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Allan Holdsworth

Musician
Forguitarists, jazz fusion and prog rock listeners, and anyone craving adventurous, technically rich music.
4 Reviews 6 Definitions 9 Charts

The Profile

Allan Holdsworth (1946–2017) was an English guitarist and composer renowned for pioneering jazz fusion guitar, advanced harmony, and a fluid legato style, as well as early use of the SynthAxe.

Influential English fusion guitarist admired for complex chordal language, distinctive legato phrasing, and SynthAxe work; collaborated with groups and artists including Soft Machine, U.K., and The Tony Williams Lifetime; widely praised by fellow guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai.

Four DeBaser reviews paint Allan Holdsworth as a relentlessly innovative, technically staggering guitarist rooted in jazz fusion and progressive rock. Writers highlight his legato phrasing, complex harmonies, and SynthAxe explorations. Albums like Metal Fatigue, Atavachron, Hard Hat Area, and The Sixteen Men of Tain earn praise for ideas, execution, and unique melodic sense. Some note perceived ‘coldness,’ yet overall acclaim centers on mastery and originality.

Who knows Allan Holdsworth?

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