One can never know what to expect from progressive rock side projects. Sometimes you hit a golden era in music, such as Bill Bruford’s (King Crimson, Yes) sensational fusion band, “Bruford.” Sometimes, you get a project like Liquid Tension Experiment (Dream Theater, King Crimson) whose fan base is limited to the die-hard fans of the bands it spawned from. Sometimes you get just a halfway decent set of output from musicians you appreciate, as is the case with A Perfect Circle (Tool, Primus), or Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, which although decent, doesn’t match the excellence of Les’ beloved brainchild.
There is one thing we can count on. If Allan Holdsworth gets hired, everyone gets excited.
Allan Holdsworth, one of the most underplayed guitar sensations in the world, has teamed up with Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa), Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mr. Mister), and Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) for an improvisational tour which began last month.
“So you know, we were [on stage] completely unprepared, and just played whatever came to us. That’s why you probably didn’t get it.” Continue Reading
Jan
21
2010
Jan
02
2010
Category : Other Writers
By 1982 I’d been playing my Gibson guitar for over 20 years. I love this guitar! I know her and she knows me. It’s a relationship based on trust, understanding, and time. Don’t tell her this, but she was not my first or even second love.
Imagine this scenario: Eighteen years old, just out of high school, and trying to decide what to do with my life. I knew I wanted to play guitar but should I go to college and get a degree “to have something to fall back on” as my parents used to say- kind of a built-in failure mechanism if you think about it- or should I begin getting experience playing?
Colleges in those days (1962) didn’t offer degrees in jazz guitar. I couldn’t see spending four years at a college where jazz wasn’t accepted and you had to study classical guitar to get a degree. It wasn’t for me. I decided to learn by playing local jobs, practicing and asking questions, which I still do today. To supplement my income, I took a job at a local music store where I gave lessons. Not bad for the time, about $8 an hour, and 15 or 16 hours a week. Continue Reading