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09-12-2009, 03:00 PM #26Jazzarian GuestOriginally Posted by Banksia
That depends.
In a good band with keyboards, he's exceptional. He's original. He's melodic as all hell. He's incredibly fast.
In a 3 piece band with no keyboards, he bores me out of my mind in 10 minutes or less.
I've listened to him for over 30 years now. I've seen him a few times, live.
From what I've heard from his recent CD, he's still fantastic.
Much easier on the ears than Scott Henderson or Scofield too.
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09-12-2009 03:00 PM
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Tokyo Dream,
beautiful and strange Holdsworth melody
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Originally Posted by Meggy
Coltrane changes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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09-23-2009, 07:25 PM #29Jazzarian GuestOriginally Posted by Meggy
I've been listening to him since the mid-70's.
Back around 1975, George Benson was able to get Holdsworth signed to CTI Records. Apparently Benson had seen him perform in the Village and was anxious to get him a contract.
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09-23-2009, 07:33 PM #30Jazzarian GuestOriginally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
You are indeed correct, for a Canadian.
I haven't looked at the Coltrane Changes in years. The triangle thingy and all. Good thing to reknow and rethink about.
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Allan is an incredible musician and improviser. I am a big fan. However, I have to admit that sometimes I feel he plays too much and too fast for my taste. Sand and Secrets showcase some incredibly tasty improvisation, but his music after those albums seems less interesting for some reason. Or maybe I'm just not musically intelligent to understand him at all time. Regardless, I have the highest respect for him. He is very advanced and on a different level than most guitar players out there.
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Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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Originally Posted by franco6719
I couldn't disagree more with all of those statements. Lucky I'm not the kind of person to argue on youtube
I love all of those guys for all the reasons listed.
well not scofield, he never appealed to me. He has poor time. Martino is great when you listen to the diversity among all his albums. Same with all those guys listed... They have an actual style and are consistent in the way they play. That is something that I think any musician strives for. A consistent artistic approach to the instrument that defines them from other 'lick players'
They have their own licks and ism's and even if the same sounds pop up every second tune... at least you know its them!
ps- Wes Montgomery knew everything about chords... I can't imagine how anyone would think otherwise.
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My first post on this site....might as well be about my favorite guitarist. You guys need to check out the work he's done with others. My favorite solos of his aren't even on his solo albums.
For his best solos check out:
MVP - "Rocks" (with Frank Gambale)
Jean-Luc Ponty - "In Spite of All"
Jean-Luc Ponty - "Nostalgia"
Planet X - "Desert Girl"
Stu Hamm - "Radio Free Albemuth"
His chord work is second to none, as well.
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Originally Posted by joe pass jr
Funny, now that I think about.
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Allan has changed just about everyone who's heard him ... the same could be said for another great , John Mclaughlin . Or Jimi Hendrix ... or Jeff Beck ... or Santana .
The problem with me is always in composition . Players could have the most earth-shattering approaches to improvisation ... but if the composition is not happening ... it's not happening .
Good compositions for these musicians ... the ones that lead to transcedence , are extremely rare . When you find them , they're worth more than all the gold in the world .
In the end , it will always be about the composition in my opinion .
I remember sitting for hours on the boardwalk for days , listening to "Diamond Dust" by Jeff Beck over and over . Thats what magic does to you .
When it comes to Allen , one of my favorite pieces is "Belzebub" with Bill Bruford . Pure magic .
" ...songs are like waves , man ... you can't just cut the 'perfect' wave..."
- Jimi Hendrix -
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Is it true that AH plays the lightest gauge electric strings that are made? Weak fingers? Where does the tone come from? Electronics?
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Allan is one of my all-time favorites, but every so often i need to take a break from listening to him. When i go back with fresh ears though, his playing never fails to amaze me. I enjoy his beautiful chord work and compositions and his unique soloing equally.
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Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
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Wow assafusion, that was some impressive Allan-style!
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Iam happy you liked it
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Allan in the 70s as a sideman with various prog/fusion bands--Soft Machine, UK, Gong, Lifetime, Bruford---mind-boggling!! Check out various YouTube Soft Machine '74 ish videos to start.
Allan as a leader of a trio from the 80s --usually with Chad Wackerman --meh.
Chords? Played with fingers. Single note lines--plectrum.
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I have seen Holdsworth live three times, he keeps getting better.
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Allan is GREAT!!! If you listen to the right tracks. He swings. HARD!!!
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In the late 70's I heard some incredible guitar playing on a Jean-Luc Ponty album (Inigmatic Ocean). It was Allan Holdsworth! Over the years I've listened to alot of Holdsworth's playing. I like the way he utilizes the whole fretboard... he's all over the place. What I don't like is the effects processor sound, that is, too much flanger/chorus, sometimes it's too saturated and muddy to the point that it hides his true talent. I also have difficulty enjoying the Steinberger tremolo/whammy thing. To me it's a bit over-kill.
I love his lightning fast solos, but the signal is over processed.
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Originally Posted by caravan
I believe he uses some scales that nobody else uses and gives them some strange names, like "A*". When he was a boy he systematically went through every scale possibility without four half steps in a row. Also, he came home one day and his dad had put his guitar in his bed--sending him a message!
Metheny said he didn't know why "Allan Holdsworth" wasn't a household name. Steve Vai said he can visualize what every other player is doing even if it is not in his genre, except Allan. Zappa said he was the most interesting guitarist on the planet.
Who the heck can you listen to every day?? I used to listen to Mahler every day. But now it has been years. Used to listen to Scofield every day. But now it has been years. Used to listen to Allan every day. But now it has been years. Maybe you didn't enjoy the show last time you saw him. Whatever. But he's one of the few people you hear compared to Trane or Hendrix. Hell, his mastery of the SynthAxe alone earns him some kind of place in the history of guitar.
As for the trio stuff, Sixteen Men has some great stuff. He has always been dissatisfied with everything but his most recent stuff. Always growing. Very very severe self-critic. But admittedly very lazy! He's in the studio now.
Best way to enjoy him I've found is to put together different playlists. His atmospheric ballads, for example, naturally go together.
Of course he is good. Of course he is not just difficult.Last edited by jster; 07-17-2011 at 08:39 PM.
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AH and Johnny Mac participated in a dual interview in a guitar mag a few years ago.
paraphrasing both men:
John said that he would "steal all of Allan's stuff if he could, its just that he had no idea what Allan was doing".
Allan's reply was "to be honest i don't either".Last edited by fumblefingers; 07-19-2011 at 12:27 AM.
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Holdsworth is a great player, but not a great composer. His tunes are weak and uninspired. If he'd just play over some better material and lay off the heavy effects...
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Still, I find especially his clean, chordal stuff amazing. I can hear that influence in Eric Johnson's music, and he can write great, catchy songs too, so they are easier to access. There's a lot to get in Allan's music, but it doesn't come naturally for the untrained mind (like mine).
Replacement Speaker [newbie advice please)
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