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Gong with Allan Holdsworth

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Pierre Moerlen's Gong is a progressive jazz-rock outfit which is very different from the first incarnation of Gong, the psychedelic space-rock act led by Daevid Allen. It is notable for the prominent use of mallet percussion, such as marimba, xylophone, and vibraphone featured in a rock/jazz context, making for a very distinctive and unusual sound that could have been classified as warmer and more melodic than most typical fusion could be.Amid a flurry of lineup changes in the mid-1970s, including the departure of founding members Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth, Gong drummer Pierre Moerlen found himself in charge of the band and with two albums remaining on their Virgin recording contract.Moerlen formed a new Gong lineup featuring his brother Benoit on mallet percussion, US-born bassist Hansford Rowe and a rotating cast of session guitarists, notably Allan Holdsworth, Mike Oldfield, ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, and Bon Lozaga.They released two albums under the Gong moniker, Gazeuse! (called Expresso in North America) in 1977 and then Expresso II in 1978. Following the completion of the Virgin contract, Moerlen changed the name of the group to Pierre Moerlen's Gong, presumably to distance itself from its very different previous incarnation. In early 1979, the group released Downwind, which was a more rock/pop flavoured album that featured occasional lead vocals by Moerlen himself and a cameo by Steve Winwood. Later in 1979 they released another album, Time is the Key, that took the band further into pop/rock territory. The live album "PM's Gong Live" was released in 1980, followed later that year by another studio album Leave It Open. By this point, Pierre Moerlen's incarnation of Gong scaled back its activity greatly, not releasing another record until 1986's Scientology-inspired Breakthrough. The group quietly disbanded soon after.Lozaga, Rowe, and Benoit Moerlen went on to form Gongzilla in the early 1990s, releasing four albums to date which are very much an extension of the percussive fusion that the original group brought to the fold, and they perform a mix of new and old live material going back to the Gazeuse/Expresso II period.Pierre Moerlen died unexpectedly on May 3, 2005 of natural causes. It is said that he was considering joining the members of Gongzilla and reforming PM's Gong.Those happening upon Gong circa 1976 would be hard pressed to draw any connection to the Gong of just two years before. With most of the original members gone (though surprisingly, old bassist Francis Moze replaces Mike Howlett here), GAZEUSE marks the full and final transformation of Gong from spacy/psychedelic hippies to serious, cerebral jazz-rock fusion band. In a genre where technique is all, it's fortunate that all the members were extremely gifted players (and no compositional slouches either). In addition to drummer Pierre Moerlen (who would soon emerge as Gong Mark II's leader) and mallet percussionist Mirielle Bauer, percussionists Mino Cinelu and Benoit Moerlen were added. So even though new member/future fusion demigod Allan Holdsworth contributes plenty of lightning-fast guitar work, the dominant force here is percussion. Consequently, much of GAZEUSE is funky and propulsive in a way the bulk of '70s fusion wasn't. Radio Gnome Trilogy fans may not feel at home here, but anyone with a taste for arty jazz-rock should partake of GAZEUSE's often overlooked sonic treasures.

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Member Since: 06/03/2007
Band Members: Gazeuse! or Expresso I: Didier Malherbe, tenor sax, flute; Pierre Moerlen, drums, vibraphone, marimba, timpani, glockenspiel; Allan Holdsworth, guitars, violin, pedal steel; Mireille Bauer, vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, toms; Benoit Moerlen, vibraphone; Mino Cinelou, percussionExpresso II finds Pierre Moerlen's Gong at their peak. Like their previous studio release, Gazeuse!, the album is instrumental, the music is very polished, the sound very clean. Vibes and xylophone dominate on this album, somewhat reminiscent of the sound Zappa achieved through Ruth Underwood on One Size Fits All just three years earlier. The first two tracks, "Heavy Tune" and "Golden Dilemma," are the highlights here, partially due to the fact that the rest of the cuts all blend together and sound quite similar. The listener is pleasantly assaulted with a barrage of vibes, yet what a unique sound it is when heard on a rock-oriented album. Guitar combos rarely get much better than on "Heavy Tune," as Mick Taylor rips out leads over Allan Holdsworth's grinding rhythm guitar. The collective guitar sound achieved is one of restrained power; however, the piece can comparatively be considered a rocker. Gong shifts to a different gear with the following track, "Golden Dilemma," a faster-paced, jazzy piece with incredible solos from guitarist Bon Lozaga. Formerly of Curved Air, Darryl Way's violin is a highlight on "Sleepy" and "Boring" (neither of which apply). "Sleepy," which combines Way's violin with Holdsworth's guitar leads, prefigures the sound of the first U.K. album (Holdsworth went on to form U.K. with violinist Eddie Jobson). A very short album, Expresso II is possibly the strongest of the post-Allen Gong, and an essential album. ~ David Ross Smith, All Music Guide
