EgoShredder Just really tiny rack toms, smallest on average is 12-13 inch racks. This dudes using an 8 and a 10 inch it looks like... dope, sounds a little like Billy Cobham
Chad wackerman on drums. what a killer.... so versatile, dynamic, melodic . He's so RELAX on drums. steeve gadd touch sometimes.. also, the DW drums set is just incredibly well tuned .
I was a kid of 17 studying jazz drumming in LA starting late 1968. I thought I was pretty good playing in a highly regarded high school jazz band. And recording with a popular band in the Valley. My legendary drum teacher Chuck Flores was dialed into the local scene. He would send me out to see great drummers like Max Roach when they were in town. My most memorable "assignment" was when he sent me to see Tony Williams. Tony who was only a couple of years older than me was playing in Shelly Mann's club in Hollywood. Tony had and unknown (in America) John McGlaughlin on guitar and Larry Young on organ calling the outfit the Tony Williams "Lifetime". I was sitting within 10 feet of the surrounding trio. I gave up drumming after that and became a science teacher.
As funny as it is, you shouldn't have given up. Simple as that. It's okay to be inferior to someone & use that as motivation to reach whatever level we could reach while continue to strive to be better.
If Eddie Van Halen's "Frankenstein" made it into the Smithsonian, then there should be a platinum statue of Holdsworth. His playing had an immense impact upon Van Halen, Vai and Satriani, just to name a mere few. And to this day, NO ONE can do what he does better.
@Andy Butler EVH was completely groundbreaking and brought joy to millions. I mean Satriani and Vai were more inspired by Led Zepplin. Vai is in another universe. He is just exceptional in lots of areas that are not inspired by Holdsworth, who was British BTW, so he won't make into the Smithsonian.
I keep coming back to this, snippets of Holdsworth’s solo get stuck in my head and I must hear this in entirety. Improvisation at its best, his ability to draw from an enormous knowledge of every scale, mode and timing is truly the mark of a master musician. This is the zenith of unconscious competence.
@@2wayplebney Exactly - its like someone just shoved a guitar into his hands for the first time! A tentative few notes that bear no relation to what has just been going on then all of a sudden he's taken you into a higher universe and completely different level.
I mean really Allan. What the hell??!! It’s amazing. Seeing him land on a C note made me realize he uses the same notes as all of us. I just thought...he had different notes???
I was in one of the concerts of this tour and have the opportunity to speak with Alan and Allan. And both sign me the Tony Williams record "Believe it"
So true. "Where on to you Alan. bassdoc even posted it. LOL! Needed a laugh since I just learned yesterday of his passing. One of the last contemporary musical intellects has returned to that place where all are loved and a I-have-so-much-more-2-learn humbleness is a good thing. Thanks to our god AH and your feel-good post.
It's like he's doing a sound check, then plays a little here and there, then a little more, then mind blowing, then beyond mind blowing, then out of this world, then back to timid chords. Just incredible.
@@uke500 NO! I hate it when people compare AH to Coltrane, or vice versa. Their music is nothing alike, they come from totally different worlds. Scott Henderson talked about this in guitar wank podcast. I can't remember his reasoning at the time, but he would agree that their music can't be compared and is nothing alike. Even harmonically AH is in a completely different world and don't get me started on solos. They are both giants though, each the ruler of it's own world.
@@Simon-xi8tb Holdsworth admired Coltrane, he wanted to be a sax player , his dad bought him a guitar instead. So there is some connection perhaps...but...Holdsworth developed some amazing chords and the form of the music was inevitably his own. Coltrane was an influence though.
Whether he played with Tony W. JLPonty UK Gong Jack Bruce or his own bands, he had a signature way of playing guitar unrivalled by any I have ever heard. RIP my friend.
...just astounding electric guitar playing! I've known many guitarists and they all concur, no one has ever played like Allan Holdsworth, ...and never will. The rest of the band is just brilliant, great video!
I saw Allan with Soft machine in my teens and , u can believe me , he was already there in those years !!!! May be he was coming from mars or something similar but with a simple Gibson SG and a Vox AC 30 he was simply incredible also in the '70 . Today we simply had reached him too late ....
You know, that's funny because I have an SG/LP with three humbuckers like Allan used and I've put it throught an AC30TB too- I never sounded like Allan LOL!! What a great guitarist, that must have been awesome to see him in those days
I was fortunate to see Allan Holdsworth with Jimmie Johnson & Chad Wackerman 3rd row at a small club in Illinois in the late '90's. My jaw was on the floor...
