| ALLAN HOLDSWORTH LIVE JAZZ TRIO TAKES THE IRIDIUM'S STAGE BY STORM By Richard Livsey |
RICHARD LIVSEY: Smoking set Allan.
ALLAN HOLDSWORTH: Thanks man.
RL: I was here not to long ago, and I saw Les Paul perform. Every Monday night he does two shows
here at the Iridium Jazz Club. He’s going to be 91 years old this June. What are your thoughts on his
long and successful career?
AH: I love him. I know exactly who he is and what he’s done. All his contributions to the recording
world. To everything, the guy's awesome. He’s an inspiration. And he looks really happy which is
great. I need to figure out how to get happy. [Laughs.]
RL: In rock music the guitar solo was everything in the ‘70's and ‘80's. Then in the late ‘90's it nearly
disappeared. Do you think the guitar solo will ever make a comeback?
AH: I don’t know. I hope so. A lot of guys that play rock music are really great.
RL: Who were your influences early on?
AH: The first guitar player that I ever heard was Charlie Christian. Then I moved onto the other guys
like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and Jimmy Rainy. Then I started listening to horn players.
RL: Then let’s talk about John Coltrane?
AH: He was the most influential musician in my life.
RL: Why?
AH: Because I couldn’t hear the history in his playing. But I heard something really unbelievable
awesome. And then he wrote all those tunes that killed people trying to play them.
RL: Does improvising come easy for you?
AH: The difficult thing about improvising, you try an figure a way to improvise over chord changes
without doing the same thing. Sometimes you fall into a crevice and you can’t get out. You kind of
play what you practiced. And I try not to do that.
RL: And the end result of all this musical spontaneity?
AH: You never know. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s really bad.
ALLAN HOLDSWORTH: Thanks man.
RL: I was here not to long ago, and I saw Les Paul perform. Every Monday night he does two shows
here at the Iridium Jazz Club. He’s going to be 91 years old this June. What are your thoughts on his
long and successful career?
AH: I love him. I know exactly who he is and what he’s done. All his contributions to the recording
world. To everything, the guy's awesome. He’s an inspiration. And he looks really happy which is
great. I need to figure out how to get happy. [Laughs.]
RL: In rock music the guitar solo was everything in the ‘70's and ‘80's. Then in the late ‘90's it nearly
disappeared. Do you think the guitar solo will ever make a comeback?
AH: I don’t know. I hope so. A lot of guys that play rock music are really great.
RL: Who were your influences early on?
AH: The first guitar player that I ever heard was Charlie Christian. Then I moved onto the other guys
like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and Jimmy Rainy. Then I started listening to horn players.
RL: Then let’s talk about John Coltrane?
AH: He was the most influential musician in my life.
RL: Why?
AH: Because I couldn’t hear the history in his playing. But I heard something really unbelievable
awesome. And then he wrote all those tunes that killed people trying to play them.
RL: Does improvising come easy for you?
AH: The difficult thing about improvising, you try an figure a way to improvise over chord changes
without doing the same thing. Sometimes you fall into a crevice and you can’t get out. You kind of
play what you practiced. And I try not to do that.
RL: And the end result of all this musical spontaneity?
AH: You never know. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s really bad.
Allan Holdsworth walked onto the stage at the
Iridium Jazz Club in New York City with his custom
made guitar and launched into an hour long set that
was not only tight, but explosive.
Backed by Chad Wackerman on drums and Jimmy
Johnson on bass, they opened the show with The
Fifth. Their second number was “Leave Them On”
and then “Fred”.
The musicianship, and technical skill in this band is
just incredible. Especially on songs like “Above and
Below” Letters of Marqe” and “Water on the Brain
Part II."
After his set, I caught up with Holdsworth backstage.
He was drinking a Becks, and although he only had
a few minutes. I was able to gain some insight into
the man behind this wonderful and unique music.
Iridium Jazz Club in New York City with his custom
made guitar and launched into an hour long set that
was not only tight, but explosive.
Backed by Chad Wackerman on drums and Jimmy
Johnson on bass, they opened the show with The
Fifth. Their second number was “Leave Them On”
and then “Fred”.
The musicianship, and technical skill in this band is
just incredible. Especially on songs like “Above and
Below” Letters of Marqe” and “Water on the Brain
Part II."
After his set, I caught up with Holdsworth backstage.
He was drinking a Becks, and although he only had
a few minutes. I was able to gain some insight into
the man behind this wonderful and unique music.
| "The first guitar player that I ever heard was Charlie Christian," said Allan Holdsworth. "Then I moved onto the other guys like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and Jimmy Rainy." |