Influences: Pierre Moerlen's BiographyBorn October 23rd 1952 in Colmar, Alsace, France. 1963-1967 : piano studies with Maurice Moerlen (Pierre's father).1967-1971 : full time classical percussion studies with Jean Batigne.1971-1973 : plays in various bands and works as drummer for french musical theatre production such as " Le Marathon " written by Claude Confortès.1973 : january 73 to infinity....joins Gong at the time based in France south of Paris near Sens.1975 : guest of " Les Percussions de Strasbourg " touring the UK, Greece, Israel and France.1978 : records with Mike Oldfield (albums : Incantations and Downwind see discography page for more infos).1978-1980 : goes on tours with Gong and Mike Oldfield on drums, vibes & timps.1981 : tours South America with " Les Percussions de Strasbourg ".1982-1983 : world tour with Mike Oldfield.1983-1986 : plays and records with swedish symphonic rock band " Tribute ".1986-1988 : re-forms PM's Gong with Hansford Rowe on bass, Benoit Moerlen on vibes & percussion plus many guests.1989-1990 : joins " Alsace-Percussion " , a pool of percussionists&drummers.1991-1997 : plays drums in Broadway Shows (Evita, J.C.Superstar,Les Misérables,West Side Story)on the road in Europe and in the United States of America.1997-1998 : joins group " Brand X " with Percy Jones on bass, John Goodsall on guitar and captain Dynamite on keys for japanese tour followed by Europe. See live pictures in the gallery.1998 : also plays with Classic-Gong in the USA , England, Italy & Germay.1999-2000 : currently teaching and composing.2002: records "Penatnine" (St-Petersburg , Russia).2005: Pierre left us on May the 3rd.Albums 1969 Roger Siffer's 1st album Alsacian folk-rock Drums 1974 Greasy Truckers Gong Live at Dingwalls Drums 1973 Gong Angel's Egg Drums, Percussions 1974 Gong You Drums, Percussions 1975 Robert Wood Vibrarock Drums 1976 Gong Shamal Vibraphone,Tubular Bells 1976 Gong Gazeuse! (Expresso in the USA) Drums, Percussions, Vibraphone 1976 Gong Expresso Drums, Percussions,Vibraphone 1978 PM's Gong ExpressoII Drums, Percussions 1975 Steve Hillage Fish Rising Drums, Percussions 1988 PM's Gong Second Wind Drums, Vibraphone 1978 Mike Oldfield Incantations Drums, Percussion 1979 PM's Gong Downwind Drums, Percussion 1979 PM's Gong Time Is the Key Drums, Vibraphone 1979 Mick Taylor Mick Taylor Drums, Percussion 1979 Mike Oldfield Exposed (Live) Drums, Vibraphone 1979 Mike Oldfield Platinum Drums, Percussion 1980 PM's Gong Pierre Moerlen's Gong Live Drums, Vibraphone 1995 Tribute Breaking Barriers Drums 1993 Tribute Live Drums 1977 Gong Gong Est Mort, Vive Gong! Drums 1977 Gong Live Etc. Drums, Percussion 1981 PM's Gong Leave It Open Drums, Percussion, Vocals, Synthesizer 1986 PM's Gong Breakthrough Drums, Vib 1994 Mike Oldfield Platinum/QE2/Five Miles Out Drums 1988 Bireli Lagrene Inferno Timbales 1978 Thin Lizzy Live & Dangerous Drums 1982 Philip Lynott Philip Lynott Album Drums 1980 Sally Oldfield Celebration Timpani 1975 Mike Oldfield Ommadawn Percussion 1973 Supersister Iskander Percussion 1975 Slapp Happy Desperate Straights Timpani 1976 Mike Oldfield Boxed [4th LP Collaborations] Drums, Percussion 1977 Pekka Pohjola Mathematicians Air Display Drums, Vibraphone 1983 Mike Oldfield Crises Drums, Percussion 1985 Mike Oldfield Complete Mike Oldfield Vibraphone 1987 Mike Oldfield Islands Drums 1983 Jean-Yves Lievaux Transformances Drums 1995 Project Lo Dabblings in the Darkness Drums 1997 Brand X Manifest Destiny (USA only) Percussion 1998 Gong Paragong Live 1973 Drums 1990 Gong Live at Sheffield 74 Drums 1997 Gong You Remixed Drums 1998 Gong Family Jewels Drums 1998 PM's Gong Full Circle/ Live 88 Drums, percussions 2002 PM's Gong Pentanine Drums, percussionsALLAN HOLDSWORTH BIO: Allan Holdsworth is widely regarded by fans and contemporary musicians as one of the 20 th century's most prominent guitarists. He is one of a handful of musicians who has consistently proven himself as an innovator in between and within the worlds of rock and jazz music. Many of music's best-known instrumental masters cite Holdsworth as that rare and shining voice—a legendary player who continues to push the outer limits of instrumental technique and the electric guitar's range of tonal and textural possibilities. Particularly during the 90s, Holdsworth has enjoyed the recognition so many musicians strongly feel he deserves, given that he has developed his career outside the big label mainstream and has consistently produced his own