Allan Holdsworth (Guitar Player 1980): Difference between revisions
From Allan Holdsworth Information Center
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[[File:GP1280-1a.jpg|450px|right]] TYPECASTING ENGLAND’S Allan Holdsworth as a jazz-rock soloist extraordinaire is easy for anyone who has heard his spellbinding and complex lines, which abound with wide-interval melodies, singing harmonies, and high-speed picking. But his electrifying solos on albums by Jean Luc Ponty, Tony Williams Lifetime, Soft Machine, U.K., Bruford, and Gong have inspired players in several different styles, not just fusion. For example, in the April 80 issue of Guitar Player, Eddie Van Halen described one of the things that makes Allan so appealing to him: "He's got a rock sound.” | |||
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TYPECASTING ENGLAND’S Allan Holdsworth as a jazz-rock soloist extraordinaire is easy for anyone who has heard his spellbinding and complex lines, which abound with wide-interval melodies, singing harmonies, and high-speed picking. But his electrifying solos on albums by Jean Luc Ponty, Tony Williams Lifetime, Soft Machine, U.K., Bruford, and Gong have inspired players in several different styles, not just fusion. For example, in the April 80 issue of Guitar Player, Eddie Van Halen described one of the things that makes Allan so appealing to him: "He's got a rock sound.” | |||
Holdsworth's musical persona is created by the melding of many elements, and no single facet is easily extracted for examination without consideration of the other traits. His vibrato is directly related to his tone; his tone tends to vary depending on the register in which he is playing, gingerly picked acoustic chording is as much a part of his style as his incendiary electric lead work, and so on. Although best known for his solos rather than his ensemble work, the 32-year-old guitarist is discontent with what he feels is a stereotyped role, and he is trying to change that image to one of an all-around player. To this end Holdsworth is currently working with a guitar bass drums trio called False Alarm, creating original music that he feels adequately showcases his many facets. | Holdsworth's musical persona is created by the melding of many elements, and no single facet is easily extracted for examination without consideration of the other traits. His vibrato is directly related to his tone; his tone tends to vary depending on the register in which he is playing, gingerly picked acoustic chording is as much a part of his style as his incendiary electric lead work, and so on. Although best known for his solos rather than his ensemble work, the 32-year-old guitarist is discontent with what he feels is a stereotyped role, and he is trying to change that image to one of an all-around player. To this end Holdsworth is currently working with a guitar bass drums trio called False Alarm, creating original music that he feels adequately showcases his many facets. | ||
