The Guitar Channel

Allan Holdsworth Canadian tour dates

Allan Holdsworth will be playing the following dates in Canada with Jimmy Johnson on bass, and Gary Husband on drums.

Sep 24 2009  JOLIETTE, QC, CANADA  Salle Roland-Brunelle  Joliette
Sep 25 2009  RIMOUSKI, QC, CANADA  Theatre Desjardins-Telus  Rimouski
Sep 26 2009  QUEBEC CITY, QC, CANADA   Quebec City
Sep 27 2009  ST GEORGES DE BEAUCE, QC    Canada    QC
Sep 28 2009  GATINEAU, QC, CANADA   Salle Odyssée     Gatineau
Sep 29 2009  SHERBROOKE, QC, CANADA  Vieux Clocher     Sherbrooke
Sep 30 2009  MONTREAL, QC, CANADA   Salle l’Astral     Montreal
Oct 1 2009    MONTREAL, QC, CANADA  Salle l’Astral     Montreal

via Gary Husband MySpace

Allan Holdsworth 5/14/09 review at Modern Guitars

Matt Warnock has written a great review of Allan Holdsworth's 5/14/09 show in Palatine IL for Modern Guitars Magazine. With my permission, they used some of my pics from the 5/13/09 show for the piece.

Concert Review: Allan Holdsworth Trio, May 14, 2009

Allan Holdsworth Trio - Palatine, IL 5/13/09 (Pics & Video)

I saw Allan Holdsworth's show last night at Durty Nellie's in Palatine, IL. What an amazing gig. It's so cool to see a guy like Holdsworth playing at a place that's 20min from my house. I saw him when he played there in 2004 as well. He has a great band for his current tour - longtime bandmate Chad Wackerman on drums, and Ernest Tibbs on bass. Tibbs has played with Holdsworth in the past, but I'd never seen him before. Great player - has a cool straight-ahead vibe to his phrasing and lines. Here's an album of the best pics I took, plus the one video I shot.

Picasa photo album: Allan Holdsworth Trio - Palatine, IL  5/13/09

Allan Holdsworth interview for Johnny D's TV

More Allan Holdsworth YouTube goodness.... In this video Holdsworth performs and is interviewed at Johnny D's Uptown Restaurant & Music Club in Somerville, MA on April 28th.

Allan Holdsworth videos: Live in NY 5/1/09

Saw this on Truth in Shredding: Some great videos of Allan Holsdsworth's show at the IMAC Theater in New York on Friday May, 1st. All the videos are embedded in the player.

Allan Holdsworth video: Devil Take The Hindmost - 4/28/09

Gotta love the YouTubes... Here's some great footage from last night's Allan Holdsworth show in Somerville, MA. The video takes about 12 seconds to kick in.

Review: UKZ - Radiation

Eddie Jobson is a legendary figure in the world of progressive rock. Proficient on both the keyboards and violin, Jobson played with several prog/art rock bands in the 60s and 70s including Frank Zappa's band, Curved Air, Roxy Music, Jethro Tull, and others. However, Jobson may best be known for his work with UK; one of prog-rock's true "supergroups." With an original lineup of Bill Bruford on drums and John Wetton on bass (who had both come from King Crimson), plus Allan Holdsworth on guitar and Jobson on keys and violin, UK developed a cult status following their 1978 self-titled debut that exists to this day. Though Jobson does have some solo albums to his credit, the bulk of his work for the past 20-some-odd years has been in TV and film scoring. Now, Jobson has returned with a new band - UKZ. Much like it's late-70s predecessor, UKZ is undoubtedly a supergroup. This illustrious band consists of guitarist Alex Machacek (BPM, solo artist), drummer Marco Minnemann (Paul Gilbert, KMB, solo artist), Warr 10-string touch guitarist Trey Gunn (King Crimson, solo artist), vocalist Aaron Lippert (Expanding Man, Godboxer, solo artist), and Jobson on keys and violin. After a long gestation period that often saw the band members writing and collaborating remotely, the band has produced their first release - a promising 4-song EP entitled Radiation (Glo Digital).