As a drummer you can learn a lot about rhythmic modulation from Chad Wackerman. That man can really play the drums. Knows a thing or two about tuning a drumset too...
Years ago when I first heard him I was basically like either this is way over my head or it's just playing lots of notes and i leaned more towards that it was probably just lots of notes. Well over 15 years later and now I know for sure that it was definitely over my head. This guy us amazing and underrated.
I have been so blown away from this mans playing.... i saw him live playing w/ U.K. on the pier ..... i about quit Guitar that night saying, "why do i even bother"... Rest in Piece Mr. Holdsworth
I was at this concert on the front row in Huntington at the AMAC In 2006. Alan had cramps that night in his right hand but he still played on. My wife didn't understand why I listened to him until the concert was over. Then she said she could listen to him all day. she al so paid me a great compliment. She said Chad Wackerman sounded like me. Yes I was a professionally taught drummer from NY.
I was reading the comments below and everybody's commenting on Allan Holdsworth and Chad wackerman and occasionally Alan pasqua and those are great musicians but nobody saying anyting about Jimmy haslip the man is a genius add one of the best bass players ever !
Throughout this concert Holdsworth seemed so pleased to be playing with Alan Pasqua. And quite right, the guy is a monster. I love the way AH just stands and listens to his solo.
Many comments suggesting that Allan was underrated, he was far from that, we all know the immense talent he possessed and har far ahead he was and still is of everybody else. As a guitar player, the standard Allan set is so high, that for most of us it's not obtainable, it scary as to how good he was. I am just immensely happy to have discovered his music. Allan will always hold a special place in my heart and taught me that you can do anything in this short life.
It's great how Allan (God Rest Him) stands by while everyone else in the band plays their arses off ... as they glance over for the man's approval. Nice video.
Fantastic. Great extended harmonies, super rhythmic feel and tremendous ensemble. Wonderfully free phrasing. Not sure why some folks claim this is so difficult to listen to, the music clearly has a tonal center.
Well. if you like you tonal center liberally assaulted with diminished 5ths and minor 9ths, I guess it would appeal to you. By the way, human beings' speech pattern use a lot of diminished 5th intervals when they're conflicted and confused. The prevalence of these two intervals in these compositions is so cliche'd in Holdsworth's pieces that it;s as boring as a simple repetitive I-IV-V blues band jam. The b5 has long been considered "THE" atonal, disruptive, dissonant interval. Holdsworth seems like he can scarcely bear to leave it for anything more than two bars. "Extended harmonies" Is just another way of saying "playing almost every note in the scale", in reality. Jazz players like them because you don't really hear a tonal center and so you can play almost any note in the scale -- the very antithesis of "melodic harmony". It's hard to remember even one melody here beyond the opening keyboard "riff". AS far as the rhythm, you can't tap your foot to it, can't clap your hands to any discernible pattern, can't dance to it -- in fact, all I could really imagine is having an extended seizure to most of it. As far as approaching it from a guitarist's point of view, Holdsworth's style and completely indecipherable manner of interpreting and playing the licks he plays put him beyond any real value on a didactic level to 99.5 of all players. His guitar just doesn't even sound like a guitar. To this day I still don't get what he was going for. He said he wanted to sound like a sax player in interviews, but he has absolutely NONE of the emotion of even an amateur sax player. No crying bends, no emotion whatsoever. I don't get it. You asked: I tried to give you a thoughtful and truthful answer. There's a reason for the joke about how jazz players define a "concert hall", aka, a "coffe-house". People don't flock to this music in droves because I sincerely believe it only appeals to a certain TYPE of brain wiring. Most people want to sing along, tap their foot, clap their hands in what are undeniably consonant, melodic melodies centered around well-explored keys and scales. I honestly don't get what anyone sees in Holdsworth beyond the mere curiosity of seeing what the human brain is capable of. Whether it's "good" or not is, or course, purely subjective.
@Anthony Davis Well thought out critique. I feel the music has a tonal center and logical harmonic progression which however can be difficult to discern. I like the legato, non-percussive sound of Holdsworth’s guitar. It is different but appealing. There is an underlying groove with lots of displaced beats and syncopation. Reminds me in a simpler way of Milton Babbitt’s rhythmic writing in works of his that I have played. The use of specific intervals can be viewed as either a stylistic trademark or cliche. I respect your opinion of it as the latter. I think Holdsworth created a very distinctive sound world, which is a combination of all of the above factors. Not for everyone, but intellectually satisfying and wonderfully expressive.
