Benutzer:Jo Weber/Windham Hill Records

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Windham Hill Records was an Independent-Label, founded in 1976 by Gitarrist and Tischler William Ackerman and his then-wife Anne Robinson. During its height in the 1980s, Windham Hill was a successful and well-respected independent music label. It was purchased by BMG through a series of buyouts from 1992 through 1996 and is currently a Tochtergesellschaft von Sony Music Entertainment.

Windham Hill was originally a Folk-Label, releasing Ackerman's own work, as well as that of other guitarists. It then expanded to include electronische und Weltmusik ensembles. While the artists of Windham Hill may not have used the term, the label eventually became known in the industry mainly as a New Age music label, with its Billboard charting albums appearing primarily on the New Age genre charts. The label is best known for its high sound quality, groundbreaking music, unique flagship collections and tasteful album art within the form of an identifiable label brand identity.

The label's records were distributed by A&M Records until PolyGram purchased A&M in 1989. Since then it has been distributed by BMG, which had distributed A&M from 1979 until the sale. Will Ackerman sold his half of the company to BMG in 1992 and Anne Ackerman sold her half in 1996. BMG began distributing Windham Hill through RCA Records and merged other music labels that they purchased (such as Peter Baumann's Private Music) into Windham Hill, forming the Windham Hill Group. In doing so, artists such as Yanni, Ray Lynch, and Vangelis joined the label, though they were not original Windham Hill artists. Jim Brickman was the last artist signed to the label pre-buyout and he was the last artist to leave Windham Hill in 2006, joining Savoy Records. Dawn Atkinson and Bob Duskis, former executive producers of Windham Hill, headlined the BMG-absorbed company and were executives for RCA Victor (which oversaw Windham Hill) and ran Windham Hill's day-to-day business. Duskis left the label in 1997 to form Six Degrees Records and Dawn Atkinson left after the Sony BMG merger in 2004. Now a majority of Windham's releases are distributed through Legacy Recordings, formerly a division of Sony BMG. On October 2, 2008, Sony absorbed all of the BMG assets and wrapped Windham Hill into their conglomerate. Sony has no A&R department in Windham Hill and records no new music at this time. It is uncertain whether or not Windham Hill will ever release any new material, though, as part of the Legacy Recordings branch, Windham Hill consistently recycles tunes previously released.

For Windham Hill's 30th Anniversary, Sony BMG released a special collection kit, with an article from William Ackerman.

For the first time in over 15 years, many of the early Windham Hill artists who recorded under Ackerman performed together on August 27, 2006 at the Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, California near San Jose. Though more "30th Anniversary" concerts are set, this was the only planned concert of this magnitude. Artists included: Barbara Higbie, Jim Brickman, Tuck & Patti, Alex de Grassi, Liz Story, Philip Aaberg, Michael Manring, Samite, David Cullen, Tracy Silverman, Lisa Lynne, George Tortorelli, Sean Harkness (who also planned and invited the musicians), and, of course, Will Ackerman.

Künstler

Siehe auch

Weblinks

  • Official site (defunct as of July 2007, currently redirects to Legacy Recordings)
  • Windham Hill Records Label history 1982-1989; US and international discographies; Billboard performance, photo galleries, more.
  • Legacy Recordings Reissues much of Windham Hill's catalog
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