Mistrzowie Gitary (Gitara i Bas 1998): Difference between revisions
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'' | '''''Summary of interview in English''': Allan Holdsworth talks about his plans to record a new album but mentions the challenge of securing a record contract for his unique style of music. He discusses the musicians he's collaborating with on the new record, including Gary Novak on drums, Dave Carpenter on bass, and himself. He also mentions guest appearances by Alan Pasqua and Walt Fowler. Holdsworth explains that his choice of musicians has evolved over the years due to the challenges of touring and expenses associated with certain lineups. He mentions the difficulties of finding a record label to release his music, especially in the United States, and expresses frustration with bootleg releases. | ||
''The interview touches on various aspects of Holdsworth's musical journey, including his early experiences with different instruments, his transition to the guitar, and his exploration of the SynthAxe. Holdsworth talks about his influences, including classical composers like Bach, Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, and Stravinsky. He reflects on his father's influence on his musical upbringing and early experiences working odd jobs to make a living as a musician.'' | |||
''Holdsworth discusses his move to the United States in 1982 and the challenges he faced in England as an unemployed musician. He mentions his connections with Eddie Van Halen and his decision not to pursue a major record label contract that would restrict his musical freedom. The interview concludes with a discussion of the categorization of music into genres and Holdsworth's approach to harmony.'' ''[This summary was written by ChatGPT in 2023 based on the article text below.]'' | |||
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=Mistrzowie Gitary= | |||
__FORCETOC__[[File:Gib98-a.JPG|450px|right]]Z gitarzysto rozmawia Piotr Nowicki | __FORCETOC__[[File:Gib98-a.JPG|450px|right]]Z gitarzysto rozmawia Piotr Nowicki | ||
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GiB: The issue is finding a record label that would release your music. Are there any chances of you signing a contract that would at least allow you some comfort when recording future albums? In Europe, Jean-Marie Salhani is such a daring figure. (Editor's note: Holdsworth's albums were mainly released by American labels Enigma and later Restless. The latter holds the rights to his albums in the US. Allan often mentions that no one puts effort into promoting his records, but he can't afford to buy back the entire US catalog. In Japan, the most recent albums were released under Polydor. In Europe, all his solo albums are released by JMS-Cream Records in Paris. Many albums on the market are bootlegs.) | GiB: The issue is finding a record label that would release your music. Are there any chances of you signing a contract that would at least allow you some comfort when recording future albums? In Europe, Jean-Marie Salhani is such a daring figure. (Editor's note: Holdsworth's albums were mainly released by American labels Enigma and later Restless. The latter holds the rights to his albums in the US. Allan often mentions that no one puts effort into promoting his records, but he can't afford to buy back the entire US catalog. In Japan, the most recent albums were released under Polydor. In Europe, all his solo albums are released by JMS-Cream Records in Paris. Many albums on the market are bootlegs.) | ||
AH: Yes, here in Europe, it will be released by J. M. Salhani, but I have no idea how to release it outside Europe. I don't have any record contract. That's why I often run into problems when someone releases my unreleased recordings as bootlegs. This time, a guy who sang in my band over 10 years ago, Paul Williams (he sang on "Road Games," "I.O.U.," and "Metal Fatigue" – editor's note), did that. I can't believe what he did. He had some tapes that he never told me about. He remixed them and released them. To make matters worse, these are tapes from 1985, which he released as some new album. It really pissed me off because it's very hard to sign a record contract when people behave like he did. He never told me about this, and he didn't sign any contracts with anyone who played in the band at that time. He made money off my music, my band, and my name, which he put on the record. I'm really p***ed off at him for what he did. Right now, I'm taking legal action against him... I really can't believe what he did. Why didn't he name the album after himself? This guy is an idiot. The problem is that moves like this tarnish my image. People see the album in stores, so my request would be for them to be kind enough not to buy this album. | |||
GiB: These situations seem to happen to you quite often, I would say regularly. I remember that you recorded many albums quickly, you weren't satisfied with some sessions, yet they appeared on records. Often, what was recorded accidentally or stealthily was released without consulting you. Do you remember your first session with the IGGINBOTTOMS BAND? You recorded quickly, and I think you don't have very fond memories of that experience today? | GiB: These situations seem to happen to you quite often, I would say regularly. I remember that you recorded many albums quickly, you weren't satisfied with some sessions, yet they appeared on records. Often, what was recorded accidentally or stealthily was released without consulting you. Do you remember your first session with the IGGINBOTTOMS BAND? You recorded quickly, and I think you don't have very fond memories of that experience today? | ||
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GiB: Were those tough times for you? | GiB: Were those tough times for you? | ||
