Music has long been a family affair for Alex de Grassi. Though he's primarily self-taught as a guitarist, his grandfather played violin with The San Francisco Symphony and his father was a classical pianist. Even more significant are de Grassi's ties to one of contemporary instrumental music's most influential labels: Windham Hill. In addition to his status as one of the company's finest and most consistently intriguing artists, de Grassi is literally a member of the Windham Hill clan. After earning a degree in urban geography from U. C.