#alan holdsworth

[jt1674]

[jazzdailyblog]

Allan Holdsworth: The Enigmatic Virtuoso of Fusion Jazz Guitar

Introduction: Few guitarists have had as big an impact on jazz and fusion music as Allan Holdsworth. Born seventy-seven years ago today on August 6, 1946, in Bradford, England, Holdsworth revolutionized the capabilities of the instrument with his innovative playing technique, refined harmonic sense, and limitless invention. He received a great deal of praise for his distinctive style of guitar…

[journeytothewest-daily]

Further reading: Introductory texts to Buddhism, Taoism, The Tang Dynasty (when the story is set) and the Ming Dynasty (when it was written)

All available on the Internet Archive.

Buddhism

Old Path White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hahn

Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training by Thich Nhat Hahn

The Other Shore: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra by Thich Nhat Hahn

Elaborations on emptiness : uses of the Heart Sūtra by Donald Lopez

Classics of Buddhism and Zen : the collected translations of Thomas Cleary

Youtube channel with teachings I love: Longchenpa, Zen/Chan Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism.

Daoism

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

Tao Te Ching translated by Jonathan Star

What is Tao? by Alan Watts

The Zhuangzi

A video from a channel I really like

Tang Dynasty

China's Golden Age: Everyday life in the Tang Dynasty by Charles Benn

Women of the Tang Dynasty by May Holdsworth

Ming Dynasty

The Glory and Fall of the Ming Dynasty by Albert Chan

A Tale of Two Melons: Emperor and Subject in Ming China by Sarah Scheewind

The Eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty by Shih Shan Henry Tsai

A Brief History of Chinese Fition by Lu Hsun

Enjoy the read.

[projazznet]

The New Tony Williams Lifetime – Believe It

Believe It is the first album by The New Tony Williams Lifetime, released in 1975 on Columbia Records. The New Lifetime was a jazz fusion band formed by the drummer Tony Williams with Allan Holdsworth on guitar, Alan Pasqua on keyboards and Tony Newton on bass.

Allan Holdsworth – guitar Alan Pasqua – keyboards Tony Newton – bass Tony Williams – drums

[dustedmagazine]

PAKT — Live in NYC (Moonjune)

PAKT Live in NYC by PAKT - Percy Jones, Alex Skolnick, Kenny Grohowski, Tim Motzer

No one needs reminding of live music’s absence in the summer of 2020. Those days are gone, but in the middle of that uncertain season, one intrepid improvising quartet played live at Brooklyn’s Shapeshifter lab, appropriately distanced and with a very small audience. Guitarists Alex Skolnick and Tim Motzer, bassist Percy Jones and drummer Kenny Grohowski (calling themselves PAKT) found the experience so satisfying that they’ve continued collaborating, Moonjune dropping three new concert releases in July of 2023. Live in NYC is particularly special as not only did the February 18,  2023 Nublu event bring them back to New York, but the evening was organized to honor Jones, a long-time NYC resident.

Far too often, groups of high-profile players such as this one are doomed to failure before a note is played. This has nothing to do with talent, and it’s not about improvisational ability, as the same thing happens in the world of strictly composed music. An ensemble can look fantastic on paper, but playing styles and temperaments just won’t coalesce; the music suffers. PAKT improvises each performance, and while each release to date does exhibit a similar flow, it’s only the container for some extraordinary music making, which is the band’s saving grace. Yes, the NYC concert wends its way through the metric ambiguities of a requisite introduction into groove-laden collective improv but dig the dialogue! As dynamics and activity slowly build, flare and then dissipate, each moment brings interaction worthy of comparison with the most attuned improvising aggregates, regardless of genre. At around 13:50 of the first piece, just as the evening’s second groove is being set up, Jones settles on an ostinato after abandoning a few others. Grohowski grabs hold, the two lock in, and Motzer takes on the rhythmic role of a keyboard player, accenting his way into the complexities. Skolnick alternates registers, first abetting Jones and then heading upward to fill in the minuscule spaces Motzer’s left open. The whole bristles with rhythmic counterpoint that never oversaturates, but there’s plenty of melodic interplay in the mix. Listen for Jones and Skolnick’s motivic banter as the volume slowly escalates, a fray into which Motzer then jumps with alacrity.

