Blues For Tony [Live]

This is a stunning collection of performances...These gentlemen have some serious chemistry...the mix is beautifully clean and edgy...each instrument leaps out from the speakers...this is the kind of live recording that actually brings you into the energy of great performance...honestly, I get chills listening to this, as it feels like I am in the room with the players...Allan Holdsworth has never sounded better, and he is always brilliant...Alan Pasqua's playing is so lovely and textured...Jimmy Haslip is great... and Chad Wackerman is completely in his element here...it sound as if this band has been playing together for decades, but that is not the case...Tony Williams would be very proud of this tribute to the man and his music. Definitely my favorite recording that I've heard this year...

After all this years, it's really a pleasure to listen continuously to such a professional and matured guitar player like Allan Holdsworth in this new double CD. The first time I listened him was in 1977 in the first Bill Bruford solo album (FEELS GOOD TO ME); since then, the reality is that Holdsworth hasn't stopped to grow through giantic steps, showing in the process that there's not exist only the "box" to create and improvise an unusual but effective guitar solos. In this CD you will listen a more intelligent and accurate Allan Holdsworth being very supportive with his partner musicians track by track. And that's the magic in a musical situation, to be and to let them be, as free as the music that they play.

The creative drummer Chad Wackerman (Former member of Frank Zappa) contributes with "The Fifth" a fusion piece that really grooves with the audience. It reminds me a bit the track "Tell Me", played back then in 90's with the Holdsworth band too (Do you remember it?). As always, fellow keyboardist Alan Pasqua shows why he's an extraordinary asset for the band, bringing pieces like "San Michele", "Blues For Tony" and the tour de force "Proto-cosmos", played as well by Holdsworth at his usual gigs since then (see the Allan Holdsworth DVD from 1992. Five Stars!). Jimmy Haslip a well known bassist in the Jazz circuits (because his dexterity with Yellow Jackets), plays really like a big experimented musician. And the good A. Holdsworth, contributed with themes like "Looking Glass" from the ATAVACHRON album (1986), "Pud Wud" from the "SAND" album (1987) and the classic "Fred" extracted from his first solo album VELVET DARKNESS (1975),("Kinder" at a different pace); and "Red Alert", from the Tony Williams BELIEVE IT album. Finally to be the complement of it all, are the songs "It must Be Jazz" and "To Jakie, George And Thad" (an acoustic piano solo piece of Alan Pasqua).

This concert series, dedicated to the great drummer Tony Williams, were played during the 2006 Allan Holdsworth tour but released on DVD until 2007. The quality sound of this double CD is as incredible good as the sound of the last live records Holdsworth has, like ALL NIGHT WRONG (2002) or THEN! (2003) if you have listened them; where every instrument is well mixed, clear and with a great volume output. So if you loved the Allan Holdsworth playing, this is a good opportunity to listen him again, but if you don't know him this will be a big opportunity to be part of something extraordinary in a Jazz fusion format. Don't miss this opportunity!... Good Luck! and may the good music be with you...always!

Great stuff; all players performing passionately, and Pasqua continues to impress. Speaking of impressive, Amazon offers this download for $ELEVEN LESS than iTunes - go figure...

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