Best Holdsworth clone

I discovered recently some guitarists whose phrase is very similar to Holdsworth's one. And I was wondering which one was the most influenced by master AH ?

Lucas, You forgot the "Other" for guitarists not named.

Scott McGill (Hand Farm, Finneus Guage) is dead on with the Holdsworth thing, as well as, Ron Jarzombek (Gordian Knot, Spastic Ink, Watchtower). Many players have incorporated some of Allan's voicings into their music and there are so many it is truly staggering. Roine Stolt from the Flower Kings tosses out some AH style phrasing to impress the technical nerds. I'm familiar with Henderson and Tribal Tech and I heard "Driller" from Mongol, but I'm not familiar with Heimdal and Jansson. Please, Lucas, give me some info and save me the time looking myself.

The guy you are looking for is named Shawn Lane.  He is about the only one who "really" has technique on the same level as AH, and so at times he will sound almost exactly like him save for a more rhythmic bent and less harmonic exploration.  He effortlessly slays herds of other "fusion guys" and "shredders" (including the pollsters above!) but, of course, most people haven't heard of him.  When he really gets going it can be pretty frightening.

Check out these albums, most likely filed under "Jazz Fusion":

Jonas Hellborg / Shawn Lane -- "Time Is The Enemy"

Jonas Hellborg / Shawn Lane -- "Personae"

Shawn Lane -- "The Power of Ten"

And basically anything else he has played on...

Vibrationbaby wrote: Yeah you hear Holdsworth copied a lot. I like listening to him for technical reasons only.

Allan is so much more than tehnique. Listen to "Secrets." One of the few instances where instrumental music can bring one to tears. Allan plays beyond the instrument. He's not so much a "guitar player" as a musician who plays guitar. I hear sax, flute, clarinet and piano in his notes. The single term to describe the sounds "I" hear, is; Transcendent. Pure and simple. Talk about McLaughlin, Vai, Hendrix........ Allan is the master, the Kwizats Haderach. Amen, ya'll.

danbo wrote: I've been a fan of Shawn Lane since Powers of Ten, which is out of print. He is NOT a Holdsworth clone, though, YES, he is in the same "space" as Allan. A true Phenom. Incredible!!! Unfortunately, Shawn died last year. An incredible loss to the guitar world. His work with Hellborg is of-another-world. Total improve. I would have loved to hear Shawn and Allan face off and trade 12's. However, it'll never happen. Shawn, as Allan, was unique. A player for the ages.

Of course you're right, Danbo, that Shawn is no clone!  Someone with his level of talent could never be called a clone of anybody.  I just wanted an excuse to bring him up in this thread, really.  I had no idea he died though... that's truly unfortunate -- the world has lost one of the best players that ever picked up the guitar.   His music will survive him.

danbo wrote: Lucas, You forgot the "Other" for guitarists not named. Scott McGill (Hand Farm, Finneus Guage) is dead on with the Holdsworth thing, as well as, Ron Jarzombek (Gordian Knot, Spastic Ink, Watchtower). Many players have incorporated some of Allan's voicings into their music and there are so many it is truly staggering. Roine Stolt from the Flower Kings tosses out some AH style phrasing to impress the technical nerds. I'm familiar with Henderson and Tribal Tech and I heard "Driller" from Mongol, but I'm not familiar with Heimdal and Jansson. Please, Lucas, give me some info and save me the time looking myself.

I discovered Heimdal and Jansson thanks to the only parisian prog broadcating "Progression" (that unfortunately is no more). You can find informations on Heimdal on the following link : www.lagoon.no/prod02.htm. About Jansson, he is rather in the metal realm and played with the extraordinary talented keyboardist Jens Johansson and here is a link to some reviews on the album he recorded with this keyboardist : www.lionmusic.com/Reviews/reviewsBenny.htm. If you are an Holdsworth afficionado, you will probably enjoy these records. 

Anyone heard IT BITES' Frank Dunnery's work on "Once Around The World" (the titel track)? He even names HOLDSWORTH as his chief influence. The band were a little pop, but this song is 100% prog, and technically brilliant.

The Owl wrote: Bill Pohl of Underground Railroad (saw them at NEAR Fest 2001) The late Ollie Halsall early on (w/ Tempest and Patto) had a similar style to Allan, the thing is, he and Holdsworth had NEVER heard each other and came up witha similar approach completely independent of each other. As time has gone on, I think Scott Henderson sounds completely unlike Holdsy at all anymore, he's found his own sound.

Interestingly Stuart Nicholson in his excellent (if slightly flawed book) "Jazz Rock A History" talks about AH's influence on Henderson - but long gone as Owl indicates.

Other names that have to be added because that poll is far from complete (we've been here before on Fusenet):

Elliott Freedman

Bill Pohl

Alex Machacek (McHacek)

Jacques LaGreca

Susan Weinhart

Nguyen Le

Scott McGill (Finneus Gauge & several solo projects)

John Erickson (Whoopgnash)

Francis Dunnery (self-admitted AH freak  - check out several short guitar solos on It Bites' "Live At Montreux"); similarly check on Alan Benjamen's guitarwork on some of the tracks of  the  Advent album

Frank Gambale (too close for comfort on Gambale/Holdsworth album "Truth In Shredding")

Bill Connors (post-RTF, e.g. "Step It")

And the unknown John Clarke - session guitarist who filled for AH in Bruford.

Mr Heimdale - only heard a sampler.

Steve Topping

And I'm sure I've forgotten others - then for a fuller, more representative poll add the ones I haven't heard but  mentioned about. But Shawn Lane???? He had his own separate voice, God rest his soul.

 

 

Let's start the whole thing over again!!

 

 

 

 

Edited by Dick Heath