''None Too Soon'' is the ninth studio album by guitarist
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer.
Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respe ...
, released on 24 September 1996 by
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
remaster
Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used.
Mastering
A ...
ed edition was reissued on 17 April 2012 through
MoonJune Records
MoonJune Records is a record label specializing in progressive rock, jazz rock, and avant-garde music. It was founded by record producer Leonardo Pavkovic in 2001.
History
Pavkovic was born in Yugoslavia and grew up in southern Italy. In his you ...
Moonjune Records
MoonJune Records is a record label specializing in progressive rock, jazz rock, and avant-garde music. It was founded by record producer Leonardo Pavkovic in 2001.
History
Pavkovic was born in Yugoslavia and grew up in southern Italy. In his you ...
. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
In a slight departure from Holdsworth's usual solo work, the album is composed mainly of
jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive lis ...
interpretations, as well as two original pieces written by pianist and longtime collaborator
Gordon Beck
Gordon James Beck (16 September 1935 – 6 November 2011) was an English jazz pianist and composer. At the time of his death, 26 albums had been released under his name.
Early life
Beck was born in Brixton, London, and attended Pinner Count ...
.Hallebeek, Richard (11 May 1996) "Allan Holdsworth (1996)" . richardhallebeek.com. Retrieved 9 September 2014. Both musicians had previously worked together on the albums '' Sunbird'' (1979), ''
The Things You See
''The Things You See'' is a collaborative studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth and pianist Gordon Beck, released in 1980 through JMS–Cream Records.With a Heart in My Song
''With a Heart in My Song'' is the second collaborative studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth and pianist Gordon Beck, released in 1988 through JMS–Cream Records.Gary Willis and drummer Kirk Covington, both of fusion band Tribal Tech.
Overview
In a 1996 interview, Holdsworth explained the reasoning for not including any original material written by himself: "Gordon Beck once suggested that I should do an album with more well known tunes so people can hear what I sound like over these tunes. ... The other good reason for this choice is that I haven't written enough original material to fill an album." On the selection of songs, Holdsworth stated: "We absolutely didn't want to play all the classic standards everybody is playing already ... I definitely didn't want to do any of my own tunes this time." On the type of jazz being played: "It's not a
trad Trad. is often an abbreviation of the word "traditional". It may also refer to:
Music
*Trad jazz, a style of jazz music in the 1950s and 1960s
*Néo-trad, a musical style that arose in Quebec around the turn of the 21st century
*Irish traditional m ...
album. It's a bebop album, but with a wrench or two in there." According to Holdsworth, Beck's use of a digital piano (as opposed to a regular one) was something to which the latter was not accustomed.
The album was recorded in October 1994,Douse, Cliff (December 1996) "Legato Land" ''Guitar Techniques''. Retrieved 9 September 2014. but was not released worldwide until almost two years later due to problems between Holdsworth and Polydor: "I had a lot of problems with the record company. I was signed to a certain company for a world deal. ... Then they informed me that they weren't going to release it anywhere else in the world just because one guy didn't like the music!"
Critical reception
''None Too Soon'' has received mixed reviews. Chris M. Slawecki at All About Jazz likened Holdsworth's playing and interpretations to
the Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Mahavishnu Orchestra were a jazz fusion band formed in New York City in 1971, led by English guitarist John McLaughlin. The group underwent several line-up changes throughout its history across its two periods of activity, from 1971 to 1976 a ...
,
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer.
He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...
and John Scofield, whilst praising Beck's work on the title track as "well-considered and articulate in design and execution".Slawecki, Chris M. (19 December 2012) "Allan Holdsworth: None Too Soon (2012)" All About Jazz. Retrieved 9 September 2014. John Kelman, also at All About Jazz, remarked that the album had "a kind of restrained power that makes this not exactly a fusion record, but not exactly a straight-ahead one either".Kelman, John (23 March 2012) "Allan Holdsworth: Hard Hat Area and None Too Soon" All About Jazz. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
Michael G. Nastos at AllMusic praised Holdsworth's unique style, but suggested a need for him to show restraint during his usual passages and try different sounds. Jason Josephes at Pitchfork panned the album, calling it "excretable wankery that includes the single worst cover of ' Norwegian Wood' that could possibly be produced."Josephes, Jason "Allan Holdsworth: None Too Soon: Pitchfork Review" '' Pitchfork''. Condé Nast. Archived fro the original on 16 August 2000. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
Track listing
Personnel
*
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer.
Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respe ...
–
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
*
Gordon Beck
Gordon James Beck (16 September 1935 – 6 November 2011) was an English jazz pianist and composer. At the time of his death, 26 albums had been released under his name.
Early life
Beck was born in Brixton, London, and attended Pinner Count ...
–
digital piano
A digital piano is a type of electronic keyboard instrument designed to serve primarily as an alternative to the traditional acoustic piano, both in how it feels to play and in the sound it produces. Digital pianos use either synthesized emulat ...
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
remaster
Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used.
Mastering
A ...