Allan
Holdsworth proves himself to be quite the hep cat on this atypical and
uncharacteristic album of mostly jazz standards.
Obviously,
due to the nature of the material, this outing finds Holdsworth at
his most subdued. But, Allan Holdsworth being Allan Holdsworth, the
guitar great still manages to take off with delightfully dizzying
displays of razzle-dazzle and come back in for a perfect landing at
just the right place and the right time.
The
music for the most part covers the iconic works of jazz icons such as
guitarist Django Reinhardt and Holdsworth's idol, saxophonist John
Coltrane. Also featured are a couple of original tunes by
Holdsworth's keyboardist and frequent collaborator Gordon Beck, as
well as a unique take on The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood,"
which Holdsworth masterfully turns into a jazz standard all his own.
Whether
covers or originals, Allan Holdsworth gives it all his all, creating
an all-around pleasant album that should please jazz aficionados as
well as fans of elegant, tasteful, and highly advanced electric guitar.
--Raj
Manoharan
No comments:
Post a Comment