Zephyr Acoustic Productions
David Alderson
2314 Johnson St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Tel: 612.781.1595
email: david@zapmusic.org

A pioneer of fingerstyle guitar music, Peter Lang has been dubbed an "American Primitive" following the analogy of legendary guitarist John Fahey who used the phrase in the sense of the French Primitive painters, meaning "untutored." Influenced by country bluesmen such as Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, Rev. Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, and folk revival icons Dave Van Ronk and Dave "Snaker" Ray, Lang has dazzled audiences and critics for decades with equal portions of technical acumen, originality and soul.

He was discovered in 1972 by John Fahey who promptly signed him to Takoma Records. Lang's debut album for Takoma, The Thing at the Nursery Room Window, quickly established him as a peer of other notable artists on Fahey's label, including Leo Kottke George Winston, Robbie Basho, and Bola Sete.

In 1973, Lang joined Fahey and Kottke to record Takoma's most successful release ever John Fahey, Peter Lang, Leo Kottke, (1974) a compilation that climbed to top of the Billboard charts and reached #4 on the FM radio charts. His next recording, Lycurgus (Flying Fish) garnered a Grammy nomination in 1976.

For nearly a decade, Lang toured, recorded and performed, cementing his reputation as one of the nation's top acoustic players and a composer of rare ability and originality.

During this time he was in good company, having recorded or performed with Ry Cooder, John Fahey, Jerry Garcia, Chet Atkins, Vassar Clements, Norman Blake, John Hartford, John Renbourn, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Emmylou Harris, Leo Kottke, David Bromberg, Freddie King, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Hot Tuna, John Hammond, Keith Jarrett, Phoebe Snow, Maria Muldaur, Jimmy Buffett, The Yellowjackets, Robben Ford, Oregon, Larry Coryell and many others.

Then in 1981 he all but retired from music to pursue other interests and raise a family, accepting only select engagements. In 1989 he started a new career, producing animation for film and broadcast and began a self-imposed exile from performing.

By 1999, Lang decided to leave his job as an animation/special effects producer to reinvigorate his musical career. Subsequently, he has returned to concert performance and produced two critically acclaimed recordings which clearly demonstrates he didn't miss a beat during his time off from stage and studio. These latest CDs, Dharma Blues (2002) and Guitar (2004) were both produced for his own label, Horus Records.

Lang's credits include:

• Seven record albums including "John Fahey, Peter Lang, and Leo Kottke"
• Grammy Nomination, 1976 (Lycurgus)
• Guitar Player Magazine 1974 - Readers Poll, "Best New Guitarist" category
• Minnesota Music Awards, "Best Guitarist" 1981, 1982, 1988
• Co-author of the book Twentieth Century Masters of Fingerstyle Guitar, 1981, Hal Leonard Publishing