DCist Preview: Allan Holdsworth @ Birchmere
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth, who will be performing Tuesday night at the Birchmere, was among the musical crop that turned jazz on its ear. After spending the late '60s and early '70s in his native Britain's prog-rock scene, the 63 year-old guitarist got his big break in 1975, replacing guitar hero John McLaughlin in Lifetime, a fusion group led by drumming great Tony Williams. Holdsworth's time in that group was short-lived, but he has since gone on to release over 20 of his own recordings while becoming one of the most influential guitarists of his generation.
"The music has changed over the years obviously, but I'm still kind of really focused on the same thing," said Holdsworth during a recent interview with DCist. "I'm just trying to find another way to do something off the beaten path."
For Holdsworth, "off the beaten path" not only means taking technique and composition to new heights, but also developing custom-designed instruments to serve as vehicles for his ideas. This innovation served him well throughout the '80s and '90s, during which he released a new studio album every year or two. But that pace to an abrupt halt about 10 years ago.
"It was circumstantial. I got divorced," Holdsworth explained. "With that divorce went my studio. From that point on not only was I displaced from that, but there was no way I could afford to go to a studio to record."
Holdsworth continued to play live, and he's finally assembled a new studio, with plans to release a new album later this year. In the mean time, he just completed a tour of completely improvised music with a progressive quartet, and Tuesday marks the start of another tour with a completely different group, featuring keyboardist Alan Pasqua, bassist Jimmy Haslip, and drummer Chad Wackerman.
Holdsworth and Pasqua both played in Lifetime, and this tour was conceived as a tribute to the late drummer, with the set list a mix of original and Lifetime compositions. Unfortunately, Pasqua will have to miss tomorrow's date due to a scheduling conflict, so the remainder of the band will play as a trio. According to Holdsworth, approximately 70 percent of the setlist will remain unchanged, with the remainder being filled with new material.
"It's especially rough on Jimmy, because he has to learn all these new songs for just one gig," Holdsworth joked.
Despite the lineup change, tomorrow's show will still showcase world class musicianship. Haslip is a master bassist, best known as a founding member of The Yellowjackets, one of the longest running groups in modern jazz. Wackerman made his name while playing with Frank Zappa during much of the '80s, a notoriously difficult gig for any drummer.
"All the great bass players and drummers make things easy," said Holdsworth. "I don't have to spend time wondering what's going on underneath. I just worry about what I'm doing."
Given the range of experience in this group, there will be no shortage of aural fireworks coming from the stage.
Allan Holdsworth & Co. will perform on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at the Birchmere. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show are $25 + fees.