Allan Holdsworth - The Sixteen Men of Tain

List Price: $16.98
Our Price: $8.00
You Save: $8.98 (53%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Music CD
See more CD details

CD Details

Music reviews of The Sixteen Men of Tain

Music Review: Utterly Sublime
Rating: 5 Stars

Holdsworth was clearly seeking some kind of grounding in the underrated "None too Soon", emphasizing both his place in the jazz tradition and his predeliction for contemplative, "chamber-jazz". While that disc focused exclusively on both hard-bop and cool elements, thereby sounding somewhat forced to Holdsworth's fan base, "16 Men of Tain" showcases the impressionist side of guitar jazz in a handful of pieces that are alternately intellectual and pastoral, pieces that recall John Abercrombie and early Pat Metheny, but (IMHO) surpass anything by either of those very very important musicians in terms of sheer melodic attractiveness, structural elegance, and even expressiveness. "Above and Below" and "Eidolons", in particular, literally made me gasp when I first heard them. From what I have just gushed out, it should be obvious that Holdsworth is much more clearly grounded in this modern guitar tradition than with the one evinced on "None too Soon".

However, to his credit, he balances out these pieces with others that recall his earlier albums (including "None too Soon). Thus there is a sense of variety here that is missing on many of his other records. This variety is also evident in the instrumentation of the album. Keyboards, digital and otherwise, are absent, replaced by acoustic bass and occaisionally trumpet (!). Holdsworth also plays much more undistorted electric guitar on this record than he has in the past. The guitar synthesizer does not dominate the procedings as was the case in other Holdsworth recordings.

All these factors combine to make this the some of the most satisfying jazz music I've ever heard. Holdsworth's usual strengths are by no means diminished here. His compositions on a purely formal basis are on the level of Ellington or Mingus, and while most of the avant-garde has emphasized melody at the expense of harmony, Holdsworth revels in lush harmonies, rolling out entirely original chord progressions of stunning beauty with every record he makes. His famous technique is, of course, the main reason people listen to him. These assets have made Holdsworth's worst releases worth listening to, but now there is no question as to the one indispensable Holdsworth recording.

The American release includes two previously unvailable tracks.

Classic Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Folk
• Jazz
• Pop
• Rock