Results for "Allan Holdsworth"

Musician

Allan Holdsworth

Born: August 6, 1948

Allan Holdsworth is widely regarded by fans and contemporary musicians as one of the 20 th century's most prominent guitarists. He is one of a handful of musicians who has consistently proven himself as an innovator in between and within the worlds of rock and jazz music. Many of music's best-known instrumental masters cite Holdsworth as that rare and shining voice—a legendary player who continues to push the outer limits of instrumental technique and the electric guitar's range of tonal and textural possibilities. Particularly during the 90s, Holdsworth has enjoyed the recognition so many musicians strongly feel he deserves, given that he has developed his career outside the big label mainstream and has consistently produced his own recordings with complete creative control since the mid-80s

Video

Allan Holdsworth: Frankfurt '86

Featuring the music of Allan Holdsworth
Duration: 02:51
November 8, 2026

While it’s impossible to substitute for a top notch musical spirit, there are times where technology can serve as a soulmate. Such is the case with British guitar maestro Allan Holdsworth. He developed an electronics-driven sound that incorporated long-sustain / constant volume lines and a fat tone that was equal parts distorted guitar, violin and 80’s synth pad. To top it off, his improvisational lines contained turns and leaps that forged a new vocabulary for guitarists. His performance at the Deutsche Jazz Festival in Frankfurt, 1986, capture Holdsworth at the cutting edge. He starts out on a Stratocaster copy plus heavy doses of digital delay, compression, pitch shifters and distortion. The instrumentalist then switches to the SynthAxe Guitar Synthesizer, a whole new invention that uses triggers under the frets and a separate set of short strings to track the guitarist’s playing and map it to synth modules (search YouTube for "Allan Holdsworth plays SynthAxe" ). Sadly, the “bionic guitarist” passed away in 2017.

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Mariko Muranaka, Senri Kawaguchi, Ray Russell, Chick Corea

by Len Davis
September 13, 2026

We open with some excellent fusion from Japanese cellist Mariko Muranaka, featuring the powerhouse duo of Marco Minneman and Fernando Molinari. Then bassist Gary Willis joins drummer Franky Freedom, followed by powerful fusion from Canadian band Finely Tuned Elephant. We'll hear Japanese drum sensation Senri kawaguchi, live at Blues alley, before British guitarist Ray Russell teams ...

Article: So You Don't Like Jazz

Thirty Essential Transformative Guitarists

by Alan Bryson
September 9, 2026

"Best guitarist" lists are inherently subjective--often nonsensical. They rank the unrankable, folding popularity, technique, cultural impact, sales, and personal taste into a single hierarchy. This list takes a different approach, acknowledging thirty guitarists who transformed the instrument itself: they created new techniques, pioneered fresh concepts, expanded its sonic vocabulary, and changed how those who followed them played. ...

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Richard Hallebeek, Tohpati, Jizue,The Rewind Collective, Allan Holdsworth, Tribal Tech and Jean-Luc-Ponty

by Len Davis
August 30, 2026

Today's programme opens with a beautiful new single from guitarist Richard Hallebeek followed by Indonesian guitarist Tohpati, Japanese band Jizue, and Brazilian duo Brunno Henrique and bassist Fernando Molinari. Simon Phillips joins Marcelo Gaglioti and Jeff Babko for a gentle slice of fusion, before we turn up the energy with Joel Joekstra and the Rewind Collective, ...

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Happy Birthday Marcus Roberts! Also Tony Bennett, Allan Holdsworth, and more

by David W. Daniels
August 11, 2026

In addition to the artists named in the title, this edition of Exploration recognizes the classic genius of The Quintet (Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charlie Mingus, and Max Roach), Horace Silver, and others. More new music from Joe Alterman, Doug Webb, and Terri Lyne Carrington. Birthdays recognized include Eddie Jefferson, Ravi Coltrane, and “Pops" ...

Article: Interview

Leonardo Pavkovic: The Other Side of the Mountain

by Chris M. Slawecki
July 20, 2026

From July 22-25, the MoonJune-iverse will orbit around Teramo, Italy, to present the fourth MoonJune Festival and simultaneously celebrate MoonJune Records' 25th anniversary, a gathering convened by MoonJune founder Leonardo Pavkovic. In the following interview, Pavkovic explains the journey that brought him and MoonJune Festival 2026 to Teramo. “I love the idea of celebrating ...

Article: Album Review

The Dam Jawn featuring Jeremy Pelt: Triphasic

by Artur Moral
May 15, 2026

Philadelphians know 'jawn' well--a term embedded in their local slang that is not easily grasped by the uninitiated. So what are Joan Fort and Martin Diaz (two Catalans), Philip Lewin (a German), and Nitin Parree and Frank Groenendijk (two Dutch men) doing forming a band whose name fuses that Philly word with a wink at the ...

Article: Radio & Podcasts

New music from Dezolve, Matteo Mancusco, SLAK, Tom Hemby and Alberto Rigoni

by Len Davis
May 10, 2026

We kick off with fiery jazz fusion from DEZOLVE, alongside guitar brilliance from John McLaughlin and Matteo Mancusco. There's rocky fusion from The Rewind Collective, more Allan Holdsworth-inspired music from Quube, and stunning drum work from Simon Phillips with Protocol 6. We also feature jazzy grooves from SLAK with drum Prodigy Senri Kawaguchi plus music from ...

Article: Journey into Jazz

Record Store Day 2026 Jazz Releases

by Kyle Simpler
April 3, 2026

Many vinyl enthusiasts get excited when the Record Store Day lists appear, and understandably so: most of the titles are limited-run pressings that can disappear quickly once the doors open. The only drawback, however, is that the lists can be overwhelming to sort through, often spanning multiple pages and covering releases across a wide range of ...