Andy Summers' First Short Story Collection, "Fretted and Moaning," Out Now

I haven't received my preordered copy of the Ultimate Edition of Andy Summers' new book yet, but there's my name in his tome on www.facebook.com/andysummersofficial, courtesy of Jay Lalor!

Thanks, Jay!

--Raj Manoharan

World Gone Strange (1991), by Andy Summers

This is the most focused, consistent, and guitar-centric album of Summers' entire solo discography.

There's no flash or pizazz here - just classy, elegant electric guitar music,
with hints of jazz, blues, and funk. There isn't one lackluster tune on the CD.
It is flawless from beginning to end.

Summers' spot-on backing band includes Tony Levin on bass,

Mitchell Forman on keyboards, and Chad Wackerman on drums,
with guest performances by Eliane Elias on piano, Victor Bailey on bass,
Nana Vasconcelos and Manola Badrena on percussion,
producer Mike Manieri on marimba, and Bendik on soprano saxophone.

Andy Summers has a varied body of work, all of which is enjoyable,
some more than others. I consider this to be among his most timeless and universal.
Of his albums with a backing band, it's my favorite.

--Raj Manoharan

Charming Snakes (1990), by Andy Summers

This is Andy Summers as he hadn't been heard before. Summers flexes his musical muscle with wild abandon, penning bombastic, over-the-top jazz-rock fusion pieces and unleashing searing and flashy guitar leads, proving once and for all that he is far more than a minimalist master of rhythm, atmosphere, and texture.

Summers' band here includes keyboardist David Hentschel, bassist Doug Lunn, and aptly named powerhouse drummer Chad Wackerman, with all-star assists by Summers' former Police band mate Sting and Darryl Jones on bass, jazz superstar Herbie Hancock and Brian Auger on keyboards, Ed Mann on percussion, Mark Isham on trumpet, and Bill Evans on saxophone.

This is Summers' most extroverted album and, as such, will keep your ears wide open.

--Raj Manoharan

The Golden Wire (1989), by Andy Summers

One day, Andy Summers' Police guitar and sensibilities wandered into an enchanted, magical musical forest and encountered all sorts of wondrous musical faeries and other such creatures. The results of that mystical meeting are captured on Summers' third solo album, his first instrumental album with a full band and which resulted in his first Grammy Award nomination as a solo artist.

Summers' sparkling guitar tones lead a surreal journey into dark, edgy, and lyrical musical territory. Along for the ride are keyboardist David Hentschel, synclavier programmer Stephen Croes, bassists Jimmy Haslip (of the Yellowjackets) and Doug Lunn, Oregon flutist Paul McCandless, and drummer/percussionist Kurt Wortman. Najma Akhtar sings on Summers' cover of the Bollywood classic "Piya Tose," with Summers emulating sitar tones alongside Akhtar's beautiful voice.

The entire album provides a stunning perspective on world music as only Summers with his guitar can.

--Raj Manoharan

Andy Summers Brings on the "Night" with New Solo Album Due October 15, 2021

Legendary Police guitarist Andy Summers will be bringing on the "Night" with his latest instrumental solo album, Harmonics of the Night, which is scheduled for release on October 15, 2021.

This will be the 78-year-old Summers' 13th original solo studio recording since 1987 and his latest work in a music career spanning just over six decades. It is the third part of Summers' mostly self-recorded trilogy consisting of Metal Dog (2015) and Triboluminescence (2017). Summers is already looking beyond the Night to his next three albums, which would involve other musicians playing bass and drums and would mark his first solo studio venture with a backing band in 20 years.

Summers has described Night as a collection of beautiful instrumentals, which suggests that it might be similar in sound and feel to his 1988 New Age guitar-and-keyboard classic, Mysterious Barricades, or his 1997 jazz guitar trio record, The Last Dance of Mr. X, or perhaps a combination of both.

Harmonics of the Night will follow the August publication of Summers' first short-story collection, Fretted and Moaning.

https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/polices-andy-summers-releasing-beautiful-new-instrumental-album-harmonics-night-fall

https://superdeluxeedition.com/interview/andy-summers-on-his-new-book-and-the-police-reissues/

--Raj Manoharan

Happy Birthday, Eric Johnson!

On Tuesday, August 17, 2021, one of my favorite guitarists, Eric Johnson, will turn 67 years old.

I was first introduced to the music of Johnson in 1990 by an employee at a local cable television station I interned at during my senior year of high school. That was the year Johnson, then 35/36 years old, released his breakthrough second album, Ah Via Musicom, which achieved the distinction of having three instrumental songs reach the American Top Ten.

Every one of Johnson's albums showcases his incredible electric guitar wizardry and his soft-spoken heartfelt vocals. His latest album is EJ Vol. II, which has set the record for the longest-playing CD in any of my cars throughout my entire history of driving. The disc has been spinning in the Rajmobile for the entire length of the pandemic. Granted, I've only been driving primarily on the weekends, but still . . .

--Raj Manoharan

Mysterious Barricades (1988), by Andy Summers

This is Andy Summers at his purest and most quintessential.

After trying out lead singing on his debut solo album, XYZ, Summers regained his musical footing and redefined himself as the exceptional, unique guitarist that he is.

In a true spirit of rebirth, Summers strips away lyrics, vocals, and a rhythm section and instead crafts exquisite, intricate sound paintings composed only of his acoustic and electric guitars and co-producer/engineer David Hentschel's keyboards and synthesizers.

The result is a series of evocative images that you see with your ears. The music is brought forth with great skill and creativity and is dreamy and introspective.

This is my desert island CD. If I was stranded with a solar-powered CD player and I could only have one album, this would be it.

--Raj Manoharan

Allan Holdsworth (August 6, 1946 - April 15, 2017)

This month marks what would have been Allan Holdsworth's 75th birthday.

The late, great guitar master was born on August 6, 1946, in England and passed away at the age of 70 on April 15, 2017 (weirdly, my brother's 40th birthday), in Southern California, where he had lived for over three decades.

I first heard of Holdsworth in the early 1990s when I read some reviews that described the instrumental albums of my favorite musician, Police guitarist Andy Summers, as partly Holdsworthian.

I began to read more about the legendary Holdsworth, finally buying my first album of his, Hard Hat Area, upon its release in 1994. I still remember eagerly and excitedly purchasing the CD at a record store in Greenwich Village.

I continued to buy Holdsworth's albums throughout the 1990s, culminating with the 2000 release of The Sixteen Men of Tain. Holdsworth put out one more solo album, Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent Movie, in 2001, which I never got around to getting back then for one reason or another, and then Holdsworth went silent, save for the occasional guest appearance on other musicians' albums, as well as live performances and collaborative recordings.

I also lost touch with Holdsworth's happenings for nearly two decades, until April 15, 2017, when I read on Yahoo! News to my shock, disbelief, and dismay that Holdsworth had died at 70 years of age. Heartbroken at both his loss and my obliviousness to his life for the previous 16 years, I immediately purchased his 12-CD box set, The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever!, and his 2-CD compilation, Eidolon, both released a week prior to his passing, and spent much of the next year immersed in the guitar and synthaxe brilliance of Allan Holdsworth.

In honor and remembrance of this amazing and unparalleled musical icon, I highly recommend the following albums as my top four picks, reviews of which can be found both on this site and on Amazon: With a Heart in My Song (with pianist Gordon Beck, 1988), Hard Hat Area (1994), The Sixteen Men of Tain (2000), and Then! (2003).

--Raj Manoharan