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Allan Holdsworth, Niacin, Brand X, Steps Ahead and Yellowjackets
by Len Davis
We remember the late Allan Holdsworth on his birthday. The choice of three tunes from the late guitarist have been selected by Richard Hallebeek from the Netherlands, Alex Machacek from the US and Brett Garsed from Australia, and we thank them for their contribution. We also have Cab with Bunny Brunel, Dennis Chambers and Tony McAlpine, plus Niacin and Brand X. Playlist Allan Holdsworth} “Low Levels High Stakes" from Hard Hat Area (Restless) 00:00 Allan Holdsworth “Ruhkukah" from ...
read moreAlvas Showroom: The Art of Listening
by Jim Worsley
Allan Holdsworth was a giant, a genius, a gifted guitarist who had a great gauge for sound. An upper level musician can become less than that playing in a room, club, or hall that is beneath the caliber of their artistry. Holdsworth played the intimate and superbly sound engineered Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, CA many times. The coastal town of San Pedro can be found some thirty-five miles southwest of jny: Los Angeles. The uniquely conceived Alvas Showroom is ...
read moreAllan Holdsworth: Live in Japan 1984
by John Kelman
The loss of Allan Holdsworth in the spring of 2017 remains the passing of one of the most distinctive and innovative guitarists of the past half century. Born in the U.K in 1946, but moving to the U.S.A. in the early '80s, most who are familiar with Holdsworth's work also know how vastly influential he became, almost from the first moments of his mind-blowing appearance on trumpeter Ian Carr's Belladonna (Vertigo, 1972), but even more so with groups in which ...
read moreThe Man Who Changed Guitar Forever!
by John Kelman
In a time when album sales are a challenge being mitigated, at least to some extent, by the release of deluxe editions and box sets, it's still more necessary than ever to grab potential listeners with imagery and words; the title of a box set can have, especially for those less than intimately familiar with the artist, either real attraction or, well, the opposite. And, at a time when more music than ever is being released (and for a myriad ...
read moreAllan Holdsworth: FLATTire: Music For a Non-Existent Movie
by Glenn Astarita
FLATTire was released in 2001 and highlights Allan Holdsworth's use of the MIDI-controller, guitar-like Synthaxe, and is based on a soundtrack for a non-existent movie, marking a period of reflection in the artist's life. However, the album did not receive much attention amid a sparse print run. Here, the guitarist integrates the broad tonal aspects of the synthaxe with his time-honored guitar prowess. He casts impassioned sentiment, and explores the dominion of a film soundtrack, used as a basis for ...
read moreAllan Holdsworth: None Too Soon
by Chris M. Slawecki
For his ninth album, guitar wizard Allan Holdsworth takes on jazz classics by saxophonists John Coltrane and Joe Henderson, pianist Bill Evans and more, plus pop classics just as famous for their jazz interpretations, in a set put together by Holdsworth's longtime musical associate and pianist, Gordon Beck. “Gordon chose most of the tunes, which I hadn't grown up playing and so wasn't that familiar with," Holdsworth recalls. “When he taught me one, it would be just like I was ...
read moreAllan Holdsworth: Hard Hat Area
by Glenn Astarita
Allan Holdsworth is one of the most heralded guitarists of modern times, namely among the progressive rock and jazz elite. Vastly influential and maintaining an active touring schedule, the artist's craft is often imitated yet never duplicated. Originally released in 1993, Hard Hat Area looms as one of the guitarist's premier solo outings. Holdsworth demands the utmost from his drummers. Here, Gary Husband--a legend in his own right--tenders the polyrhythmic vehicle on the blithe, yet torridly gravitating “Low ...
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