UNDER THE BLOSSOM

This is a most welcome release, not so much for the two studio recordings previous issued both as separates and paired as twoforone CDs (which have been covered here before), but rather that which has gained semi-legendary status, the BBC Radio One In Concert live recording. 'Legendary' from the fact of the dodgy nth generation cassette copies of the recording passed around containing a fuzz of sound, built up some almighty reputation for the gig. Through the fuzz you could make out both Allan Holdsworth (in the same year he had recorded a second album as part of Ian Carr's 'Belladonna') and the late Ollie Halsall (formerly of Timebox, Patto, Boxer and subsequently part of the Rutles OST sessions).

The story goes: unannounced Halsall dropped in on the rehearsals for Tempest's BBC recording, and was invited to sit in - 36 hours later he had hd come to know the band's repertoise so well, he was being recorded with the rest of Tempest. (But alas not so long later, Allan Holdsworth departed - with hindsight not that surprising). Now we have good audio clarity of that session, so we hear the long work outs of material from the first studio album. For example the live version of 'Brothers' is a long guitar duel, and an extreme rarity for Holdsworth, this duo is recorded in real time. Check elsewhere and Holdsworth overdubs any duos (e.g. 'Truth In Shredding' with Frank Gambale), or normally doesn't do them. But here Halsall and Holdsworth are on fire - the modern day Holdsworth needs to be reminded that when he is forced to take risks within seconds, complimenting the playing of a fellow musician, it work superbly well!

And other rarity elsewhere on this double set, Holdsworth plays violin, and you'll have to wait to a 1979 recording with Gordon Beck before this was to happen again.