recordings with complete creative control since the mid-80s. Despite the uncompromising nature of Holdsworth's predominantly genre-defying solo projects, he's no stranger to all-star jazz festival line-ups or large venue rock audiences. Musician Magazine placed Holdsworth near the top of their “100 greatest guitarists of all time.” There's never been a shortage of media attention or acclaim for Holdsworth's accomplishments and originality. An inductee of Guitar Player Magazine's Hall of Fame, Holdsworth is a five-time winner in their readers' poll.Beyond his ability in improvising mercurial solos and sculpting the guitar's voice into an ever-expanding range of textures and colors, Holdsworth has dedicated his energies to develop many different aspects of guitar technology. This has included new “baritone” variations of the instrument, his own custom 6-string designs (one most recently manufactured by Carvin), the invention of electronic components for the recording studio, and exploring the possibilities of guitar-based synthesizer controllers. Holdworth's ability to improvise over complex and challenging chord voicings always reveals a deep emotional base and a strong, imaginative personality that is as instantly identifiable as any among Holdsworth's generation of guitar and jazz masters.The sounds of Django Reinhardt, Jimmy Rainey, Charlie Christian, Joe Pass , Eric Clapton, and John Coltrane were among this English musician's early inspirations when he began to work professionally as a musician in his early twenties. Born in the city of Bradford , England , Holdsworth had been extensively tutored in aspects of musical theory and jazz appreciation by his father, an accomplished amateur musician. Holdsworth paid his musician's dues early on working the dance-club circuit, where he began to meet fellow musicians who hailed from the south. One of England 's best jazz tenor saxophonists, Ray Warleigh, heard amazing potential in Holdsworth's playing and brought him along to participate in jazz sets at the onset of the 70s, including sessions with Ray at Ronnie Scotts in London .Holdsworth's career brought him to international audiences suddenly in the early 1970s, when he joined drummer John Hiseman's short-lived but much acclaimed “progressive” rock band, Tempest. A decade later, Tempest vocalist Paul Williams would team up with Holdsworth again to form Holdsworth's IOU band and create their independently-released debut recording, which prompted Holdsworth to move his home from London to Southern California . Holdsworth's career throughout the 70s saw a series of feast-or-famine periods all too familiar to many of the most talented musicians. By 1975 Holdsworth had developed a reputation as one of England 's best, underrated guitarists in what was then the avant-garde of English instrumental music ensembles, the legendary group, Soft Machine. Holdsworth's trademark sound is evident with a technique that routinely soars with supersonic intensity, and one of its earliest available samplings can be heard on the 1974 Soft Machine studio release, Bundles . While his reputation in Soft Machine attracted international audiences, he also gained the attention of one of jazz's greatest drummers, the late Tony Williams, known for his pivotal role in bringing Miles Davis to explore rock-based riffs and motifs in an improvisational context. Holdsworth recorded on one of the most celebrated fusion albums from the mid-70s, Believe It , (Epic), as a member of the Tony Williams' New Lifetime. This marked the beginning of Holdsworth's career as a legendary journeyman, but one rarely performing before U.S. audiences.Between 1976 and 1978 Holdsworth's guitar sounds and solos emerged as a mesmerizing tour de force and he participated in many of that era's landmark jazz-fusion and instrumental rock recordings by Jean Luc Ponty ( Enigmatic Ocean ), Gong ( Gazeuse! ), and Bill Bruford ( Feels Good To Me , One of A Kind ). Late in the 70s, the once dominant genre of classic British “prog rock” stumbled on unsure footing as the punk and new wave bands rose in commercial prominence. Drummer Bill Bruford, a founding member of Yes who later joined King Crimson, suggested Holdsworth participate in a new project featuring the formidable rhythm section of King Crimson and a brilliant young violinist/keyboardist Eddie Jobson, who had worked with both Frank Zappa and Roxy Music. The resulting debut album, U.K . , became what was later considered the last and greatest milestones of 70s progressive rock. The band's sound was at the time both technically and artistically at the cutting edge of rock music, given the coupling of Jobson's innovative use of synthesizers and electric violins, coupled with Holdsworth's unconventional chord voicings, searing solos, and passionate melodic phrases. The U.K. “supergroup” setting was as brilliant as it was short-lived, and egos and questions of creative direction led to a split between Bruford and Holdsworth on one