If thats what you read into my comment, thats unfortunate. I can only assume that you found some spot-on critiques in my comment that you find hard to rebut, so youve resorted to the cheap slam? Prove me wrong.
Thanks for a cogent and equally well-thought-out reply, Paul. As i said, in the end, it all comes down to opinion, and you know what they say about that... ;) .. I just take issue with people who seem to thoughtlessly conflate the undeniably enigmatic complexity of Holdsworth's music with some kind of unimpeachable, undeniable greatness surpassing all others. Truthfully, I find more raw emotion and conviction in the simple notes of the "Let it Be" (Beatles) solo or "Hotel California" than in anything I've heard here--and I genuinely wonder if Holsworth could even competently cop those solos with anything approaching the emotion in each? If you like it, it doesn't rankle me. But it has good, and bad, aspects that both deserve recognition and respect.
Allan does not play by the rules. He is one of only a few master musicians that defy the conventional. His timing, note choice and improvisational ability is impeccable. He is at the zenith of guitar mastery along with Frank Gambale.
Great mega Chad Wackerman...... il live di Frank Zappa 'Make a jazz noise here' con lui è unico!!! Thanks for this amazing video... And more drummers on my RUclips playlist 'Percussion page' !!!
Yes, Yoshi's in 2007. Alan Pasqua is currently living in Santa Monica and is still in touch with the family. We have been discussing the idea of him recording an acoustic album of Holdsworth tunes, but nothing is confirmed yet.
ALLAN HOLDSWORTH Y SU BANDA: QUE MUSICOS!! A ESTOS TIPOS NO SE LES PUEDE PEDIR OTRA COSA QUE NO SEA ESTO: TALENTO!! SUENAN MUY COMPACTOS!! TODOS GRANDES!!!
guitar solo here BOGGLES THE IMAGINATION - even fo the most ardent and studious Allan Holdsworth follower... LOVE this tune,,,,,, what a band effort..... like a soundtrack for 007 James Bond we never got to hear.... thank you for posting
A transcendent player who still takes me to space and back. The work he did with Ponty (Enigmatic Ocean) should not be missed. Miss you AH - thanks!!!!
A valid point - just like anybody playing legatto fretless bass gets accused of copying Jaco - there are in fact many fretless bassists who sound nothing like Jaco, like Mick Kairn and Percy Jones. I saw Frank Gambale and band play once, and it was one of the most amazing nights of music I've ever witnessed! And mostly he didn't sound that much like Holdsworth.
Allan is the holy grail in the perfection of taste and technique in the "Legato" world! Genuinely awesome player and writer/composer! From the early days with "Gong" to this day I have absolute respect for him! A constant inspiration to us lesser, or maybe just different, guitar players! I thank God he never got the Sax he wanted! T.C.
Everyone talks about Dave Weckl but Wackerman is amazing too! I think Vinnie Colaiuta the best though. Here is my list On drums 1. Vinnie Colaiuta 2. Jeff Porcaro 3. Steve Gadd Guitar 1. Allan Holdsworth 2. Shawn Lane 3. Guthrie Govan Bass 1. Victor Wooten 2. Jeff Berlin 3. Jaco Pastorius
I've seen Allan play with the whole roster of drummers he had in his lineup, past and present. I have to admit that I am really starting to appreciate what Chad brings to the table. And that is a solid, precise & consistent performance. This is a huge part of why I think Allan enjoys him in his band. Novak, yes a beast, Husband, fire and random explosiveness, Bruner, a bit of a bull in a china shop & Donati a muscled mass of a drummer himself. Chad is equal to all and a gem in rank with all the
Dont worry about not knowing what the fuck Allan was doing ...Steve Vai used the self same words......he thought Allan was the best of the lot.....so did Yngwe....so did Satriani....so did Zappa.....and especially so did Eddie......he loved Allan's playing
God damn... every player in this band is crazy good, and then there's the guitar player for whom crazy good just doesn't measure up to what was truly a musical genius of his time... Allan Holdsworth. There are very few guitar players saxophone players look to for fresh ideas.... Allan was one, maybe the only one...the lick at 4:12..........ha, it's like every wrong note in the world... but somehow perfect... only Holdsworth does that too me....also it cracks me up that Allan starts this amazing solo like he's walking sideways on rice paper !
at 4:46 you can hear some poor guitarist in the audience saying "WTF?", and that's probably the ten millionth time that happened at one of Allan's shows
Perfect drummer, no egos, Chad just plays for the music
An Allan a day , keeps the diatonic away .
