This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)

Allan Holdsworth
Background information
Born	August 6, 1946 (1946-08-06) (age 62) Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
Genre(s)	Jazz fusion, Progressive rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter
Instrument(s)	Guitar
Years active	1969–present
Associated acts	UK, Level 42, Bruford, Tony Williams Lifetime, I.O.U., Tempest
Website	TheRealAllanHoldsworth.com
Notable instrument(s)
SynthAxe

Allan Holdsworth (born August 6, 1946 in Bradford, West Yorkshire) is a British jazz/rock guitarist and composer.

Holdsworth has recorded many different styles of music over the years, including a brief flirtation with pop, in the form of a collaboration with British funk fusion pop band Level 42.

Recording career

His first recording was with Igginbottom ('Wrench') in 1969. In the early Seventies, Holdsworth joined Jon Hiseman's Tempest, overlapping briefly with the legendary Ollie Halsall.

Following his Tempest tenure, Holdsworth worked with jazz rock groups Gong, Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime, Jean-Luc Ponty and later in the decade he was a member of the all-star progressive rock quartet UK with John Wetton, Bill Bruford and Eddie Jobson.

Some of his notable instrumental work in the 70's can be heard on Lifetime's Believe It album, and the first two (Bill) Bruford Band albums (Feels Good To Me and One Of A Kind).

At the end of the 70's, becoming increasingly frustrated by the music scene, Allan Holdsworth worked and recorded with long term collaborator Gordon Beck and one of the UK's leading jazz improvisers and drummer John Stevens.

His early 80's release Allan Holdsworth IOU included former vocalist for Tempest, Paul Williams, who remained an on-and-off presence, touring with Holdsworth and providing vocals on selected other releases during the 1980s (e.g. Metal Fatigue).

Compositions and styles

Holdsworth's compositions vary in style from progressive fusion jazz (for example, his work with Soft Machine on their album 'Bundles'), to romantic, chordal and atmospheric guitar/synthesizer works. He utilises an instrument called the SynthAxe, examples of which can be heard on the albums 'Atavachron'; 'Sand'; the SynthAxe-dominated 'Flat Tire'; and the second CD of 'Against The Clock'. Readers of 'Guitar Player' magazine voted Holdsworth 'Best Synth Guitarist' for several years^{citation needed}. Holdsworth remarked in his instructional video that he 'doesn't really like the guitar', and prefers the sound of a saxophone.

Holdsworth was brought to the attention of Warner Bros. executive Mo Ostin by Eddie Van Halen, resulting in the 1983 Warner Bros. release of Holdsworth's album 'Road Games'. Van Halen stated in 'Guitar Player' magazine that Holdsworth was a major influence on his playing and that Holdsworth was 'the best in my book'^[1].

Holdsworth's discography includes over fourteen titles as a band leader, yet he has recorded with many other notable musicians. A partial list of artists with whom he has recorded, other than those listed above, are Gary Husband, Jimmy Johnson, Stanley Clarke, Gordon Beck, Billy Childs, Carl Verheyen, Chad Wackerman, Gary Willis, David Hines, K2, Riptyde, Derek Sherinian, Planet X, Kei Akagi and Gongzilla.

Discography

Albums

Other album appearances

References in pop cultre

• The British comedy show The Mighty Boosh refers to Holdsworth in the episode "Jungle". On The Mighty Boosh official website, Julian Barratt (who plays as Howard Moon) claims that Allan Holdsworth is the only thing that he's interested in.

References

External links

Guitar Portal

• Official Site.
• Discography at Discogs.
• Allan Holdsworth discography at MusicBrainz.
• Short MP3 clip of SynthAxe solo on Radio Free Albemuth @ Guitar9 Records