It's difficult to articulate just why the band chemistry is so powerful. It could be about subtlety, a strange concept to be sure given the music’s vast scope and extraversion, but even the points of reference regularly evoked by each improviser address inculcation of astonishing depth. Motzer straddles the Alan Holdsworth/John McLaughlin line several minutes into the third part just before the whole band brings on some of the syncopated funk associated with Pierre Moerlen’s gong, Grohowski particularly tight as he drives and slams those moments into focus. Each player slides in and out of transtemporal monologue, as when Skolnick shifts midstream in the final stretch from a bit of Al Di Miola riffage into some blues shredding. Each note, each drum-stroke and even the occasional extramusical sounds conjure the best elements of progressive rock and psychedelia that then open doors for so many other layered associations. Finally, after all the rising and falling chaos in context, the two guitars usher the whole thing into silence with an overlapping figure as quietly poignant as it is appropriate to end what was obviously a satisfying evening for all.

Marc Medwin

[doktordismemberment]

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

None of my friends like jazz so I have no one to share this with, but HOLY FUCK this set is nuts.... The drummer just calmly hanging out playing two instruments wearing a pirate hat while the dude in the Trader Joe's looking shirt shreds some sort of electric banjo like an insane bluegrass version of Alan Holdsworth.

And thats not to mention Victor Wooten who is probably my favorite bassist from outside of the metal world, and a piano player who I'm not super familiar with that can apparently fuck shit up on the harmonica.

[lboogie1906]

Anthony Tillmon Williams (December 12, 1945 – February 23, 1997) was a jazz drummer. He gained fame as a member of Miles Davis’ “Second Great Quintet,” and pioneered jazz fusion with Davis’ group and combo, the Tony Williams Lifetime. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.

He was born in Chicago and grew up in Boston. He studied with drummer Alan Dawson at the age of 11 and began playing professionally at the age of 13 with saxophonist Sam Rivers. Saxophonist Jackie McLean hired him when he was 16.

He gained attention by joining Miles Davis. He recorded his first two albums as a leader for the Blue Note label, Life Time and Spring. He recorded as a sideman for the label including the classics Out to Lunch! And Point of Departure.

He formed the Tony Williams Lifetime, with John McLaughlin on guitar and Larry Young on organ. Their first album was Emergency! For the Turn It Over album, the trio was joined by bass guitarist and vocalist Jack Bruce. He formed “The New Tony Williams Lifetime” featuring bassist Tony Newton, keyboardist Alan Pasqua, and guitarist Allan Holdsworth, who recorded two albums, Believe It and Million Dollar Legs.

He reunited with his colleagues from the Miles Davis Quintet- saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, and bassist Ron Carter. A record of their concert was released as V.S.O.P.

He, McLaughlin, and bassist Jaco Pastorius united for a performance at the Havana Jazz Festival. This trio came to be known as the Trio of Doom, and a recording of their performance was released in 2007. He and Pastorius played together on “Good Question” from Herbie Hancock’s album Sunlight. He appears with the group Fuse One on their album.

He formed his acoustic quintet with trumpeter Wallace Roney, saxophonist Bill Pierce, pianist Mulgrew Miller, and bassist Ira Coleman. The quintet played his compositions almost exclusively, recording and touring extensively, culminating in The Story of Neptune album.

He guested with the band Public Image Limited on their release Album/Cassette/Compact Disc.