Best comment yet !
So true!!!!
Not that there is anything wrong with diatonic....listen to Coltranes Dear Lord ...but its still an amusing comment
😅😅
❤
Allan Holdsworth - guitar, Alan Pasqua - keyboards, Jimmy Haslip - bass, Chad Wackerman - drums. La creme de la creme.
thanks a lot
Holdsworth is not a guitar player...he IS guitar! He is so connected that he becomes as one with the instrument...🐐
This blues version of Holdsworth made my day! ❤
Not a flashy dude...a great under rated player and did not get the recognition he deserved... a technical player personified.....a musicians musician.
Chad's drums sound AMAZING
Ø very unusual cymbal sounds and an amazingly aggressive even new wavish snare 🥁
The tuning of the toms sounds different too, a kind of upward ringing synthetic sound to the higher notes.
And how the tone of symbals and toms goes together...
tuned high but played amazing
EgoShredder Just really tiny rack toms, smallest on average is 12-13 inch racks. This dudes using an 8 and a 10 inch it looks like... dope, sounds a little like Billy Cobham
Chad wackerman on drums. what a killer.... so versatile, dynamic, melodic . He's so RELAX on drums. steeve gadd touch sometimes.. also, the DW drums set is just incredibly well tuned .
similar to the Tama tones
captainbandini Yeah ..now he has calmed down .. he used to be all over the place.. I didn’t recognize him at first. No kidding..
Great drummer indeed!
One of Franks's best drummers
quite agree with you
I was a kid of 17 studying jazz drumming in LA starting late 1968. I thought I was pretty good playing in a highly regarded high school jazz band. And recording with a popular band in the Valley. My legendary drum teacher Chuck Flores was dialed into the local scene. He would send me out to see great drummers like Max Roach when they were in town. My most memorable "assignment" was when he sent me to see Tony Williams. Tony who was only a couple of years older than me was playing in Shelly Mann's club in Hollywood. Tony had and unknown (in America) John McGlaughlin on guitar and Larry Young on organ calling the outfit the Tony Williams "Lifetime". I was sitting within 10 feet of the surrounding trio. I gave up drumming after that and became a science teacher.
So wonderful yet so funny!!!
I am an English teacher for similar reasons.
As funny as it is, you shouldn't have given up. Simple as that. It's okay to be inferior to someone & use that as motivation to reach whatever level we could reach while continue to strive to be better.
Never ever give up. That's not what Tony wanted. He wants us to play. Play on brother
@@deepakpillai6384no need to be the best there was. Just the best version of you! I agree.
If Eddie Van Halen's "Frankenstein" made it into the Smithsonian, then there should be a platinum statue of Holdsworth. His playing had an immense impact upon Van Halen, Vai and Satriani, just to name a mere few. And to this day, NO ONE can do what he does better.
@Andy Butler EVH was completely groundbreaking and brought joy to millions. I mean Satriani and Vai were more inspired by Led Zepplin. Vai is in another universe. He is just exceptional in lots of areas that are not inspired by Holdsworth, who was British BTW, so he won't make into the Smithsonian.
Matteo Mancuso from Palermo, Sicily...Italy...plays "Fred"....a great tribute for Allan imho
Yea, we know who enters as "Earth's contribution for THE Guitarplayer of the Milky Way! "
Lots of copies now. But only one Allan.
@@mixodorians12There’s literally a video of Vai fanboying out for Allan and praising him so…yea…
I keep coming back to this, snippets of Holdsworth’s solo get stuck in my head and I must hear this in entirety. Improvisation at its best, his ability to draw from an enormous knowledge of every scale, mode and timing is truly the mark of a master musician. This is the zenith of unconscious competence.
Yes. Allan would ease in like a nitwit, then dazzle.
@@2wayplebney Exactly - its like someone just shoved a guitar into his hands for the first time! A tentative few notes that bear no relation to what has just been going on then all of a sudden he's taken you into a higher universe and completely different level.
I mean really Allan. What the hell??!! It’s amazing. Seeing him land on a C note made me realize he uses the same notes as all of us. I just thought...he had different notes???
