Leverkusen ‘97 (2021), by Allan Holdsworth

Eleven years after his Frankfurt date, Allan Holdsworth returns to Germany for a generally reserved set that nevertheless provides yet another stunning display of the late, legendary electric guitar wizard’s unmatched virtuosity.

Holdsworth and his late bassist Dave Carpenter and drummer Chad Wackerman – the latter two of whom had also been members of Police guitarist Andy Summers’ bands – form a tight unit, but each player also gets moments to shine in the spotlight.

As always, Holdsworth is a revelation on electric guitar, with dizzying displays of frenetic yet refined fretwork. Also amazing are the various sounds Holdsworth is able to elicit from his guitar, including everything from violins to organs to accordions.

To top it all off, Holdsworth exhibits that famous self-effacing humility and sense of humor, never allowing his personality to overshadow his brilliant musicianship, thus making him the true master he was and will always remain.

 --Raj Manoharan

Road to the Sun (2021), by Pat Metheny

In his follow-up to 2020’s impeccably crafted, exquisitely cinematic, and lushly orchestral From This Place, jazz superstar Pat Metheny puts aside his guitar – for the most part – and instead composes two multipart suites for classical guitar performed by five masters of the genre.

The first four tracks, “Four Paths of Light Parts 1-4,” are performed by Jason Vieaux, followed by “Road to the Sun Parts 1-6” courtesy of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.

Metheny plays some guitar on a couple of the tracks before closing out the proceedings with his solo rendition of Arvo Part’s “Fur Alina” on his custom 42-string, multi-neck Pikasso guitar.

Solo and even group classical guitar can make for challenging listening, but Metheny makes it all accessible and enjoyable with exuberant, engaging, and vibrant compositions that run the gamut of moods from solemn and subtle to soaring and serene. Of course, Vieaux and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet make it all happen with their exceptional virtuosity and their ambidextrous prestidigitation. And Metheny caps it all off with evocative and ethereal sounds that extrapolate the esoteric and the experimental and forge new paths and roads ahead.

--Raj Manoharan