Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Allan Holdsworth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Allan Holdsworth | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 6, 1946 |
| Origin | Bradford, West Yorkshire, England |
| Genre(s) | Jazz fusion Progressive rock Jazz rock |
| Years active | 1969 - |
| Associated acts |
UK Level 42 |
| Website | TheRealAllanHoldsworth.com |
Allan Holdsworth (born August 6, 1946 in Bradford, West Yorkshire) is a British jazz guitarist and composer.
Allan Holdsworth is a jazz/fusion guitarist who is widely known for his contributions to the genre[1]. He is acclaimed for the complexity of his compositional and improvisational work, as well as his astounding technical skill[2]. He was described by Guitar Player Magazine as a "giant"[3] and reviewers have compared his compositions to Liszt[4]. The unique efficiency of his playing style, and his mathematical approach to mentally mapping out the fretboard allows him to 'see' symmetrical finger patterns, which produce note flourishes that approach the fluidity of saxophonists such as Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane.
Holdsworth pioneered several techniques that have been widely imitated by other guitarists. These include using an eight-voice modulated delay to create a chorusing effect that, combined with unusual closed voiced chords, create a very piano-like sound from an ordinary electric guitar. He uses a legato phrasing technique with light picking that causes a distorted guitar amplifier to produce a reedy, clarinet-like tone. A third innovative technique is using a volume pedal to "swell" chords into a long delay/reverb effect, generating the impression of an orchestral string section. These three techniques were used by Holdsworth to create the aural illusion of classical instruments, years before the invention of guitar/synthesizers, and have been adopted by increasing numbers of guitarists such as Frank Gambale, Scott Henderson, Bill Connors, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Fredrik Thordendal, Alex Lifeson, Greg Howe and David Sylvian.
Holdsworth has recorded many different styles of music over the years, including a brief flirtation with pop, in the form of a collaboration with British funk fusion pop band Level 42.
Contents |
His first recording was with Igginbottom ('Wrench') in 1969. In the early Seventies, Holdsworth joined Jon Hiseman's Tempest, overlapping briefly with the legendary Ollie Halsall. Subsequently Holdsworth worked with jazz rock groups Gong, Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime, Jean-Luc Ponty and later in the decade he was a member of the all-star progressive rock quartet UK with John Wetton, Bill Bruford and Eddie Jobson. Some of his notable instrumental work in the 70's can be heard on Lifetime's 'Believe It' album, and the first two (Bill) Bruford Band albums ('Feels Good To Me' and 'One Of A Kind'). At the end of the 70's, becoming increasingly frustrated by the music scene, Allan Holdsworth worked and recorded with long term collaborator Gordon Beck and one of the UK's leading jazz improvisers and drummer John Stevens.
He is David Lewis' Uncle
He is also recognized for his own compositions, which vary in musical style from progressive fusion jazz (for example, his work with Soft Machine on their album Bundles), to romantic, chordal and 'spacey' guitar/synthesizer works. He utilises an instrument called the SynthAxe, examples of which can be heard on the albums Atavachron; Sand;the SynthAxe-dominated Flat Tire; and the second CD of Against The Clock. It is Allan's SynthAxe recordings that motivated readers of Guitar Player magazine to vote him "Best Synth Guitarist" for several years. Although he is not the first guitarist to record with a synthesizer, he elevated the technique of synthesizer guitar to be on par with electric and acoustic guitar techniques. An incredibly down-to-earth musician, Allan famously said in his instructional video that he "doesn't really like the guitar", and prefers the sound of a saxophone.
Holdsworth was brought to the attention of Warner Bros. executive Mo Ostin by Eddie Van Halen, resulting in the 1983 Warner Bros. release of Holdsworth's album Road Games. Eddie stated in Guitar Player magazine that Holdsworth was a major influence on his playing and that Holdsworth was "the best in my book"[5]. This influence can be heard in Van Halen's "Push Comes To Shove" solo from the album Fair Warning. Guitarists from diverse traditions including Joe Satriani acknowledged Holdsworth as a major influence. Although Holdsworth downplays his impact on other musicians in published interviews, he has been acknowledged by many elite musicians as a source of inspiration.
Holdsworth's discography includes over fourteen titles as a band leader, yet he has recorded with many other notable musicians. A partial list of artists with whom Allan has recorded, other than those listed above, are Gary Husband, Jimmy Johnson, Stanley Clarke, Gordon Beck, Carl Verheyen, Chad Wackerman, Gary Willis, David Hines, K2, Riptyde, Derek Sherinian, Planet X, and Gongzilla.