The title track is the most well-rounded song on the disc, making it a perfect choice for the opener. It's a heavy, modern, progressive rock song that's chock-full of all the staples of the gene; heavy riffs, odd meters, radical mood-swings, you name it. Machacek takes a great solo on this one, filled with smooth legato lines and sweeps. What's really interesting here, is the guitar solo flows seamlessly into a distortion-laden violin solo courtesy of Jobson. Given Jobson's guitaristic licks and tone, it's hard to tell at first where the guitar solo ends and violin solo begins. Couple all this with gritty lyrics sung by Lippert through a transistor radio-like tone, and you've got a great prog tune. Next up is a synth-heavy ballad called "Houston," which shows a completely different side of the band. Gunn single-handedly provides the rhythm section in this song with some subtle, percussive touch guitar work. The vocals are strong and right out front in the mix on this one.

The polyrhythmic "Tu-95" was released early as the teaser track from the disc, and for good reason. This is a heavy prog instrumental that basically throws the kitchen sink at you. Packed full of turn-on-a-dime meter and mood shifts, this is an "out there" tune that I can see being an acquired taste for non-prog heads. Machacek provides the EP's final track - the solo jazz guitar piece "Legend," which features some beautiful chords and voice-leading.

After listening to this EP from beginning to end, my initial knee-jerk reaction was "I wish there were more songs like 'Radiation'." The four songs presented here differ radically from one another, and it's often hard to find a common thread. My suspicion now is that is exactly Jobson's point. Perhaps Jobson is using this short release to showcase the many facets of his new band; to give listeners a small taste of the varying directions this supergroup is capable of going in. I hope that's the case; I'd certainly like to see a full album from UKZ in the future.

UKZ - Radiation (Glo Digital)

Personnel:
Aaron Lippert - Vocals
Trey Gunn - 10-string touch guitar
Eddie Jobson - Keyboards, Electric Violin
Alex Machacek - Guitar
Marco Minnemann - Drums

Tracklisting:
Radiation
Houston
Tu-95
Legend

Rich

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Allan Holdsworth US tour dates

Here is the latest list of upcoming Allan Holdsworth US tour dates. These shows will feature Ernest Tibbs on bass, and Chad Wackerman on drums.

Tue, April 21 – Sellersville, PA
venue: Sellersville Theater
www.st94.com

Wed, April 22 – Teaneck, NJ
venue: Mexicali Live
www.mexicalilive.com

Thu, April 23 – New York, NY
venue: Iridium
www.iridiumjazzclub.com

Fri, April 24 – New York, NY
venue: Iridium
www.iridiumjazzclub.com

Sat, April 25 – New York, NY
venue: Iridium
www.iridiumjazzclub.com

Sun, April 26 – New York, NY
venue: Iridium
www.iridiumjazzclub.com

Mon, April 27 – Piermont, NY
venue: Turning Point
www.piermont-ny.com/turning

Tue, April 28 – Piermont, NY
venue: Turning Point
www.piermont-ny.com/turning

Wed, April 29 – Northampton, MA
venue: Iron Horse
www.iheg.com

Thu, April 30 - Boston, MA
venue: Johnny D’s
www.johnnyds.com

Fri, May 1 – Huntington, NY
venue: IMAC Theater
www.imactheater.org

Sat, May 2 – Ridgefield, CT
Ridgefield Playhouse
www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org

Sun, May 3 – Buchanon, NY
venue: U-Music
www.loumusic.com

Tue, May 5 – Schenectady, NY
venue: GE Theater at Proctors
www.proctors.org

Wed, May 6 – Rochester, NY
venue: The German House
www.thegermanhouse.com

Thu, May 7 – West Seneca, NY
venue: The Guitar Factory (store appearance/clinic)
www.theguitarfactory.com

Fri, May 8 – Pittsburgh, PA
venue: Rex Theater
www.elkoconcerts.com/rextheater.htm

Sat, May 9 – Dayton, OH
venue: Gilly’s
Call (937) 228-8414

Mon, May 11 – Detroit, MI
venue: Jazz Cafe at The Center for Performing Arts
www.musichall.org

Tue, May 12 – Detroit, MI
venue: Jazz Cafe at The Center for Performing Arts
www.musichall.org

Wed, May 13 – Chicago, IL
venue: TBA

Thu, May 14 – Chicago, IL
venue: TBA

Sat, May 16 – Cleveland, OH
venue: The Winchester
www.thewinchester.net

Allan Holdsworth photos - Live at Alva's 1/17/09

I was lucky enough to see Allan Holdsworth play at Alva's in San Pedro CA during my NAMM trip. I attended the show with Souvik Dutta from Abstract Logix, his charming wife, and his good friend Powa who does all the artwork for the the ABLX label. We had a great time hanging out, and saw an awesome show. Holdsworth was great as usual, though outside after the gig he said he played terrible. Sound familiar?  Side note - I asked Holdsworth after the show if he knew when his new albums would be released. He said no, but he would likely finish them after his bands upcoming trip to Japan. Anyway, check out the few pics I took of this great show.

