Dreams Nightmares and Improvisations (2012), by Chad Wackerman

For his fifth solo album – his first since returning to America after ten years of living in Australia – powerhouse drummer Chad Wackerman reunites his stateside studio cohorts from two decades earlier for a collection of expansive and experimental jazz improvisations.

Returning to the fold are Jimmy Johnson on bass, Jim Cox on keyboards, and – in his last original studio recording before his passing five years later – fusion legend Allan Holdsworth on electric guitar, synthaxe, and keyboards.

 

As usual, Wackerman gives his band members the space to flaunt their musical chops, which they all do without overshadowing each other. In his final studio performance, the 65-year-old Holdsworth remains a revelation and a wonder to behold.

 

Wackerman keeps it all together with solid and consistent drumming throughout, cooking up a simmering cauldron of four unique virtuosos and serving a sumptuous feast for the ears.

 

--Raj Manoharan

The View (1993), by Chad Wackerman

Powerhouse drummer Chad Wackerman’s second solo album boasts bold melodies and triumphant anthems that result in a spirited, buoyant, and lively sound.

 

A big part of that sound are the blaring horns – courtesy of Walt Fowler on trumpet and flugelhorn – that steer Wackerman and his band to the jazzier side of fusion, without letting up on the driving force and kinetic energy propelled by Wackerman’s pulse-pounding percussion and snappy beats.

 

Legendary fretboard virtuoso Allan Holdsworth unleashes one of his best performances on record with a dazzling display of his lightning-fast leads on “Close to Home,” and Supertramp guitarist Carl Verheyen threads compelling distortion lines on “Across the Bridge” and “Black Coffee.” Holdsworth and Verheyen split up six-string duties throughout the album, but it’s never hard to tell who’s playing on which tracks since both have very distinct styles.

 

Also returning from Wackerman’s debut solo album along with Holdsworth are Jimmy Johnson on bass and Jim Cox on clavinet, synthesizer, piano, and organ.

 

Once again, the unique talents of each musician both stand out and blend together seamlessly to yield a satisfying whole.

 

And it all comes at the behest and service of the individual musical vision of Chad Wackerman.

 

--Raj Manoharan

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

According to the old saying, the only certain things in life are death and taxes. So it is somewhat ironically fitting that Allan Holdsworth transcended his mortal existence on, of all days, what is normally Tax Day in the United States of America. Thursday, April 15, 2021, marks four years since the world lost the pioneering jazz/rock fusion guitar legend. He was 70 years old.

In addition to his critically acclaimed solo discography, which is available on The Best of Allan Holdsworth: Against the Clock (2005), Eidolon: The Allan Holdsworth Collection (2017), and The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever! The Allan Holdsworth Album Collection (2017), his unequaled and unparalleled guitar playing is featured on his frequent drummer Chad Wackerman’s solo albums Forty Reasons (1991), The View (1993), and Dreams, Nightmares, and Improvisations (2012), which is the last recording of original material by Holdsworth before his passing.

--Raj Manoharan

Forty Reasons (1991), by Chad Wackerman

I first heard of and heard Chad Wackerman in the early 1990s when he played drums on Andy Summers’ albums Charming Snakes (1990) and World Gone Strange (1991). I instantly became hooked on Wackerman’s intense, kinetic energy.

I further encountered Wackerman’s talents on albums by Allan Holdsworth. I was not aware of Wackerman’s solo albums at the time, but I finally decided I should check them out, especially after reading reviews that indicated that they feature the instrumental jazz/rock fusion style favored by Summers and Holdsworth.

 

Wackerman released his debut solo album in 1991, by which time he was a seasoned, full-fledged musician at the ripe old age of 31. The music is representative of the high-tech and glossy sound of instrumental jazz/rock fusion of the era and continues to remain vibrant and innovative decades later, attesting to the timeless quality of the material.

 

Supporting Wackerman on his freshman outing are Holdsworth on electric guitar, Jimmy Johnson on bass, and Jim Cox on keyboards, organ, and piano. Holdsworth, Johnson, and Cox all shine and showcase their virtuosity and musicianship even while performing as a tight unit under the leadership of Wackerman.

 

With all this great musical talent on display, Wackerman’s drumming never gets lost in the mix. In fact, his unique, propulsive, thunderous, and rumbling sound is the driving force of the music, and his formidability comes through loud and clear.

 

If you aren’t already of fan of Chad Wackerman, here are Forty Reasons why you should be.

 

--Raj Manoharan

The Planetary Society Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program

Monday, April 12, 2021, marks 40 years since Columbia launched into space and history as the inaugural flight and mission of NASA’s ambitious and unprecedented Space Shuttle program.

To commemorate this momentous occasion, The Planetary Society, the world’s largest private citizen space advocacy organization, invited its 50,000-plus members to share their memories of that historic launch and of the Space Shuttle program, which lasted until 2011.

As a fan of both space and space-based entertainment, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share my thoughts about the Space Shuttle. I am honored that The Planetary Society selected my reminiscence as one of the member stories highlighted on their Web site:
https://www.planetary.org/articles/space-shuttle-40th-anniversary?autologin=true&utm_campaign=downlink&utm_medium=email&utm_source=20210409&s_src=downlink&s_subsrc=20210409#22

I strongly encourage space enthusiasts, especially fans of Star Trek, to join The Planetary Society. It is a worthwhile and far-reaching investment in humanity’s future, both here on Earth and among the stars.

 --Raj Manoharan

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