Didn't he have basically his own music theory he came up with? He's crazy amazing.
Well. The diminished chords help with them. As well there are Slash Chords
Very funny😆 Most aren't aware of his incredible (Violin) playing, yes....check allan holdsworth violin.. incredible.. some Ponty and Goodman stuff😲
Karzie key off velvet darkness@@neebinmakwah349
I was in one of the concerts of this tour and have the opportunity to speak with Alan and Allan. And both sign me the Tony Williams record "Believe it"
I love the starts of Allan's leads where he always sounds like he's trying to figure out how to play the guitar, lol. Then the fun starts.
So true. "Where on to you Alan. bassdoc even posted it.
LOL! Needed a laugh since I just learned yesterday of his passing. One of the last contemporary musical intellects has returned to that place where all are loved and a I-have-so-much-more-2-learn humbleness is a good thing. Thanks to our god AH and your feel-good post.
It's like he's doing a sound check, then plays a little here and there, then a little more, then mind blowing, then beyond mind blowing, then out of this world, then back to timid chords. Just incredible.
Lol!!
so true lol
He is like shitposting in the begining and then starts to make very serious philosophical arguments. The Socrates of the guitar.
The best jazz-fusion guitarrist ever, my dear teacher ..
How this doesn’t have millions of views I do not know
Fantastic guitar player. He plays like Coltrane played in the sax.
I was just thinking that!
no.
@@uke500 NO! I hate it when people compare AH to Coltrane, or vice versa. Their music is nothing alike, they come from totally different worlds. Scott Henderson talked about this in guitar wank podcast. I can't remember his reasoning at the time, but he would agree that their music can't be compared and is nothing alike. Even harmonically AH is in a completely different world and don't get me started on solos. They are both giants though, each the ruler of it's own world.
Actually, he sounds more like Dolphy.
@@Simon-xi8tb Holdsworth admired Coltrane, he wanted to be a sax player , his dad bought him a guitar instead. So there is some connection perhaps...but...Holdsworth developed some amazing chords and the form of the music was inevitably his own. Coltrane was an influence though.
There are only innovators and imitators, he was one of the truly great innovators.RIP
Whether he played with Tony W. JLPonty UK Gong Jack Bruce or his own bands, he had a signature way of playing guitar unrivalled by any I have ever heard. RIP my friend.
RIP Allan. You were an amazing talent!
rest in peace one the greatest guitarists of all time, thank you Allan, I'll miss you dearly
No you won't... He's an immortal... He isn't dead and never will be
...just astounding electric guitar playing! I've known many guitarists and they all concur, no one has ever played like Allan Holdsworth, ...and never will. The rest of the band is just brilliant, great video!
I saw Allan with Soft machine in my teens and , u can believe me , he was already there in those years !!!! May be he was coming from mars or something similar but with a simple Gibson SG and a Vox AC 30 he was simply incredible also in the '70 . Today we simply had reached him too late ....
There a RUclips video out there in the ether ..... He's playing that combination SG / Vox. It's mind bending...
Fabio Lingua yes he was mind blowing in Soft machine , some of his best work if you ask me
You know, that's funny because I have an SG/LP with three humbuckers like Allan used and I've put it throught an AC30TB too- I never sounded like Allan LOL!! What a great guitarist, that must have been awesome to see him in those days
I was so blessed to be at this gig!
What year was this?
@@TheStudioDrummer 2009😉
I love Alan Pasqua on keys with Holdsworth. Steve Hunt was great too, but for me there is a real excitement with Pasqua on the team.
I was fortunate to see Allan Holdsworth with Jimmie Johnson & Chad Wackerman 3rd row at a small club in Illinois in the late '90's. My jaw was on the floor...
Impressive...sound of keyboard...
As a drummer you can learn a lot about rhythmic modulation from Chad Wackerman. That man can really play the drums. Knows a thing or two about tuning a drumset too...
...I was just thinking of how nicely his kit is tuned...and mic'd :-)
what time signature is this?
@@jackmercer5590 it's 4/4, believe it or else... just filled with tasty accenting.
any guy that played with both zappa and holdsworth has some cred.
@@kanasatka1 The only gig left is McLaughlin with 4th Dimension but that unit has TWO drummers.
Incredible genius is an understatement
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE, NOOOOOOO DOUBT ABOUT THAT BROTHER
I just quit playing guitar!