Allan Holdsworth photo gallery - Live at Alva's  1/17/09

NAMM Show: Day Three (plus photos)

Saturday was my longest and last day at the NAMM show. I played some great guitars, and met some great musicians including John Czajkowski from Hectic Watermelon, and keyboardist T Lavitz. I also saw two awesome performances at the Eminence Speakers booth - Chris Poland and Pag from OHM, followed by Greg Howe. Later that night, I saw Allan Holdsworth play at Alva's (I'll post about that in more detail tomorrow). Overall, it was an awesome trip, but it feels great to be home. I've been busy since coming back; I just finished uploading and organizing my pics. Check them out:

Winter 2009 NAMM show photo album

See also: my photos from last year's NAMM show

NAMM Show: Day two

I had an amazing second day at NAMM. I took tons of photos, and test drove some great guitars, but the thing I'll remember most about yesterday was all the cool people I met. Early in the day, I bumped into Beth Marlis. Beth is currently the VP of Education for Musicians Institute, but some 17 years ago, she was my private on-on-one instructor at GIT. What a neat experience to chat with this person I hadn't seen in so many years. Beth was super-nice. It made me want to check out the school again; it sounds like they are doing some great things there these days.

A while later, I met up with Souvik Dutta from Abstract Logix. I've worked with Souvik remotely for several years now, but have only met him in person once before. While hanging with Souvik, I got to meet and hang out with some heavy-hitters such as Matthew Garrison, Jonas Hellborg, T.M. Stevens, and Scott Kinsey. Souvik, Garrison, and I also went to see Allan Holdsworth at the Yorkville booth where he was signing autographs. We were like three giddy groupies waiting to see the master. Allan was really cool. When I mentioned I would be seeing him at Alva's the following day, he said "You shouldn't have told me; I'm going to be nervous now." That's Holdsworth for you - "I suck. I'm terrible." Sure Allan, whatever you say.

At the end of the day, Souvik and I saw Mike Keneally, Marco Minnemann, and Bryan Beller (aka KMB) perform at the Fender Booth. What a great show. Their material is really intense, in a Zappa-meets-prog sort of way. Great stuff. Keneally is a mad man. I also saw Greg Howe at Tone Merchants last night, but I want to give that it's own post.

Today will be my last day at the show, and it's going to be a busy one. There are TONS of big name players performing and signing autographs at the show today, and I'm going to try to catch as much as I can. Then later tonight, I'll be seeing Holdsworth at Alva's in San Pedro with Souvik and I believe Alex Machacek. Stay tuned...

Upcoming Allan Holdsworth tour dates

Allan Holdsworth will be playing a couple of shows during the upcoming Winter NAMM show, and has a European tour planned for the spring (thanks Laurie!). Here are the dates and locations.

NAMM Show gigs w/ Chad Wackerman (drums) and Jimmy Johnson (bass)
Jan 17th 2009 - Alvas Showroom, San Pedro, CA
Jan 18th 2008 - The Baked Potato, Studio City, CA

European tour w/ Gary Husband (drums) and Jimmy Johnson (bass)
Mar 17 2009 - De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Holland  Zoetermeer
Mar 18 2009 - Gigant, Apeldoorn, Holland  Apeldoorn
Mar 19 2009 - Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium  Verviers
Mar 20 2009 - Scala Club, Leverkusen, Germany     Leverkusen
Mar 21 2009 - BIX Jazzclub, Stuttgart, Germany     Stuttgart
Mar 22 2009 - Zürich, Switzerland  TBC
Mar 23 2009 - Innsbruck, Austria  TBC
Mar 24 2009 - Colo-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany  Aschaffenburg
Mar 25 2009 - Munich, Germany  TBA
Mar 26 2009 - Porgy & Bess, Vienna, Austria  Vienna
Mar 27 2009 - Die Akte, Fürstenfeld, Austria  Fürstenfeld
Mar 29 2009 - Leerer Beutel, Regensburg, Germany  Regensburg
Mar 30 2009 - Halle, Germany  TBA
Mar 31 2009 - Kulturladen KFZ, Marburg, Germany  Marburg
Apr 1 2009 - KuFa, Krefeld, Germany     Krefeld
Apr 2 2009 - Zollhaus, Leer, Germany     TBA
Apr 4 2009 - Speicher, Schwerin, Germany  Schwerin

In other Holdsworth news, Chapman Stick legend Tony Levin has posted some pics of the shows he played recently with Holdsworth, Terry Bozzio, and Pat Mastelotto in Japan. Here is the link.

