Allan Holdsworth is Dead

[Conchis]

Reported on twitter: the former Soft Machine guitarist has died at the age of 70.

[Richard Barrett]

That is sad news, I've admired his work for many years although I'd lost track a bit recently.

[Beef Oven!]

Shocking, sad, unexpected news. An excellent musician who I was lucky enough to have seen live many times.
He will be missed. RIP

[Joseph K]

This looks tempting:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Warsaw-Summer-Jazz-Days-98/dp/B07Q9KK1FK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=allan+holdsworth&qid=1559404589&s=music&sr=1-1

[Boilk]

This looks tempting:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Warsaw-Summ...s=music&sr=1-1

Thanks Joseph. The dreadful cover makes it look like a Halloween-themed release!

The cover of None To Soon was also rather uninspiring

[Joseph K]

Thanks Joseph. The dreadful cover makes it look like a Halloween-themed release!

The cover of None To Soon was also rather uninspiring

I however find the font his name is written in humorously inappropriate.

[Serial_Apologist]

In the context of the discussion over on the John McLaughlin thread, which has raised some interesting differences over jazz-rock fusion, I just managed to find this link to a recording of Allan Holdsworth with Gordon Beck, Jeff Clyne and John Stevens, which serves a dual purpose in presenting just one example of an area between fusion and free jazz that was being explored by some who at the time were active in both fields. Gordon Beck, who seems to have learned something from Chick Corea's approach around the time of Circle (1970: Corea, Dave Holland, Barry Altschul and, eventually, Anthony Braxton ) sounds really in his element - some of the playing here is stupendous, and I would contend, profits from not being restrained by any formal predetermination, whether it be modal scales or chords-based: one just opens ones mind without preconceived ideas about what is about to unfold, and goes with the musicians, who to all intents and purposes are doing the same. Jazz was destined to free itself of preconceived directions at this time, when it had been heading this way at least since Lennie Tristano's "Intuition" of 1949. My own feeling is that any subsequent jazz that does not at least take on board some aspect of the profound discoverines that were made in that period has not faced up to the music's fullest potential; I think it puts a fresh complexion on several issues we've been talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a3yQE4eSdM

[Richard Barrett]

some of the playing here is stupendous, and I would contend, profits from not being restrained by any formal predetermination, whether it be modal scales or chords-based: one just opens ones mind without preconceived ideas about what is about to unfold, and goes with the musicians, who to all intents and purposes are doing the same. Jazz was destined to free itself of preconceived directions at this time, when it had been heading this way at least since Lennie Tristano's "Intuition" of 1949. My own feeling is that any subsequent jazz that does not at least take on board some aspect of the profound discoveries that were made in that period has not faced up to the music's fullest potential; I think it puts a fresh complexion on several issues we've been talking about.

All I can say is I wish I'd heard that album when it came out, it would have had an enormous impact! Subsequently I've heard groupings which approach this sort of zone - Billy Jenkins with Steve Noble and Oren Marshall around 1990; Malcolm Bruce, Grahame Painting and Jim Le Baigue a few years later - and wondered why there wasn't more of this kind of thing around.

[Joseph K]

… There are IIRC two or three pieces named 'Zone' on Holdsworth's live album 'Then!' which are basically free improvs...

Thanks for bringing this to our attention SA. Listening now.

[Boilk]

… There are IIRC two or three pieces named 'Zone' on Holdsworth's live album 'Then!' which are basically free improvs...

There are also some (what sound like) short, purely improvisational pieces with Allan Holdsworth on Chad Wackerman's first two albums Forty Reasons and The View, both excellent albums.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention SA. Listening now.

Indeed - it's been so long since I heard Conversation Piece (a borrowed LP) that I've entirely forgotten its content...for now.
Holdsworth and Gordon Beck went on to make two albums together, but purely structured music. And here they are doing a Beatles cover - with improved harmonies, IMHO! It's by the same AH band on his None Too Soon album.

[eighthobstruction]

.....fabulous album....

[Serial_Apologist]

.....fabulous album....

And as one of the commentators points out, the same re-harmonisation by Gordon Beck of "Michelle" as on the 1968 album "Experiments with Pops" in company with Tony Oxley, bassist Jeff Clyne and John McLaughlin. I'm just glad to find so much of Allan's work found its way into recordings, and haven't come across this later one before.

[burning dog]

Always laughed at this track from the "Pops" album. You could walk Miles in these boots, remembering that the original name of the 1958 Davis compostion was MILES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_joxPzLK-8

[Richard Barrett]

I was idly wandering through the YouTube labyrinth and The Sixteen Men of Tain cropped up so I ended up listening to the whole album. Quite extraordinary.

[Joseph K]

I was idly wandering through the YouTube labyrinth and The Sixteen Men of Tain cropped up so I ended up listening to the whole album. Quite extraordinary.

Indeed! That's my favourite album of his. Terrible shame that that was his last studio album (except for 'Flat Tire' though that comprises just Holdsworth's synthaxe accompanying himself).