The man was phenomenal. Saw him live in Sheffield in the 80s, unforgettable
(I should have quit then)
I think, of all electric guitarists, Alan is the one with that elusive 'perfect' tone. Almost always achieves that immaculate texture.
the keyboardist is awesome. at least i loved his solo
Check out Santana's 'Aquamarine'.
He (Alan Pasqua) cowrote that.
***** thanks Niels. :)
Allan and Alan played together with Tony Williams...
Now somebody has to write a Blues for Allan ... :-(
Brian T
Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold could do it
@@lifegoeson2422 he's not worthy to lick the piss from Holdsworth's boots and I'm not even a big fan lol
I will and put it on my next record for Enja Records......I have written it already......It is called “Viva Brewer”
Good idea .... I'll probably do that.
Steven Seagal will.
What a glorious tone on that axe. Like no one else out there.
Years ago when I first heard him I was basically like either this is way over my head or it's just playing lots of notes and i leaned more towards that it was probably just lots of notes. Well over 15 years later and now I know for sure that it was definitely over my head. This guy us amazing and underrated.
Thank you Mr Holdsworth for thousands of flight hours in your music.
The best guitarist.
I have been so blown away from this mans playing.... i saw him live playing w/ U.K. on the pier ..... i about quit Guitar that night saying, "why do i even bother"... Rest in Piece Mr. Holdsworth
I was at this concert on the front row in Huntington at the AMAC In 2006. Alan had cramps that night in his right hand but he still played on. My wife didn't understand why I listened to him until the concert was over. Then she said she could listen to him all day. she al so paid me a great compliment. She said Chad Wackerman sounded like me. Yes I was a professionally taught drummer from NY.
I was reading the comments below and everybody's commenting on Allan Holdsworth and Chad wackerman and occasionally Alan pasqua and those are great musicians but nobody saying anyting about Jimmy haslip the man is a genius add one of the best bass players ever !
Throughout this concert Holdsworth seemed so pleased to be playing with Alan Pasqua. And quite right, the guy is a monster. I love the way AH just stands and listens to his solo.
Many comments suggesting that Allan was underrated, he was far from that, we all know the immense talent he possessed and har far ahead he was and still is of everybody else. As a guitar player, the standard Allan set is so high, that for most of us it's not obtainable, it scary as to how good he was. I am just immensely happy to have discovered his music. Allan will always hold a special place in my heart and taught me that you can do anything in this short life.
Those who need to know, know it
Why oh why did I buy the Yngwie Malmsteen REH Video and not the Allan Holdsworth one when I was 14?????
to be fair the malmsteen one is also pretty good learning material
Because if you can play like Malmsteen, you won't die nearly broke.
LOL
@Sam Choy because you never heard Frank Zappa
LOL same here
Dang that bass player. perfect groove
I was at this show. It was amazing.
I envy you.
It's fun to hear the way he navigates minor blues!
Oh My God! Watched this video at Yoshis for so many times.. never got tired. Awesome!
Thanks for posting this. Brilliant performance from the master.
GODDAMN who can jam in this tonality with that much authority???? Allan, all day long.
The best player, any style, of all times....RIP you ole legend!
Allan was a force of nature. Just like the namesake of this song. Imagine them jamming in the clouds now, they are.
Love the tone of Allan's guitar - so thick and dense.
I caught this tour in a small venue in NW Ct. It was shortly before Mr. Holdsworth passed. I am so grateful to have had this experience.
It's great how Allan (God Rest Him) stands by while everyone else in the band plays their arses off ... as they glance over for the man's approval. Nice video.
@juna wood No, I'm saying that the band is (obviously) playing at their best due to who they're playing for.
Fantastic. Great extended harmonies, super rhythmic feel and tremendous ensemble. Wonderfully free phrasing. Not sure why some folks claim this is so difficult to listen to, the music clearly has a tonal center.
Well. if you like you tonal center liberally assaulted with diminished 5ths and minor 9ths, I guess it would appeal to you. By the way, human beings' speech pattern use a lot of diminished 5th intervals when they're conflicted and confused. The prevalence of these two intervals in these compositions is so cliche'd in Holdsworth's pieces that it;s as boring as a simple repetitive I-IV-V blues band jam. The b5 has long been considered "THE" atonal, disruptive, dissonant interval. Holdsworth seems like he can scarcely bear to leave it for anything more than two bars.