Allan Holdsworth Glasgow video - "Devil Take The Hindmost"

Several great videos of Allan Holdsworth's Sept 25th show in Glasgow Scotland have been upped to YouTube. This one is awesome. It's "Devil Take The Hindmost" - a Holdsworth classic. Chad Wackerman is on drums, Ernest Tibbs is on bass. Dig how Wackerman follows Holdsworth's lick at the 4:03 mark. Great stuff....

Allan Holdsworth US tour dates

Following his Fall European tour, guitarist Allan Holdsworth will be playing the following US gigs with Jimmy Johnson on bass, and Chad Wackerman on drums.

Nov 6th - Dan's Silver Leaf  Denton, TX
Nov 7th - Continental Club  Austin, TX
Nov 8th - Continental Club  Houston, TX
Nov 14th, 15th, 16th - Yoshi's  San Fransisco, CA

Also, the Japanese gigs Holdsworth will be playing with drummer Terry Bozzio in late November will now include Chapman Stick legend Tony Levin (!). It looks like the originally scheduled stick player Trey Gunn will no longer be performing. This Japanese site has more details (Google's sort-of translated version).

Allan Holdsworth UK tour dates

Here is the latest list of dates for Allan Holdsworth's upcoming UK tour.

Sept 24  Newcastle, England, The Cluny
Sept 25 Glasgow, Scotland, The Ferry
Sept 26  Kendall England, Brewery Arts Centre
Sept 27 Abertillary, Wales, Metropole
Sept 28 Dartford, England, Mick Jagger Centre 
Sept 29  London England, Jazz Café
Sept 30 Wolverhampton England, Robin 2
Oct 02 Worcester England, Huntingdon Halls
Oct 03 Manchester England, Academy 3
Oct 04 Holmfirth England, Picturedrome

via drummer Chad Wackerman's official site

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH to join TERRY BOZZIO for jam sessions in Japan

This just in from MOONJUNE RECORDS:

"Allan is joining Terry Bozzio for 3 nights improv-jam sessions this November in Tokyo. One time only engagement, and for sure, a dream team for many, having together one of the greatest guitar players of our time and one of the greatest drummers of our time, and who knows what the future would bring.  1/2 set will be improv guitar/drums between Terry and Allan, and the second half would be improv of Allan Holdsworth, Terry Bozzio and two King Crimson’s alumni, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn.
www.andforest.com/events/TerryBozzio2008/index.htm
www.terrybozzio.com
www.therealallanholdsworth.com

    Tokyo, November 16 – Terry Bozzio & Billy Cobham (drums duo)
        (Billy Cobham is touring Japan with his Spectrum, Nov 11-16, and this is an extra treat for fans)
    Sendai, November 17 – Terry Bozzio & Tom Koster (drums/keyboards duo)
    Fukuoka, November 19 – Terry Bozzio & Tom Koster (drums/keyboards duo)
    Hiroshima, November 20 – Terry Bozzio & Tom Koster (drums/keyboards duo)
    Tokyo, November 22 – Terry Bozzio & Akira Jimbo (drums duo)
    Nagoya, November 25 – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
    Osaka, November 26 – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
    Tokyo, November 27: 1st set – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
                                2nd set – Allan Holdsworth with Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
    Tokyo, November 28: 1st set – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
                                2nd set – Allan Holdsworth with Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
    Tokyo, November 29: 1st set – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
                                2nd set – Allan Holdsworth with Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn

Before that, there will be a UK tour of Allan Holdsworth Band (september 23 - October 4), dates to be announced soon.

Few more gigs to be added in Southern California in September. "

Sounds very interesting. Check out this Japanese site for exact venue information.

UPDATE: Tony Levin will be replacing Trey Gunn for these shows.