A.H: It wasn't a bad thing; I don't think of it that way. Many musicians have to do other things. I earned a living in various places: factories, workshops, bike shops. But when I saw my name in American guitar magazines like "Guitar Player," I thought maybe someone in America would be interested in my music. One of our musician friends was living in California at the time, so we went there with the band and stayed at his place. We played a few shows, and that's when we met Mike Varney. He helped us book some gigs at clubs, which surprisingly sold really well. It was amazing, performing to packed rooms after a period when we usually played to empty chairs, and there were no chances of getting any tours at all. | A.H: It wasn't a bad thing; I don't think of it that way. Many musicians have to do other things. I earned a living in various places: factories, workshops, bike shops. But when I saw my name in American guitar magazines like "Guitar Player," I thought maybe someone in America would be interested in my music. One of our musician friends was living in California at the time, so we went there with the band and stayed at his place. We played a few shows, and that's when we met Mike Varney. He helped us book some gigs at clubs, which surprisingly sold really well. It was amazing, performing to packed rooms after a period when we usually played to empty chairs, and there were no chances of getting any tours at all. | ||
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GiB: Well, jazz critics don't consider you a jazzman, and for rock fans, you're "off-topic," too jazzy. Do you think this kind of labeling, assigning someone's music to genres, is necessary? | GiB: Well, jazz critics don't consider you a jazzman, and for rock fans, you're "off-topic," too jazzy. Do you think this kind of labeling, assigning someone's music to genres, is necessary? | ||
A.H.: No, but it seems that everyone wants some classification. The category of "jazz" isn't strict. My father usually said that the word "jazz" was a label assigned to improvisation over harmonic and rhythmic structures, regardless of what it was. After styles developed, they became a traditional form. Now we have the second generation of traditional jazz, modern jazz. Styles like Bebop have become classics, and that's great; many really great musicians keep that genre alive. However, it's not something that resonates with me. I like to listen to it from time to time, but... it's not for me. A chord sequence is a chord sequence. On "None Too Soon," we recorded such songs. I didn't know any of them, so I learned them like any other melodies. The chords were the same, but I recorded the solo parts as if I were playing them in my original compositions. So there was no difference; only the format was different. I'm not interested in it in the long run... | A.H.: No, but it seems that everyone wants some classification. The category of "jazz" isn't strict. My father usually said that the word "jazz" was a label assigned to improvisation over harmonic and rhythmic structures, regardless of what it was. After styles developed, they became a traditional form. Now we have the second generation of traditional jazz, modern jazz. Styles like Bebop have become classics, and that's great; many really great musicians keep that genre alive. However, it's not something that resonates with me. I like to listen to it from time to time, but... it's not for me. A chord sequence is a chord sequence. On "None Too Soon," we recorded such songs. I didn't know any of them, so I learned them like any other melodies. The chords were the same, but I recorded the solo parts as if I were playing them in my original compositions. So there was no difference; only the format was different. I'm not interested in it in the long run... | ||
I asked Holdsworth if he could say a few words about his approach to harmony. "It's too difficult, let's drop it," he cut it short. | |||
GiB: In the discussion club that exists in your online fan club, I read opinions that "NTS" is an album where you can't feel the swing, and the blame was placed on the drummer, Kirk Covington. What do you think about such criticism? As far as I know, Willis and Covington were recommended to you by Scott Henderson (Scott plays with them in his band TRIBAL TECH - ed.). | GiB: In the discussion club that exists in your online fan club, I read opinions that "NTS" is an album where you can't feel the swing, and the blame was placed on the drummer, Kirk Covington. What do you think about such criticism? As far as I know, Willis and Covington were recommended to you by Scott Henderson (Scott plays with them in his band TRIBAL TECH - ed.). | ||
A.H.: I invited Gary Willis to work on the album because I love him; he's a fantastic bass player. I wanted him to feel comfortable with someone who would sit behind the drums. I gave him free rein, and he chose Kirk. I like what he played, maybe it's not good for everyone. This is not an album for everyone; people can throw it in the trash. It doesn't matter whether you like it or not. What time is it now? At this moment, there's about half an hour left until the concert, so our conversation ended. I didn't have time to ask many other questions, so I felt somewhat unsatisfied. Perhaps the conversation can be continued when Holdsworth finally comes to our country. Apparently, there have been a few attempts to arrange his performances here. He was even supposed to perform in Warsaw and Krakow in the autumn of last year. Manager Patrizzio Chiozza comforted me by saying that it's rarely possible to persuade Allan to do an interview, especially not before a concert. I guess I was lucky... | A.H.: I invited Gary Willis to work on the album because I love him; he's a fantastic bass player. I wanted him to feel comfortable with someone who would sit behind the drums. I gave him free rein, and he chose Kirk. I like what he played, maybe it's not good for everyone. This is not an album for everyone; people can throw it in the trash. It doesn't matter whether you like it or not. What time is it now? | ||
-At this moment, there's about half an hour left until the concert, so our conversation ended. I didn't have time to ask many other questions, so I felt somewhat unsatisfied. Perhaps the conversation can be continued when Holdsworth finally comes to our country. Apparently, there have been a few attempts to arrange his performances here. He was even supposed to perform in Warsaw and Krakow in the autumn of last year. Manager Patrizzio Chiozza comforted me by saying that it's rarely possible to persuade Allan to do an interview, especially not before a concert. I guess I was lucky... | |||
Piotr Nowicki | Piotr Nowicki | ||