"Extended harmonies" Is just another way of saying "playing almost every note in the scale", in reality. Jazz players like them because you don't really hear a tonal center and so you can play almost any note in the scale -- the very antithesis of "melodic harmony". It's hard to remember even one melody here beyond the opening keyboard "riff".
AS far as the rhythm, you can't tap your foot to it, can't clap your hands to any discernible pattern, can't dance to it -- in fact, all I could really imagine is having an extended seizure to most of it.
As far as approaching it from a guitarist's point of view, Holdsworth's style and completely indecipherable manner of interpreting and playing the licks he plays put him beyond any real value on a didactic level to 99.5 of all players. His guitar just doesn't even sound like a guitar. To this day I still don't get what he was going for. He said he wanted to sound like a sax player in interviews, but he has absolutely NONE of the emotion of even an amateur sax player. No crying bends, no emotion whatsoever. I don't get it.
You asked: I tried to give you a thoughtful and truthful answer. There's a reason for the joke about how jazz players define a "concert hall", aka, a "coffe-house". People don't flock to this music in droves because I sincerely believe it only appeals to a certain TYPE of brain wiring. Most people want to sing along, tap their foot, clap their hands in what are undeniably consonant, melodic melodies centered around well-explored keys and scales. I honestly don't get what anyone sees in Holdsworth beyond the mere curiosity of seeing what the human brain is capable of. Whether it's "good" or not is, or course, purely subjective.
@@anthonydavis9662 So in other words, you think that your listening to smooth jazz is the antidote for elitism or some shit like that.
@Anthony Davis Well thought out critique. I feel the music has a tonal center and logical harmonic progression which however can be difficult to discern.
I like the legato, non-percussive sound of Holdsworth’s guitar. It is different but appealing.
There is an underlying groove with lots of displaced beats and syncopation. Reminds me in a simpler way of Milton Babbitt’s rhythmic writing in works of his that I have played.
The use of specific intervals can be viewed as either a stylistic trademark or cliche. I respect your opinion of it as the latter.
I think Holdsworth created a very distinctive sound world, which is a combination of all of the above factors. Not for everyone, but intellectually satisfying and wonderfully expressive.
If thats what you read into my comment, thats unfortunate. I can only assume that you found some spot-on critiques in my comment that you find hard to rebut, so youve resorted to the cheap slam? Prove me wrong.
Thanks for a cogent and equally well-thought-out reply, Paul. As i said, in the end, it all comes down to opinion, and you know what they say about that... ;) .. I just take issue with people who seem to thoughtlessly conflate the undeniably enigmatic complexity of Holdsworth's music with some kind of unimpeachable, undeniable greatness surpassing all others. Truthfully, I find more raw emotion and conviction in the simple notes of the "Let it Be" (Beatles) solo or "Hotel California" than in anything I've heard here--and I genuinely wonder if Holsworth could even competently cop those solos with anything approaching the emotion in each? If you like it, it doesn't rankle me. But it has good, and bad, aspects that both deserve recognition and respect.
... Acid Rock. Alan Holdsworth & John McLaughlin. No. 1 and 2. Different styles but the top 2 guitarists. Both number one....
Toughest decision of Allan’s life had to be choosing between Chad Wakerman and Gary Husband. Such a hard choice. Exceptional performances here!
I think the consolation prize was playing with John McLaughlin that summer.
Allan does not play by the rules. He is one of only a few master musicians that defy the conventional. His timing, note choice and improvisational ability is impeccable. He is at the zenith of guitar mastery along with Frank Gambale.
Great mega Chad Wackerman...... il live di Frank Zappa 'Make a jazz noise here' con lui è unico!!! Thanks for this amazing video... And more drummers on my RUclips playlist 'Percussion page' !!!
Carlo Rodio wat?
Excellent sound quality on this series of videos ✅👍
It's pure adventure, it's the spirit of music itself that flows from his improvisation. It makes me feel so grateful and full of joy.
One of my favorite videos of Allan. Hot band.
This is music
Such a joy to see Alan Pasqua playing here. An amazing virtuoso himself (Pasqua) (Live at Yoshi's Jazz Club, I believe).
Yes, Yoshi's in 2007. Alan Pasqua is currently living in Santa Monica and is still in touch with the family. We have been discussing the idea of him recording an acoustic album of Holdsworth tunes, but nothing is confirmed yet.
awsome musicians!! Allan from another dimension. 🎸
7:45 NES game boss fight.