Recommended recordings are Secrets (which arguably contains his best SynthAxe work), Atavachron, Sand, Metal Fatigue (includes one of his signature solos on "Devil Take The Hindmost"), Wardenclyffe Tower (showcasing his use of the baritone guitar), and The Sixteen Men Of Tain (with a more jazz-tinged flavour).
| Title | Release | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velvet Darkness | 1976 | Never properly completed, this album is released by the label against Allan's wishes. | |
| The Things You See | 1979 | With Gordon Beck | |
| Sunbird | 1980 | With Gordon Beck. | |
| I.O.U. | 1982 | - | |
| Road Games | 1983 | Never fully considered completed by Allan until the 2001 CD release. Features Jeff Berlin and Jack Bruce. | |
| Metal Fatigue | 1985 | - | |
| Atavachron | 1986 | Inspired by the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "All Our Yesterdays", for which a track is named. The title itself comes from the episode as well. | |
| Sand | 1987 | - | |
| Secrets | 1989 | - | |
| Wardenclyffe Tower | 1992 | Named for Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower | |
| Hard Hat Area | 1994 | The track "Tullio" is named after the great cyclist Tullio Campagnolo, a sport which Allan is interested in | |
| None Too Soon | 1996 | An interesting album , with Holdsworth leaving his jazz-fusion and progressive rock style briefly for a session of straight- ahead jazz. Highlights include a fleet renditions of John Coltrane "Countdown" and a waltz -time rendering of The Beatles "Norwegian Wood".The featured piano work of collaborator Gordon Beck gives Holdsworth a swinging support . | |
| Heavy Machinery | 1996 | Released as a collaboration with Anders and Jens Johansson | |
| Sixteen Men of Tain | 1999 | The title appears to be named for the Glenmorangie Scotch | |
| Flat Tire | 2001 | - | |
| All Night Wrong | 2002 | A live album recorded in Japan on a recent tour. | |
| Then! | 2003 | A live album recorded in Japan in 1990 | |
| Against The Clock | 2005 | The Best of Allan Holdsworth, a 2-CD set. The first features the guitar; the second highlights his work with the Synthaxe. |
| Title | Release | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igginbottom's Wrench | 1969 | Igginbottom | |
| Belladona | 1972 | Ian Carr's Nucleus | |
| Tempest | 1972 | Tempest | |
| Bundles | 1975 | Soft Machine | |
| Believe it | 1975 | Tony Williams Lifetime | |
| Million Dollar Legs | 1976 | Tony Williams Lifetime | |
| Gazeuse! | 1976 | Gong | |
| Capricorn Princess | 1976 | Esther Phillips | |
| Enigmatic Ocean | 1977 | Jean-Luc Ponty | |
| Touching On | 1977 | John Stevens | |
| Expresso II | 1978 | Gong | |
| Feels Good To Me | 1978 | Bill Bruford | |
| UK | 1978 | U.K. | |
| One of a Kind | 1979 | Bill Bruford | |
| The Things You See/ Sunbird | 1979 | Gordon Beck | |
| Time Is The Key | 1979 | Pierre Moerlen's Gong | |
| Conversation Piece | 1980 | John Stevens | |
| Land Of Cockayne | 1981 | Soft Machine | |
| Individual Choice | 1983 | Jean-Luc Ponty | |
| Retouch | 1983 | John Stevens | |
| Trasatlantic | 1984 | Jon St. James | |
| Soma | 1986 | Soma | |
| Change Of Address | 1986 | Krokus | |
| Fast Impressions | 1986 | Jon St. James | |
| With A Heart In My Song | 1988 | Gordon Beck | |
| Radio Free Albemuth | 1988 | Stuart Hamm | |
| If This Bass Could Only Talk | 1988 | Stanley Clarke | |
| No Borders | 1988 | Carl Verheyen Group | |
| The Distance In Between | 1988 | Strange Advance | |
| Attack Of The Neon Shark | 1989 | Alex Masi | |
| Guitar For The Practicing Mucisian | 1989 | Various Artists | |
| Truth In Shredding | 1990 | Frank Gambale | |
| A Question Of Time | 1990 | Jack Bruce | |
| Silent Will | 1990 | Andrea Marcelli | |
| Blue Tav | 1990 | Steve Tavaglione | |
| Forty Reasons | 1991 | Chad Wackerman | |
| Guaranteed | 1991 | Level 42 | |
| Love In Peace | 1991 | Paz | |
| Lone Ranger | 1992 | Jeff Watson | |
| The View | 1993 | Chad Wackerman | |
| Come Together: Guitar Tribute To The Beatles | 1993 | Various Artists | |
| Suffer | 1995 | Gongzilla | |
| Oneness | 1995 | Andrea Marcelli | |
| Stare | 1996 | Gorky Park | |
| Heavy Machinery | 1997 | Johansson & Johansson | |
| From Your Heart & Your Soul | 1997 | Steve Hunt | |
| Worlds Away & Back | 1995 | Strange Advance | |
| BBC Radio 1971-1974 | 2003 | Soft Machine | |
| Abracadabra | 2003 | Softworks | |
| Sonic Undertow | 2004 | Riptyde, A. Holdsworth | |
| Book of the Dead | 2004 | K2, A. Holdsworth | |
| Mythology | 2004 | Derek Sherinian | |
| Nebula | 2005 | David Hines | |
| Quantum | 2007 | Planet X | |
| Deconstruction of a Postmodern Musician | 2007 | Corrado Rustici |
- The British comedy show The Mighty Boosh made a reference to him in the episode "Jungle". On The Mighty Boosh official website, Julian Barratt (who plays as Howard Moon) claims that Allan Holdsworth is the only thing that he's interested in.
- ^ Allan Holdsworth Artist Entry. Europe Jazz Network. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ Allan Holdsworth. Progressive Guitar Archives. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ Fox, Darrin. Allan Holdsworth. Guitar Player Magazine (Nov 2004). Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ Allan Holdsworth. Manchester Academy. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ Obrecht, Jas. Young Wizard of Power Rock. Guitar Player Magazine (April 1980). Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
