Joe Scott: As a Colorado native who grew up near Boulder, Joe was surrounded by not only the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains but also a vibrant acoustic-based music scene. He began playing the acoustic guitar at age 12. By the time he was 14, his dad suggested he take up the 5-string banjo. So instead of learning the latest Led Zeppelin and Beatles songs, he immersed himself in Bill Monroe, Lester Flat, and Earl Scruggs. Joe excelled on the banjo, and won many contests at regional bluegrass festivals by the age of 16. Over the next several years, he was involved in various folk, bluegrass and rock groups based in the Colorado area. At age 23, he attended the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, CA. There he studied all styles of acoustic and electric guitar and was fortunate enough to study with many of the world’s finest guitar players, such as Robin Ford, Tommy Tedesco, Frank Gambale, the late Howard Roberts and jazz great Joe Pass. During this time he also started experimenting with different ways of stringing the acoustic guitar. One of the ideas was based on stringing the standard 6-string acoustic like a 5-string banjo. This was an idea that Joe’s father suggested years earlier. With this stringing, he discovered that he could play all his same banjo licks, but on the acoustic guitar it created a whole new sound. This was the beginning of the Guitjo. After graduating GIT, Joe toured the country extensively playing guitar, banjo, mandolin and vocals with the New Christy Minstrels, a popular 1960’s folk group based in Los Angeles. In 1985 he returned home to Colorado to start the group Wind Machine with Steve Mesple. Wind Machine toured for the next 14 years, and released 13 critically-acclaimed recordings. It was during those years that Joe along with help from Steve Mesple developed the the 14-string-double-neck guitjo. During the later Wind Machine years, Joe opened a recording studio and recorded Wind Machine’s last three CDs as well as many other artists in the Rocky Mountain region. Joe closed his commercial studio in 2003 due to the heavy touring/recording schedule of Acoustic Eidolon. Joe now has a Pro Tools HD3 recording studio in their home where he has produced all of AE’s recordings. Wind Machine ended its run in the spring of 1998. At that point Joe thought he would take a long-needed break from performing and recording, but fate had a different plan. Enter Hannah. And as they say, the rest is history. Acoustic Eidolon: Acoustic Eidolon, featuring Joe Scott on double neck guitjo and Hannah Alkire on cello are from Colorado and have graced stages throughout the US, Europe, Australia and Canada. With ten CDs and a DVD to their credit, these masterful artists continue to captivate audiences throughout the world with their signature “new acoustic” sound and boundless possibilities in blending Celtic, Folk, World & Latin music influences, something that Dirty Linen Magazine praises as “a sumptuous musical feast.” They are described by the Swallow Hill Music Association as “an evening of brilliant instrumentality,” and Georgia’s Good Life Magazine enthuses, “Acoustic Eidolon offers concert-goers a chance to absorb some of the most powerful and intriguing music on the scene today.” Their original sound is created by the mixing of their diverse musical backgrounds and their unusual instrumentation including the one-of-a-kind double neck guitjo, an instrument of Joe’s own design praised by USA Today as a “beautiful harp-like sounding instrument … like nothing we’ve ever heard before.” The double-neck guitjo has 14 strings and Joe has developed his own style and technique, playing both necks simultaneously. Classically-trained cellist Hannah Alkire studied with G. Magyar of the Hungarian String Quartet and is recognized internationally for her stunning tone and emotional, impeccable playing and for taking the cello places it’s never been before. The two joined their personal lives after forming their musical alliance and were married in 2001. The result is a coupling of intricate and passionate music with genuine and engaging stories.