One of his final recordings was The Last Wave by the trio known as Arcana. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[rockmusicassoc]

This Week On The Charts 6/29/1968: Donovan hits the singles chart with "Hurdy Gurdy Man". Mickie Most produced, Dovovan sang and played acoustic, Allan Holdsworth and Jimmy Page play the electric guitars, John Paul Jones arranged the music and played bass with Clem Cattini on drums - but many contend Alan Parker and John Bonham were on the session - reports conflict on who was in the studio. #Donovan #RockHonorRoll

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: August 1, 1991

Lyrics:

Don't play this game with me

You know you came to be my world

When times were bad enough

Seems I was good enough

You run out my door

You come back, and beg for more and more

Just like the times before

You'll always be

Guaranteed a place inside my heart

I would never forget a single thing

Always be a martyr to your heart

Then you'll never regret a single thing

You think I just don't care (just don't care)

The fact is, I could not bear (could not bear)

To lose this kind of loving touch (I love your touch)

Would you be bothered much?

You had so much planned (so much planned)

So take time to understand (understand)

My reasons for pulling you back to me (back to me)

You'll always be

Guaranteed a place inside my heart

I would never forget a single thing

Always be a martyr to your heart

Then you'll never regret a single thing

You hide so many years

(Hide away)

You cried so many tears

(Cried away your tears)

You think I just don't realise

(Now I realise)

One thing I've come to know

(If you stay)

This pain will surely go

(All the way with me)

So soon before your very eyes

Guaranteed a place inside my heart

I would never forget a single thing

Always be a martyr to your heart

Then you'll never regret a single thing

Guaranteed

Guaranteed a place inside my heart

I would never forget a single thing

Always be a martyr to your heart

Then you'll never regret a single thing

Songwriter:

Mark King / Michael David Lindup / Peter Husband Gary / Waliou Badarou

SongFacts:

"Guaranteed" is a song by the English musical group Level 42. It was released on the 1991 album of the same name. It was the group's first single of the 1990s and was released two years after the group's previous single, "Take Care of Yourself".

The song was written by Mark King, Mike Lindup, Gary Husband and Wally Badarou, the group's producer and secondary composer and musician. The current guitarist was Allan Holdsworth. The vocals were composed by Mark King, the verses and a duet with Mike Lindup in falsetto on the chorus. The song follows the same structure as the song "Two Hearts Collide", released on the 1988 album Staring at the Sun.

There are two different music videos for this song by the same director: “The Mill”. In all versions the songs are performed in two different locations. The first version outside in the mountains and the second in a white room. The second version contains some parts of the first. Jakko Jakszyk can be heard on guitar in both versions. Guitarist Alan Holdsworth left the group after the album was completed.

It was the most successful track from the Guaranteed album. It reached the top 20 in the United Kingdom. It also enjoyed success in the charts in Europe.

[samissomar]

"Proto-Cosmos" by Allan Holdsworth, Alan Pasqua, Chad Wackerman, Jimmy Haslip https://tidal.com/album/252146121

https://tidal.com/album/252146121

Great Jazz Rock Waves...Masters !...

[jt1674]

[jazzdailyblog]

"Metal Fatigue:" Allan Holdsworth's Fusion Masterpiece

Introduction: The world of jazz fusion is vast and often complex, populated by musicians who push the boundaries of genre and technique. Among these innovators, Allan Holdsworth stands out as a true pioneer. His 1985 album “Metal Fatigue” is widely regarded as one of the most significant fusion records of the 1980s, a testament to his extraordinary skills and creative vision. This album not only…

[thecreativemillennial]

Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth aka Johnny Crescendo, veteran activists of the Disabled People's Direct Action Network or DAN, a Disability Rights Organisation. In 2022, a movie about them called Then Barbara Met Alan was released. It's sad that Tyler Trewhella never lived long to see this movie. I think they would've enjoyed it.

[projazznet]

Allan Holdsworth – Velvet Darkness

Velvet Darkness is the first studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1976 through producer Creed Taylor’s CTI Records.

