An invented interview with Dutch rock guitarist Jan Akkerman from 1974, translated into English, about his solo album Tabernakel. The AI interview is imagined.
Interviewer: So, Jan, Tabernakel is quite a surprise. We’re used to your virtuosic electric playing in Focus, but on this album, you've gone in a completely different direction. Were you worried about alienating your fanbase with so much lute and acoustic guitar?
Jan Akkerman: (Leaning forward, a wry smile playing on his lips) Worried? No. I’ve never done anything for other people. I make music for myself. The lute is where my passion began, before the rock and roll. It’s always been with me, so it was only a matter of time before it demanded its own voice. If people don’t like it, that’s fine. I won’t stop playing.
Interviewer: The title, Tabernakel, is quite striking. It suggests something sacred, almost like a religious sanctuary. What does it mean to you?
Jan Akkerman: It’s a place of worship, yes, but not in the conventional sense. It's my own sanctuary, a place to explore my musical faith. For two weeks in New York, I was almost a hermit, playing from morning until night. It was just me, the music, and all these instruments. The music itself was the tabernacle, a space to rediscover my roots, my past.
Interviewer: You’ve got a real mix of material on here. Side one is almost entirely medieval and Baroque pieces from composers like John Dowland and Anthony Holborne. How did you find and connect with this ancient music?
Jan Akkerman: I first saw Julian Bream play the lute in London years ago, and that was it for me. I needed to learn. I eventually found an antique lute and taught myself. This is the music that speaks to me, that feels honest. It's not about being a show-off; it's about the beauty of the composition itself. It’s pure.
Interviewer: And then you throw in a rock version of “House of the King” and the epic 14-minute track “Lammy” with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice. What was it like bringing in American rock musicians for those sessions?
Jan Akkerman: (Laughing) Those two are madmen. But they're brilliant. Tim and Carmine could turn any idea into a force of nature. We'd been touring together, and I wanted to see what would happen if we combined their power with my music. I brought them into my little tabernacle, so to speak, and they brought the thunder. It's a completely different energy, but it fits. It's the sacred and the profane together on one record.
Interviewer: The closing track, “Lammy,” is truly a journey. It has everything—choral arrangements, a church organ, and a sitar-like guitar sound. It even starts with that beautiful, almost Wagnerian choir.
Jan Akkerman: Yes. That track is a whole world in itself. It's the climax, the moment where all the disparate parts of my musical mind come together. It's a journey through the medieval, the mystical, the rock, and the jazz. All of it is my sound, all of it is in my head. And if you listen closely, you can hear it all come together in that single piece.
Interviewer: So what’s next for Jan Akkerman? Is this classical direction something you will continue to explore, or are we going back to the electric madness of Focus?
Jan Akkerman: Who knows? I am a musician, and I will follow where the music takes me. The road is always changing. And anyway, who says it has to be either/or? With Tabernakel, I’ve proven that you can do it all at once. And that, I think, is a very good starting point for whatever comes next.