“Filthy grooves and sophisticated melodies together at last! Double thumbs.” - Steve Reinthal
— Minor 7th Acoustic Guitar Blog
Alison Whiteacre
hellacious, exciting musicianship
Few careers move through as many rooms as Alison Whiteacre's. A dozen original albums. Thousands of sync placements in film and television through her own publishing company, Big Planet Music Inc. Stages shared with Suzanne Vega, John Prine, Bobby McFerrin, Robben Ford, and beat poet Allen Ginsberg.
Awards from the Milan Film Festival, the Billboard Song Contest, and the National Academy of Songwriters. Critics praise her “bold body of musicianship” (Guitar Player) and "truly twisted fretwork, sugary melodies, and off-kilter harmonies" (Stereo Review).
Whiteacre doesn't just play guitar, she reinvents what it's for.
“Whiteacre shines like a thermonuclear explosion.” - Jack Briggs
— Music Connection Magazine
Project details
After almost two decades scoring TV and film, and earning the studio tan to prove it, Alison Whiteacre stepped away from music in 2015 to see what else the world had to offer. Seven years and a coaching career later, she returned with renewed vigor and a mountain of new music ready to pour out. Coming Out Alive, as the title suggests, also carries Whiteacre's own lifesaving journey through gender transition. It's an adventurous set of instrumental tone-poems, and a return to her first love: modern acoustic fingerstyle guitar.
“Alison Whiteacre’s fingerstyle guitar is technically dazzling, but also wonderfully warm. She conveys a ton of emotion with her instrument, and we “feel” along with her.” - Brett Callwood
— Music Connection Magazine
Press / Reviews
Fingerstyle Guitar Journal Review
"...one of the most interesting and enjoyable recordings I've heard in years. ... [Coming Out Alive] balances groove, beautiful yet unpredictable harmony, clever themes, wide tonal colors, and first-class production."
— Bill Piburn, Fingerstyle Guitar Journal
Minor 7th Acoustic Guitar Blog
"Filthy grooves and sophisticated melodies together at last! ... Alison Whiteacre's writing is sophisticated, and her performance skills are top of the class. ... Double thumbs."
— Steve Reinthal, Minor 7th Guitar Blog
Fingerstyle Guitar Journal Interview
"A lot of the jazz influence is inspired by Lenny (Breau). A bit later I went to a concert to hear Will Ackerman. Then, when I heard Michael Hedges (open the show,) I got my face blown off! I also learned a lot listening to Bert Jansch and John Renbourn."
— Alison Whiteacre, in conversation with Bill Piburn, Fingerstyle Guitar Journal
Yamaha Guitar Development Interview
"I'd like people to feel the joy in my music. The title is about that whole process, coming out of being burned out, going through everything I went through, and then coming out alive on the other side."
— Alison Whiteacre, in conversation with Erin MacGregor, Yamaha Guitar Blog
“Whiteacre’s rhythmic intensity distances her from the solo guitar hordes.” - John Lehndorf
— Boulder Daily Camera