BLUES FOR TONY (WITH ALAN PASQUA/JIMMY HASLIP/CHAD WACKERMAN)

Last Holdsworth's album from the first decade (of new century). Tribute album to late Tony Williams ( Holdsworth played with him for Miles Davis, and shortly in Lifetime band). Other musicians participated all are great ( Alan Pasqua played with Tony Williams as well). Majority of double album compositions are of Holdsworth or Pasqua.

I have mixed feeling to this album. For me, it is a real double album, where each CD from set are different. If first is great elegant and energetic work, with excellent balance between Pasqua's keyboards and Holdsworth's guitar sound, competent rhythm section and perfect compositions, second CD is mostly boring and never ending keyboards technique's demonstration.

All the album is very airy and jazzy. Being full electric, it have unique and pleasant atmosphere of early electric jazz/fusion from 70-s (mostly because of vintage keyboards sound).Far from early Holdsword's heavy guitar based works, though.

I think the best solution for this live album (recorded during European tour in 2007) would be just single CD with best concerts moments. But even as it is, the album remains good "jazzy" fusion work from some last years.

Recommended more for "jazzy" fusion lovers, than for fans of Holdsworth electric guitar pyrotechnics.