recorded 2006'' (No Label 2006) * ''Live In Concert - The Hague 2007'' CD+2DVD (Alpha Centauri Entertainment 2007) * ''Live In Concert 2007'' (No Label 2007) * ''Minor Details'' (Digimode Entertainment 2011) * ''North Sea Jazz Legendary Concerts'' (Bob City CD+DVD 2011) * ''Close Beauty'' (Music Theories, 2019)

Awards and honours

* Knight of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau () is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has performed acts of special merits for ...

(Netherlands, 28 December 2012) * (Netherlands, 11 April 2009) * Golden Harp award (Netherlands, January 2005)

References

Bibliography

* David Randall, ''In & out of focus : the music of Jan Akkerman and Focus'', London : SAF Publishing, 2003, * Brigitte Tast, Hans-Juergen Tast: ''„be bop” - Die Wilhelmshöhe rockt. Disco und Konzerte in der Hölle.'' Verlag Gebrüder Gerstenberg GmbH & Co. kg, Hildesheim 2007, . * Brigitte Tast, Hans-Juergen Tast: ''„be bop” - Rock-Tempel & Nachtasyl - Band 2 zur Legende''. Hildesheim: Verlag Gebr. Gerstenberg 2009. .

External links