Werner Acker - Roots (2016) [Hi-Res]

In most cases it needs a good glass of wine and a motivating advice of a narrow friend and something special can emerge. Exactly this glass of wine and the convincing “kick” of drummer Herbert Wachter have encouraged Werner Acker to record his debut album ‘Roots’. An album, reflecting the musical roots of the artist and his grooving talent in playing the guitar.

Werner Acker has been a studio a live musician for 45 years now. Further he has been able to present himself as a multifaceted sideman in countless musical projects over the past decades. Now, however, he is the bandleader himself and debuts with his first album ‘Roots’ at the age of 60. This proves that the guitarist has never lost the fun and the joy in making music. Also one special feature of the album is the innovative and expressive kind of playing the guitar. Own compositions and arrangements convinced by the sound, groove and the joy of improvisation. The artist and his band succeed to bridge between Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Jazz without losing the unified groove and sound concept of the album. Werner Acker himself describes the musical context of ‚Roots’ as: „a mixture of clear earthy beats and grooves and a sound which is stamped by blues, jazz and funky guitars, accompanied from Hammond B3, Wurlitzer- and Rhodespiano, grand piano, Bass, doublebass, drumset and a set consisting of altsax, trombone and tenor or baritone saxophone.“

The relation to his instrument is essential to Werner Acker. „The Album was recorded with various, partly very old guitars“, enthuses the musician. Besides instrument, sound and groove the teamwork with longstanding musical companions and meanwhile good friends constitutes the foundation of the album.

Even though it has in fact lasted a little longer to publish his first album, it does not necessarily take long to wait for the second. Enough compositions are just waiting to be published. Werner Acker surely doesn’t lose the musical euphoria and the groove within the next years either.

Werner Acker, guitar
Andreas Francke, alto saxophone
Uli Gutscher, trombone
Matthias Dörsam, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
Rainer Scheithauer, piano, keyboards
Hansi Schuller, bass, double bass
Herbert Wachter, drums