Classic Holdsworth video

This old gem just popped up on YouTube. This is Soft Machine from 1975 with Allan Holdsworth on guitar. In my opinion, Holdsworth's work with this band represents the pinnacle of his 1970s output (I know, I know...the Tony Williams stuff was awesome too). This song is called "Bundles." Dig it...

Review: Chris Buck - Progasaurus

LA-based session musician Chris Buck has brought together some of the biggest names in prog-fusion for his new album Progasaurus (Early Boy Records). A largely vocal album (there is one instrumental), Progasaurus has elements that will appeal to both old-school and new-school progressive rock fans. One look at the album's personnel should give you a clue about what you are in for - Derek Sherinian (Planet X, Billy Idol) plays keyboards, the drumming duties are split between Virgil Donati (Planet X, Devil's Slingshot, CAB) and Brian Tichy (Derek Sherinian, Billy Idol), and Brett Garsed (Uncle Moe's Space Ranch, Dirty Martini, Planet X) plays guitar on every track except "Kanines," which features Allan Holdsworth. Buck wrote the majority of the tracks (there is one cover), handles all bass and vocals, and plays some rhythm guitar. 

One would assume a strong Planet X-vibe would be present on Progasaurus, given the musicians Buck has enlisted here. There's certainly some truth to that, but Buck's writing and vocals is the X-factor (so to speak) that keeps the album from being a Planet X clone. As a vocalist, Buck has a definite Brad Delp-meets-Steve Walsh quality. This, coupled with his writing style, adds a certain classic rock/'70s prog flavor to the proceedings. Buck is also a great bass player, but surprisingly he only takes two solos on the album. Songwriting is obviously Buck's main focus on this project, but after hearing his great slap-solo on the album's second track "Imprint," I was hoping his bass work would be more prominently-featured than it ultimately is. That said, this is a prog-rock album after all, and as such there are some pretty complex parts in these songs for every instrument, including the bass. 

Stylistically, Progasaurus features lots of heavy doubled riffs, odd time signatures,  and crazy solos. In other words, this material is right up Derek Sherinian's alley. His contributions have a huge impact here. The solos he takes on the final two tracks, "Progasaurus," and "Inside/Outside," are particularly impressive. Donati and Tichy turn in great performances as well, especially on the odd time stuff.

Also, this album is further proof that Brett Garsed is one of the top guitarists on the rock/fusion scene today. One of Garsed's great strengths is his chameleon-like ability to fit in perfectly in any musical situation. For example - compare and contrast his subtle slide work on the ballad "La Mere En Douler," with his complex lines on "Imprint," or his bluesy inflections on the straight-up rocker "The Gator." Who else but Garsed could wear all these hats so convincingly? To me, his range as a player is at least as impressive as his signature hybrid-picking technique. Garsed stands out on numerous other songs as well, including "Inside/Outside," the instrumental title track, and the Jimi Hendrix cover "Up From The Skies."

Another player on Progasaurus that is sure to generate some interest is, of course, Allan Holdsworth. "Kanines" is the only track the legendary guitarist appears on, but any output from this icon is a welcome treat, and he does not disappoint here. Holdsworth takes two great solos on this tune - first, in the very interesting main solo section over alternating segments of 7/4 and 5/4, and again at the end over the song's primary 4/4 groove. As always, his tone is gorgeous, his phrases are strong, and his fast runs are baffling.

Buck definitely knows what he's doing when it come to writing this type of material. While any prog fan would enjoy these songs, regardless of who was playing on them, the fact that Progasaurus features such an impressive group of musicians really sweetens the pot.

Chris Buck - Progasaurus (Early Boy Records)

Tracklisting:
1. One Squared
2. Imprint
3. La Mere En Douler
4. Kanines
5. Ende Von Tagen
6. Up From The Skies
7. The Gator
8. Progasaurus
9. Inside/Outside

Rich

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Allan Holdsworth - Carvin DVD clip

Allan Holdsworth talks about his Carvin HF2 Fatboy guitar. This clip is taken from the free Carvin DVD available at http://www.carvin.com/dvd.

Brett Garsed to appear on new Ioannis Anastassakis album

Greek flamenco/rock guitarist Ioannis Anastassakis has announced his upcoming electric CD will feature a guest appearance by Brett Garsed.

FYI - Garsed can also be heard on the new Doug Ross and Chris Buck albums (Holdsworth appears on the Buck album as well).

via Truth In Shredding