Ronnda Cadle moved to Atlanta to be part of the city's now infamous acoustic music scene, and after 13 years, departed for the West Coast — also to further her music. On Saturday, she returns to her old stomping grounds to celebrate the release of her new CD, "Will's Embrace."

The show is set for 7 p.m. at Eddie's Attic, the Decatur venue famous for its "listening room" and commitment to local and touring acoustic musicians.

"During my years of living in Atlanta,  I strived and pushed myself as an artist to be on that stage. Eddie's Attic truly is one of the best venues I have ever had the opportunity to perform in," Cadle told GA Voice. "I know Eddie no longer owns it, but for me, it's the history, heart and community that Eddie started long ago — 'Live Music Matters.'"

Cadle said she is thrilled to be back at Eddie's to launch her new CD, a project three years in the making.

"The fact that I am doing a CD release show at Eddie's — the room that taught me integrity, determination and most important, the heart of performing — is the biggest joy for me," she said. "Add Will Ackerman, the musicians that are playing with me and the best dang soundman [and] you have to get excited!"

Ackerman, who performs Saturday night with Cadle, founded Windham Hill Records, known for its pioneering role in new age music.

"During my tours and meeting so many wonderful people, I had several mentions of how my music reminded them of Windham Hill Records and William Ackerman," Cadle recalled. "I started to do my research because I wanted to move myself to the next level as an artist. I saw that Will was now producing independent artists, so I wrote an email and hit send."

That email led to Ackerman producing Cadle's new album, and also to her shifting her life to focus even more on her music.

"I knew that I had to push myself as an artist and decided that the beautiful landscapes of the Pacific Northwest was where I was getting most of my inspiration. So I downsized my life moved into an RV and moved to an island called Camano which about an hour north of Seattle," Cadle said.

"On a clear day I could see the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier surrounded by water, eagles and the most beautiful blue skies you could imagine," she said.

Cadle's new effort continues in the style that sets her apart from other veterans of Atlanta's acoustic music scene — it is entirely instrumental.

“Ronnda Cadle’s music offers purity that is breath-taking. The sincerity of her expression leaves no room for anything but the essential," Ackerman said, describing the new album. "Though a very accomplished guitarist, there is an innocence to her music in which beauty, grace and open emotion are unobscured by ego and unencumbered by gratuitous flourish. When you listen to Ronnda Cadle you believe her unconditionally.”

Cadle's fingerstyle guitar, which she describes on her website as "rock in an easy listening kind of way," can be both haunting and meditative.

"I have been learning to find and create myself as an artist, and playing guitar is what I can do best for now," Cadle said, downplaying her immense talent. "So at this moment in time I am a pure instrumentalist."

But Cadle will be far from alone on stage at Eddie's, as she brings together a diversity of musicians to create a richly layered sound.

"The CD release show at Eddie's will include a special performance by Will Ackerman himself and for my portion of the program I will have a full ensemble of viola, violin, cello, piano, bass, percussion and flugelhorn," she says.

"The only part of the show that will contain vocals will be Heidi Swan, my touring partner also from the Seattle area who will be performing a song or two," she says. "This is our second year touring together and I love her melodies she is a beautiful lyric writer as well, again a talent I have yet to tap in to."

Cadle is looking forward to the show, which will be a homecoming of sorts.

"It's always nice to come home.... everyone changes grows and has a life of their own. I miss a lot of my friends' lives due to my lifestyle of being a musician and traveling all the time," she said. "So for me it's always a warm place to come back to."

Top photo: Ronnda Cadle (By Indy Behrendt)