Jan Akkerman – a man with a focus, 

who actually played in Stavanger, Norway(my home city) in candle lights…find out more as you read on……

How did you end up playing guitar?
After I heard the first Guitar lines from the Indobeat in Amsterdam from a band called the Tielman Bros

What music inspired you as you were growing up?
All kinds of sounds from English brass bands to French Chanson or even operettes by Franz Lehar or Gipsy orchestra,s.

Focus was a great success through the 70 tees – why do you think?
It was the times and the synchonicity with the time spirit I think .On the one hand I sensed that the eletricguitar would be the instrument of the 20th century and beyond.
My contribution would be ,making blues out of semi classical music , the yodel in that was an extra as an odd one out .

What do you cherish as the best Focus moments and what was your greatest album/concert?
Oh there were so many "moments" that I almost forgot . But the one that stands out ,for me, was the concert in Central Parc in NY City ,where during the show all the flatbuildings lights went out ,during my solo, and suddenly the put them on again with the name "Focus" through all those buildings.
There was another thing in Norway though that also came back via facebook .That,s the concert in Stavanger without eqiupment ,due to the weather ,and we played on borrowed instruments ,no lightshow but candles instead etc. Great....!

You have released solo albums since 1968 – a lot of releases, where do you find inspiration?
Most of them are just musical ideas that I work out in the limited studiotime.
Like different tunings give me enough inspiration for 2 maybe 3 albums .Also the instrument of my liking can give me the picture for a project. What I,m trying to say is this. That I find recording pretty boring and in order to cheer myself up I try to create another angle to my musical talents. which is not interesting for the "record industry" because of inconsistency. For example ,if you listen to some of the "greats" it doesn,t matter if you put on the 1st record or last ,they all sound pretty the same. I try to avoid that by using different styles or instruments. In other words it,s not that important to me ....I mean the record business. I this case I consider myself privileged to be free to choose in what I want to say next ...musically .

How have you developed as a guitarist?
I really don,t think that I developed that much since I was 14 yrs ,although the folks around me think I did :-)

What makes up a good guitarist and could you mention a few examples besides yourself?
A good Guitarist ,to me ,must be an intelligent honest person ,which is a luxury not many can afford I understood, the rest is bullshit.

How do you see the dutch progressive music scene today?
I don,t see and hear much "progress" nowadays ,sounds more and more like a "regression" therapy ,but that,s the same everywhere, I guess.

What is your definition of progressive music?
This is a question were I can,t keep a straight face whenever I hear the word "Classic Rock" or something. because of what I see and hear it,s still the same as 40 odd yrs ago. So the terminology "progressive" is beyond my budget because it,s a bit like a "contradictio interminus".So I,m a bit "In dolce dubio" about that one, in my humble opinion.

What will Jan Akkerman do next, musically?
My Dutch theater tour starts the beginning of December till the end of May and in the springtime we,ll be heading for the Middle East/Asia /Brasil.

Will you play in Norway or Scandinavia before end of 2010?
Well, if I,m not "outfocussed" overthere, I love to.

Cheers Ole

Jan