In another life, William Ackerman might have spent his days working as a carpenter and playing music as a hobby. But in the mid-'70s, some friends and fans paid for this guitar maestro's first recording session, which helped launch not only his career but his label Windham Hill Records as well. Since those momentous days in the studio, Ackerman has gone on to forge an impressive career, balancing his introspective acoustic guitar instrumentals with more far-reaching collaborations with everyone from Michael Hedges and George Winston to former Guns N' Roses member Buckethead.