John Marshall: Difference between revisions
From Allan Holdsworth Information Center
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I played a lot with Allan not only when he was in Soft Machine, but also in various jazz contexts with his own groups and those of pianists Pat Smythe and Gordon Beck, and more recently with Softworks. To say that he is an original one-off is, of course, stating the obvious—but his approach is so individual that it demands an equally special type of playing with him. His lines arch seamlessly over everything and don't obviously invite you in, and it can seem that the rhythmic dovetailing and interaction that you get with some other musicians isn't on the cards. (I read an interview with Tony Williams later where he said that whatever he played, it didn't make a dent in Allan's playing). He is, however, of course listening and very aware of you, but it's expressed in his own way. My reaction is to adopt a parallel but related way of playing, and I've always found it an absolute joy. I know he often seems to feel uncomfortable in other people's groups and would like to be judged on his playing in his own bands but in the case of the recordings with Soft Machine (in particular “Bundles” and “Hazard Profile” on the Bundles album and “Madame Vintage” on the SoftWorks album) his playing is astounding. The only problem with Allan is that he can be so self-critical that it becomes destructive. His perfectionism has him reject quite wonderful takes—especially live ones—out of hand. There's a lot of great music on the cutting floor; but that's Allan. —John Marshall | I played a lot with Allan not only when he was in Soft Machine, but also in various jazz contexts with his own groups and those of pianists Pat Smythe and Gordon Beck, and more recently with Softworks. To say that he is an original one-off is, of course, stating the obvious—but his approach is so individual that it demands an equally special type of playing with him. His lines arch seamlessly over everything and don't obviously invite you in, and it can seem that the rhythmic dovetailing and interaction that you get with some other musicians isn't on the cards. (I read an interview with Tony Williams later where he said that whatever he played, it didn't make a dent in Allan's playing). He is, however, of course listening and very aware of you, but it's expressed in his own way. My reaction is to adopt a parallel but related way of playing, and I've always found it an absolute joy. I know he often seems to feel uncomfortable in other people's groups and would like to be judged on his playing in his own bands but in the case of the recordings with Soft Machine (in particular “Bundles” and “Hazard Profile” on the Bundles album and “Madame Vintage” on the SoftWorks album) his playing is astounding. The only problem with Allan is that he can be so self-critical that it becomes destructive. His perfectionism has him reject quite wonderful takes—especially live ones—out of hand. There's a lot of great music on the cutting floor; but that's Allan. —John Marshall | ||
==[[A Different View (Modern Drummer 1996)]]== | |||
RF: Who was the first notable drummer with whom you worked? | |||
AH: There were actually two drummers I played with in London who were really influential to me as a musician. One was Jon Hiseman, with whom I played in Tempest in the early '70s. Jon was an absolutely brilliant drummer, especially at that time. He didn't sound like anybody I had ever heard. When I go back to listen to that album, everything sounds good to me except the guitar. The vocals are amazing and the drums are great. That was my first experience of working with someone of that caliber. I came from playing in a Top-40 band with local guys. Then to get a chance to play with somebody like that! The other thing that knocked me out about Jon's playing was that his power just grabbed hold of you. When you played with him, it was like he put his hands on your shoulders and just held you. It was a pretty amazing experience for a guy just arriving in London. | |||
Right after that, Jon wanted the band to stay like a Cream kind of thing, while I felt that the band had a lot more potential, so we split. That's when I joined Soft Machine. John Marshall was the drummer. He was the jazz guy in London around that time. That was a great experience for me. When I look back on my past, I think playing in that band was some of the most fun I ever had in my life. They were great guys and great musicians. I was learning all the time. | |||
[[Category:Musicians]] | [[Category:Musicians]] | ||
