Tony Spada & Holding Pattern

Guitarist Tony Spada has a new album coming out called The Human Element. Not familiar with Tony Spada, here's the official bio as on CD Baby's site (courtesy Surveillance Records):

Tony Spada is best known for being the creative force and one of the founding members of the American prog rock group Holding Pattern. Tony Spada is a masterful guitarist, balancing advanced technique with a diversity of styles, from solo classical guitar to power trio rock, into intricately textured ensemble pieces. Holding Pattern’s first album was released in 1981, an instrumental powerhouse that combined the best of Happy The Man, Yes and Steve Hackett and a healthy dose of American jazz rock fusion like Return to Forever and Dixie Dregs to name a few.

In summary a jem from the early 80’s that all fans of 70’s progressive rock will surely love.

Holding Pattern's first attempt at adding vocals came with the song "Mercenary," sung by Tony himself, was released as a single and video in 1983. The video received airplay on MTV and USA Networks Night Flight program. 1986's release of Radio Safe was an attempt at a more commercial course, but eventually it resulted in a band with split ambitions. Things began to change for the better when Tony was approached by California label Art Sublime who expressed interest in re-releasing the bands first album in a retrospective CD. The album was released with no less than 10 bonus tracks in 1991.

Most of the bonus tracks on Majestic were from the original instrumental incarnation of Holding Pattern. Several are live performances and video soundtracks. Also included were two new Spada songs "Majestic" and "Iraqiroll" which were written exclusively for this album. They were a sign of the new direction he was starting to take. Holding Pattern had changed to the point where he felt it necessary to do a solo album to return to the music he really wanted to do. Balance Of Power was released by Art Sublime in late 1993. Spada's first solo album was instrumental except for one song. It is an unrepentant progressive rock album, its nine songs span a huge diversity of styles from solo pieces to grand symphonic rock.

Throughout the rest of the 90s Tony Spada would be performing solo shows and concertizing with Steve Morse, Rick Wakeman, Kansas and Steve Howe to name a few. Over the years he has built a loyal following of fans around the globe. Tony's new album The Human Element has already created a buzz in the prog community. The album features a new streamlined line-up comprised of Tony Spada guitars, ace session man Rob "The Drummer" Gottfried on drums and the multi-talented Tony Castellano on seven string bass/ keyboards. Although basically a power trio, The Human Element stretches out in many directions, from classical guitar music to heavy prog fusion, Celtic and old style symphonic prog. On the horizon is a supporting tour and a Holding Pattern reunion album already in preproduction.

"Tony Spada has come up with an extremely strong solo disc that might just be the guitar album of the year " Expose

[Source: Surveillance Records/CDBaby.com]