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, violin Alan Pasqua – piano Alphonso Johnson – bass guitar Narada Michael Walden – drums

[dustedmagazine]

Soft Machine — The Dutch Lesson (Cuneiform)

The Dutch Lesson by Soft Machine

Cuneiform has done it again! A more multifaceted and satisfying series of Soft Machine archival recordings is not to be found anywhere, and just when it might seem to be over, Steve Feigenbaum adds another entry into an already large catalog. The Cuneiform releases include concerts, studio and demo recordings, and while there are too many to mention, the 1967 Middle Earth Masters provides one unparalleled glimpse into early Softs as they blaze through a club set caught in surprisingly good sound. The same is true with this 1973 Rotterdam concert, and even before diving into the music, a word of praise is in order for the restoration wizardry of Ian Beabout. His recent work on Baker’s Dozen, the Muffins’ box set also on Cuneiform, set the bar very high, and The Dutch Lesson does not disappoint. The front-row taping is both vivid and extremely powerful, not to mention dynamically varied, and Beabout squeezed every last sonic detail out of it.

Those details are especially important at points of transition, as when the opening “Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album” leads first to “Between” and then into “The Soft Weed Factor.” The quartet lineup, so similar to that on the sixth album, consists of drummer John Marshall, keyboardist Mike Ratledge, winds and keys man Karl Jenkins and bassist Roy Babbington replacing Hugh Hopper. To hear the contrast between the ever-in-sync Marshall and Babbington-driven opener and the intricate and delicate “Between” is to behold a thing of rare and gentle beauty. Ratledge’s organ sound becomes more and more rounded, its distortion slowly fading into polyrhythms of delayed keyboard repetitions and luminescent percussion. Just when it seems that the sound is going to disappear altogether, so near to silence has it strayed, “Factor’s bluesy trudge emerges with perfect timing. It builds, with crushing inexorability, until Marshall and Babbington slam the groove home at 2:15. They kick into similar overdrive on a particularly maniacal rendering of “37 ½” that gives Jenkins a chance to stretch way out on what sounds like oboe. His serpentine solo eventually enters multi-phonic mode, and a more illustrative example of his improvisational chops would be difficult to imagine.

Aymeric Leroy’s notes set the stage and fill in the background, as they always do. He posits, insightfully, that the seventh album’s largely overdubbed textures probably account for the fact that only one track from it, “Down the Road,” appears in this October 1973 concert. What we do hear, an even more tantalizing proposition, is an early version of the now-iconic “Hazard Profile,” emerging headlong, with volcanic import, from “Chloe and the Pirates.” Dig the keyboard arpeggiations as Marshall’s opening roll clears a space for the track’s initial burst of groove-laden activity an astonishing 1:43 in! Yes, the drums are loud throughout, and that’s what Marshall sounds like in performance. He’s one of the most underappreciated drummers still on the scene, every power-packed roll and thud tempered by ornaments of exquisite precision and delivered with unerring timing. Again, the glacial dynamic descent leading into the following improvisation is made all the more poignant by the preceding quarter-hour of mind-stomping riff and distorto-slam.

If all you’ve heard are the album versions of these tracks, this concert will offer up a new perspective, one that hits with immediate viscerality. If the quintet lineup with Alan Holdsworth, added very soon after this concert, raised the stakes, the keys and winds so prominent in this relatively short-lived band certainly makes The Dutch Lesson well worth investigating, but there’s so much more to enjoy! We experience a band in transition as exciting as any connecting their propulsive live sets, but when has Soft Machine been anything other?

Marc Medwin

[vinyl-connection]

SOFT MACHINE 1975 - 1978

SOFT MACHINE 1975 – 1978

There is so much change and restless creativity in the Soft Machine catalogue it can take quite a while to get one’s head around it. Took me years. The first two albums explode with Sixties eccentricity, mischief, and brain-pinging energy. But then there is an apparent u-turn into the sprawling, magnificent Third; an album demanding time and attention to unpack its explorations of progressive…