Allan Holdsworth – Still Going

I saw the Allan Holdsworth & Alan Pasqua Group tonight and I must say they were quite good.  One of the highlights was the drummer, Chad Wackerman.  He was amazing.  His site sez that he played quite a bit with Zappa in the 80’s.  It is very likely that he was with Zappa when I saw him in OK in ’84.  Bass player Jimmy Haslip and keyboardist Alan Pasqua were no slouches either.

They played the Triple Door here in Seattle.  The Triple Door is a nice, modern concert lounge, with stair stepped half tables where you can order drinks and food.  It is a better venue than the uneven, generally overpriced Jazz Alley.  If you’re in Seattle tomorrow night, you should check them out for their second show.  They mentioned that they are in LA later this week with cameras rolling for a new DVD.

11 Responses to “Allan Holdsworth – Still Going”

  1. If I were in Seattle instead of Oklahoma City tonight, I would definitely go……

    Is the Triple Door the place where we saw Taj Mahal?….

  2. Sounds great. I’ve seen Jimmy Haslip with the Yellowjackets and really like his subtle, lyrical playing. I assume he still plays left-handed, with the strings upside-down (i.e. low B on the bottom).

  3. MR: Taj Mahal. I believe that was Jazz Alley, though I really don’t remember that show. A quick Google search shows that he has played there a few times. Do you have any other details from the show to help stimulate my memory?

    HS: Yep, he was playing left handed, though it didn’t occur to me at the time. He was on the opposite side of the stage from Holdsworth, so it didn’t stick out. Needless to say I didn’t notice his string configuration. I heard that there is a 25 year Yellow Jackets reunion coming up and he’ll be in town for that. Could be fun.

  4. #4 by Randalf the Grey

    Any of you young whippersnappers ever hear of a band named U.K. ?
    Their self-titled 1978 release featured Holdsworth, John Wetton on bass and vocals, William Bruford on percussives and still another Zappa alum, Eddie Jobson on keyboards and violin. This recording still amazes and delights me to this day. Their second and final release, Danger Money, is not without it’s charms, but sadly, does not contain any of Allan’s virtuosity. I used to imagine that I was the
    only person in Oklahoma who appreciated this stuff.

  5. Not my favorite uses of Wetton and Bruford (that would be KC!), but AH’s solo on “In the Dead of Night” is so cool. I’ve heard that particular solo paid homage to several times by others. And IMO one occasionally hears AH influence in some of Steve Vai’s work (FZ alum), David Torn, and Alex Lifeson.

  6. Randalf: I.m not finding any thing on UK, some info please. They sound intregueing.

  7. #7 by huskysooner

    At amazon, try “U.K.” (with the quotes).

  8. #8 by Randalf the Grey

    Also at the Discipline Global Mobile site
    http://shop.dgmlive.com
    on page 27 of mail order cds

  9. Young whippersnapper reporting in: Of course I’ve heard of UK. That’s actually how I was introduced to Holdsworth. I’ll have to take another listen to “In the Dead of Night” per HS’s comment (#5). Haven’t heard it in a while.

  10. OK, I just heard “In the Dead of Night” on Aural Moon. His solo is impressive as usual, but I didn’t hear the part that really sets it apart. His tone is certainly defining, but the actual notes didn’t hit me as completely unique. Did I miss something HS?

  11. #11 by huskysooner

    I like the tone, the legato phrasing, and the melody just sticks in my head.

    Since I don’t want to heap too much praise on the album, I seem to remember the production is really cheesy-sounding, and the keyboards — ugh. Wetton’s bass sound is wanky compared to 72-74 KC.

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