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| America Embraces Achison After a year living in the US, Australian guitarist/songwriter Geoff Achison has had a big impact on the Blues/Roots music scene here. And America has had it's own impact on him, his wife and 5 year old son, who see the US for the first time. Geoff Achison is about to complete his first year as resident of the country from which the music he adores originates. With countless radio interview and performance spots, multiple television broadcasts, tireless touring and international radio airplay more people than ever have been exposed to Geoff's sound. His recent critically acclaimed live release, Souldigger CD, has helped. It reached #23 on the US Roots Blues Chart, and was identified by a variety of DJ's and many Internet sites (including Jambands.com and Kweevak.com) as one of the best releases of 2007. On his latest tour of the UK in the summer, he returned to the BBC Studios to again record a national radio program there. He also is proud to have completed his tenth year of teaching at Jorma Kaukonen's (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp. Needing an amp, he was fortunate to develop a relationship with an American manufacturer (Kustom Amps) who provided him with a tube guitar amp to use for the duration of his time in The States. (a '72 Coupe). While Geoff still performs solo in some shows, he also has a slew of new musical friends who frequently join him for his full band performances as Souldiggers (Geoff's band wherever he is.) These musicians include drummers like Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band), Chris Fryar (Oteil and the Peacemakers) and Tyler Greenwell (Susan Tedeschi Band) and bassists such as Charlie Wooton (Zydefunk), David Stoltz (Dickey Betts Band) Ted Pecchio (Susan Tedeschi Band), and many others across the US. “Each musician brings their own particular style to the band," Geoff says, “and that keeps my ears open to new ways of playing some of my old tunes." The ever-evolving Achison further explains, “I'm able to treat these songs as sort of inter-stellar space vehicles that we can fly to different planets and back. Well sometimes we come back!" He also has co-billed with, and/or been joined onstage by the iconic Colonel Bruce Hampton (Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Quark Alliance), Tom Principato, Webb Wilder, Delta Moon, Oliver Wood (Wood Brothers), The Red Elvises, Watermelon Slim and fellow Aussie, Harper. His January performance with Randall Bramblett (Traffic, Steve Winwood, Allman Brothers) and Atlanta folk legend Caroline Aiken was so well received at Atlanta's Eddie's Attic that the trio is being encouraged by industry players to do a regional tour. His co-bill with gritty Atlanta songsmith Donna Hopkins was covered by Jambands.com magazine, has been downloaded thousands of times on the Live Music Archive website, and even spent some time on their Top 10 Critic's list. Geoff and his wife Michelle have enjoyed their experience with American culture as well. Geoff was able to take Michelle and their 6-year-old son Jacob to Memphis to experience the musically significant city and visit the site of his 1995 International Blues Challenge victory. The family members also took part in their first full-on, American Halloween experience replete with ghosts, ghouls, skeletons and trick or treating for the young Jacob, not to mention costumes for Geoff and Michelle! The couple's parents even made the trip to Georgia in December and were able to experience an unusually wintry Atlanta Christmas. “I fell in love with Decatur and Atlanta quickly," says Michelle, “The warmth and generosity shown to us by Geoff's friends and fans has overwhelmed me. Decatur in particular is a wonderfully artistic and creative community." However, Geoff certainly has not forgotten his beloved native country, and the jumbo jar of vegemite delivered to him by fans visiting from Australia in September helped as well. One particularly Acho-friendly Atlanta-area venue even had a vegemite pizza baked just for Geoff when he was performing in their room in celebration of Australia Day! write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |