Holdsworth's guitar disciples (Kotzen, Poland, Howe, Gabel)

[CosmoNaut]

I remember getting Richie Kotzen's 'Inner Galactic Fusion Experience' in '95 and instantly digging it because it reminded me of my favorite Holdsworth period ca. late 70's/early '80s. Richie was clearly going for a UK/Bruford type thing - he even had Jeff Berlin play bass on a couple of tracks, including 'Pulse'.




Chris Poland I have been in awe of ever since his Megadeth days - there was no other fusion guy playing in such a heavy band at the time. Chris has only gotten better since - his technique is mindboggling! Poland, to me, is like a bluesier Holdsworth, and one of the most unique guitar players alive. Check out his fusion trio, OHM!



Greg Howe is simply a legato monster, not dissimilar to Richie Kotzen, with whom he recorded in the 90's for Shrapnel. His fluidity is on par with Holdsworth IMO. Excellent cover of the Lifetime classic 'Proto-Cosmos' w/ Victor Wooten on bass and Dennis Chambers on drums




Finally, Darryl Gabel is just a sick puppy. Anyone that can pull off Holdsworth note-for-note is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4bia9RXYvU!

[Zeuhlmate]

alex machacek
robert blennerhed

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Step-It era Bill Connors. He had a pretty unique voice until he went into Holdsworth copycat mode.

[markwoll]

The unknown John Clark
Carl Verheyen ( to a certain extent )

[Sputnik]

Scott McGill. Basically worships at the altar of Holdsworth, but I like his playing and think it fits with the music I have that he's on (Finneus Gauge, Jones/McGill/DeCarlo, and I think some other stuff).

Bill

[Dave (in MA)]

[Sputnik]

Step-It era Bill Connors. He had a pretty unique voice until he went into Holdsworth copycat mode.

I'd never heard this album before, but I sampled it on Youtube yesterday and this morning. I actually really like it. Totally agree about the Holdsworth vibe, but for whatever reason, this stuff connects with me in a way a lot of the Holdsworth solo stuff does not. I'm seriously considering picking it up.

Bill

[Zeuhlmate]

I'd never heard this album before, but I sampled it on Youtube yesterday and this morning. I actually really like it. Totally agree about the Holdsworth vibe, but for whatever reason, this stuff connects with me in a way a lot of the Holdsworth solo stuff does not. I'm seriously considering picking it up.

Bill

I have all 3 and think they are quite good. Like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1qNbcCtU7U

[Guitarplyrjvb]

I'd never heard this album before, but I sampled it on Youtube yesterday and this morning. I actually really like it. Totally agree about the Holdsworth vibe, but for whatever reason, this stuff connects with me in a way a lot of the Holdsworth solo stuff does not. I'm seriously considering picking it up.

Bill

It's wierd. He had his own thing going in the Return to Forever era and then he stepped into Holdsworth's shoes. There's another record I have by him in a similar vein: Assembler. I like 'em both, but find I liked Connor's better when he had his own voice. Didn't know he had done a 3rd one like this!

[Zeuhlmate]

Does Connor have his own voice?
RTF
Then his ECM acoustic period
Then the Holdsworth inspired era
And today more traditional mainstreamish fusion

btw - he is not half as fast or controlled as AH, but even that is also ok.

[Sputnik]

It's wierd. He had his own thing going in the Return to Forever era and then he stepped into Holdsworth's shoes. There's another record I have by him in a similar vein: Assembler. I like 'em both, but find I liked Connor's better when he had his own voice. Didn't know he had done a 3rd one like this!

Yeah, Zeuhlmate's link led to Assembler, which is the third one, and Double Up is from 1986, making it the second after Step It. From the bits I've sampled, I think I like Step It best, so I'm going to start there, and if I really dig it I may wind up getting all three.

I've always been a little mixed on Connors in RTF. I have no real issue with his playing, but he's never stood out to me as some giant either. Sometimes his intonation is a bit out to my ears as well. There's one song on Hymn, either theme to the Mothership or Space Circus, can't recall exactly which, where I really hear this and it bugs me. I personally have always felt DiMeola was much better than Connors in RTF, but there are a bunch of people on this site whose opinions I respect who disagree strongly. It leaves me scratching my head what I might be missing, but then I listen again and it's always the same result. I actually listened to a RTF Youtube clip with Connors this morning, and again, just don't hear anything super special about his playing - though nothing wrong with it either. DiMeola just seems much more forceful and memorable to me.

But I'm really digging what Connors does on Step It.

Bill

[Zeuhlmate]

IMO Connors in RTF has way more 'nerve' that DiMeola. More alive, risking something, also playing the wrong notes. An his sound is a tube amp turned well up, where as DiMeola has a humming distortion pedal doing this job for him. DiMeola is the much better technician, clean & speedy, but it gets a little boring / safe to these ears in comparison.

Holdsworth is in a different league.

[Plasmatopia]

IMO Connors in RTF has way more 'nerve' that DiMeola. More alive, risking something, also playing the wrong notes. An his sound is a tube amp turned well up, where as DiMeola has a humming distortion pedal doing this job for him. DiMeola is the much better technician, clean & speedy, but it gets a little boring / safe to these ears in comparison.

Holdsworth is in a different league.

^^^ This. DiMeola just seems safer and more controlled. They're both great for different reasons.

[Plasmatopia]

There is also Richard Hallebeek which I'm sure many of you already know of. He's on Lalle Larsson's fusion albums:




(The synth runs around the 6:45 mark are insane.)

[nosebone]

Scott McGill. Basically worships at the altar of Holdsworth, but I like his playing and think it fits with the music I have that he's on (Finneus Gauge, Jones/McGill/DeCarlo, and I think some other stuff).

Bill

First guy I thought of.

I saw him with Finneus Gauge in the late 90s and he sounded so much like Holdsworth.

There was another Holdsy clone from Boston in the 80s who went by the name Mr. Wizard.

I saw him open for Allan at Johnathon Swifts around 1984-5.

[Reid]

Scott Henderson, whose volume swelled chordal playing reminds me of Holdsworth. But other than that, Scott has his own sound, and employs a lot of blues vocabulary. And maybe too much Jeff Beck influence these days? I tend to listen to the earlier Tribal Tech stuff where it wasn't so obvious. But I love him to death! Great musician and composer.

[Sputnik]

IMO Connors in RTF has way more 'nerve' that DiMeola. More alive, risking something, also playing the wrong notes. An his sound is a tube amp turned well up, where as DiMeola has a humming distortion pedal doing this job for him. DiMeola is the much better technician, clean & speedy, but it gets a little boring / safe to these ears in comparison.

^^^ This. DiMeola just seems safer and more controlled. They're both great for different reasons.

Interesting. I largely agree with your analyses, I must just disagree about the conclusions. I guess I like it to sound more "in control," which DiMeola definitely does. In the end, though, I'd agree with "great for different reasons," and different people just prefer different things.

Bill

[Plasmatopia]

"...and different people just prefer different things."

I can't explain it, but I think I've long had a preference for guitarists who come across as more on the edge of losing control and/or have some imperfections in their soloing that show they are at the edge of their abilities. Or at the very least keep from sounding to stale or freeze-dried. That's at the heart of why I'm not a huge fan of Steve Morse. Nothing is ever out of place with him. One of my favorite things I've heard from him is the live stuff with Flying Colors. His soloing isn't quite so polished and he sounds like he's taking chances (but just a little...he's a very accomplished player, obviously).

[progmatist]

Another one is Christian guitarist extraordinaire Phil Keaggy. In the late 70s, early 80s, he developed a very Holdsworthesque style.

[interbellum]

Nico Stufano (from the album Waiting For...):



Alan Murphy:



Jakko Jakszyk:

[100423]

Scott Jones is a great player in the Holdsworthian style at times.

https://scottjonesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/remember

[arabicadabra]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVGNE5vvTQk

Another one is Christian guitarist extraordinaire Phil Keaggy. In the late 70s, early 80s, he developed a very Holdsworthesque style.

[Finch Platte]

I'd never heard this album before, but I sampled it on Youtube yesterday and this morning. I actually really like it. Totally agree about the Holdsworth vibe, but for whatever reason, this stuff connects with me in a way a lot of the Holdsworth solo stuff does not. I'm seriously considering picking it up.

Bill

Good way to put it, and I feel the same. I've got BC's Assembler, Step It and Double Up. Great discs!

[MJBrady]

Hirofumi Mitoma / guitars - from the band Mongol
Alex machacek
Stornello
John Erickson - Whoopgnash
Bill Pohl
James Muller - (chad wackerman band)
Brett Garsed
Jac LaGreca
Susan Weinert
Benny Jansson
Ronny Heimdal
Tsutomu Kurihara - Lu7
Joe Chawki
Richard Hallebeek
Antti Kotikoski
Alan Hinds
Steve Topping

[interbellum]

Hirofumi Mitoma / guitars - from the band Mongol
Alex machacek
Stornello
John Erickson - Whoopgnash
Bill Pohl
James Muller - (chad wackerman band)
Brett Garsed
Jac LaGreca
Susan Weinert
Benny Jansson
Ronny Heimdal
Tsutomu Kurihara - Lu7
Joe Chawki
Richard Hallebeek
Antti Kotikoski
Alan Hinds
Steve Topping

Glad you took the time
They're all in my collection and indeed partly because of their AH-vibe.

One of the many additions I could make is Alex Milella, who recorded the track "Allan's Worth (To Allan Holdsworth)" on his album "Light Shades":