'Even if you played it on a saxophone'
FZ
Outstanding performance, drummer is really something as well.
Flipping heck - love this line up :-) and the sublime racket they made!
RIP Allan Thanks for the music
ALLAN HOLDSWORTH Y SU BANDA: QUE MUSICOS!! A ESTOS TIPOS NO SE LES PUEDE PEDIR OTRA COSA QUE NO SEA ESTO: TALENTO!! SUENAN MUY COMPACTOS!! TODOS GRANDES!!!
Truly amazing best of the best a legendary guitarist RIP
SUPERNATURAL AND DEEP AND VAST,,,, WE HAVE ARRIVED ON ANOTHER DEAR BLUE PLANET,,, THIS IS EXTREMELY EPIC EPIC EPIC
guitar solo here BOGGLES THE IMAGINATION - even fo the most ardent and studious Allan Holdsworth follower... LOVE this tune,,,,,, what a band effort..... like a soundtrack for 007 James Bond we never got to hear.... thank you for posting
A transcendent player who still takes me to space and back. The work he did with Ponty (Enigmatic Ocean) should not be missed. Miss you AH - thanks!!!!
RIP Allan Holdsworth..
Love everything about this
Chad Wakerman and Allan Holdsworth in their best!! Simply amazing!!
A valid point - just like anybody playing legatto fretless bass gets accused of copying Jaco - there are in fact many fretless bassists who sound nothing like Jaco, like Mick Kairn and Percy Jones.
I saw Frank Gambale and band play once, and it was one of the most amazing nights of music I've ever witnessed! And mostly he didn't sound that much like Holdsworth.
Extroadinary musicianship! True craftmanship! A splendid performance of a wonderful piece of music!
this band cooks,very amazing!
Maybe the cracyest piece of jazz, ever...
This is incredible good and beautiful.
Allan is the holy grail in the perfection of taste and technique in the "Legato" world! Genuinely awesome player and writer/composer! From the early days with "Gong" to this day I have absolute respect for him! A constant inspiration to us lesser, or maybe just different, guitar players! I thank God he never got the Sax he wanted! T.C.
That badassed drummer is drivin it on down the road.
Everyone talks about Dave Weckl but Wackerman is amazing too! I think Vinnie Colaiuta the best though. Here is my list
On drums
1. Vinnie Colaiuta
2. Jeff Porcaro
3. Steve Gadd
Guitar
1. Allan Holdsworth
2. Shawn Lane
3. Guthrie Govan
Bass
1. Victor Wooten
2. Jeff Berlin
3. Jaco Pastorius
I could watch and listen to Wackerman all day...he just makes it look effortless
listening this on my 20000$ headphones, man...thank you for posting. Feels like I am there.
Simon you’re joking right
Mind blowing every time I hear it!
I've seen Allan play with the whole roster of drummers he had in his lineup, past and present. I have to admit that I am really starting to appreciate what Chad brings to the table. And that is a solid, precise & consistent performance. This is a huge part of why I think Allan enjoys him in his band. Novak, yes a beast, Husband, fire and random explosiveness, Bruner, a bit of a bull in a china shop & Donati a muscled mass of a drummer himself. Chad is equal to all and a gem in rank with all the
Didn't Chad play with Frank Zappa?
As much as I'm getting used to the unique way Holdsworth plays, 3:35 still had me thinking "what the fuck is that??"...
Dont worry about not knowing what the fuck Allan was doing
...Steve Vai used the self same words......he thought Allan was the best of the lot.....so did Yngwe....so did Satriani....so did Zappa.....and especially so did Eddie......he loved Allan's playing
Diminished patterns based on the whalf whole diminished scale. Only with tremendous stretching way
The blues as I love it
He is amazing!
Allan the God of guitar. RIP
Good grief - incredible!!
This song is chad at his best
Wow, what a line up.
God damn... every player in this band is crazy good, and then there's the guitar player for whom crazy good just doesn't measure up to what was truly a musical genius of his time... Allan Holdsworth. There are very few guitar players saxophone players look to for fresh ideas.... Allan was one, maybe the only one...the lick at 4:12..........ha, it's like every wrong note in the world... but somehow perfect... only Holdsworth does that too me....also it cracks me up that Allan starts this amazing solo like he's walking sideways on rice paper !
Incredible! RIP, master Allan
at 4:46 you can hear some poor guitarist in the audience saying "WTF?", and that's probably the ten millionth time that happened at one of Allan's shows