side, and Jobson and bassist John Wetton on the other. In 1996 Guitar World cited Holdsworth's contribution to U.K . as the factor in naming it one of the top 10 rock guitar albums “of all time.”In 1978, Holdsworth decided he wanted to pursue a different, more live-based direction as opposed to his recent participation in lush, studio-crafted masterpieces. He sought out a more immediate, less intricately arranged band context than what had been established with Bruford, in order to explore a rock-oriented musical context that also explored extended instrumental ensemble improvisations. Holdsworth wanted to rediscover some of the energy and dynamics that had been so memorable in his live performances working with Tony Williams, and reluctantly parted company with Bruford's band. Holdsworth began to develop his own trio with two other Northern English musicians, drummer Gary Husband, and bassist Paul Carmichael, which begun Holdsworth's first touring band as a leader, the now-celebrated IOU band. Their first recording IOU sold exceptionally well for an independent release, and Holdsworth's friend and admirer, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, proved instrumental in securing IOU a recording contract with Warner Bros. Executive Producer Ted Templeman wanted to experiment with a “mini-album” concept, which resulted in the 1984 Grammy-nominated release, Road Games , which featured vocal cameos from long-time Holdsworth collaborator, the legendary Jack Bruce. It also featured a new American line-up, with Jeff Berlin and Chad Wackerman comprising the rhythm section. However tensions with the label over creative control led to a split between Holdsworth and Warner Bros. In 1985 Holdsworth signed with the Enigma label, enjoying creative control, and Jimmy Johnson joined the group after Jeff Berlin's departure to pursue his solo career. Holdsworth then recruited one of the most respected L.A. session bassists, Jimmy Johnson, leader of Flim and the BBs. The last version of the IOU band went back in the studio and with some notable guest appearances (among them bassist Gary Willis and original IOU drummer Gary Husband) contributed to tracks for the highly successful release, Metal Fatigue (1985).In 1986 the release of Atavachron demonstrated Holdsworth's focus on instrumental music, continuing his core band with Johnson and Wackerman. Atavachron also featured stellar guest appearances by two of Southern California 's most sought after jazz keyboardists, Alan Pasqua and Billy Childs. Like other Holdsworth recordings to follow, it proved to be a summit for great drummers, with guest contributions from Tony Williams and Gary Husband. Husband's increasingly successful career eventually led to Holdsworth's appearance as a studio musician and band member with Level 42 for their 1993 release, Guaranteed . The follow-up to Atavachron , Sand (1988), marked a new period with Holdsworth concentrating on his exploration of the Synthaxe, a revolutionary guitar-like synth-controller. Holdsworth received the winning award in Guitar Player Magazine's poll as “best guitar synthesist,” for many consecutive years afterward. With Secrets (1990) Holdsworth returned to his association with Enigma records, (which became the Restless label) featuring an album recorded mostly with the great session drummer Vinnie Collaiuta, who later joined Sting's band and had previously worked with Frank Zappa and Jeff Berlin. Secrets further revealed Holdsworth's rich harmonic vision and unleashed more distinctively “Holdsworthian” music, an enigmatic style that continues to invert, push, and transform the boundaries of more conventional rock, fusion, and jazz forms.During this period the keyboardist from Stanley Clarke's touring band, Steve Hunt, joined Holdsworth's band. In the early 90s, Holdsworth also appeared in a jazz “supergroup” and at festivals with other great jazz and fusion legends, including Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, and Michael and Randy Brecker among others. 1992's Wardenclyffe Tower furthered an exploration of Holdsworth's own designs for baritone electric guitars (built by luthier Bill DeLap) and broadened the use of his chordal orchestrations and solo phrasings via the SynthAxe. In 1994, Hard Hat Area was released on Restless with the latest version of Holdsworth's band, including Icelandic bassist Skull Sverrisson, Gary Husband, and Steve Hunt, providing one of his most satisfying projects from the quality of group interplay and capturing the band closer to its live performance context. The release of Holdsworth's next album project, None Too Soon (1996) marked a departure in style from this impressive string of previous group projects. It provided Holdsworth the opportunity to showcase his interpretation of some classic jazz standards and several originals by one of England 's best-known jazz pianists, Gordon Beck.Holdsworth recorded some of his favorite, lesser-known jazz standards, along with several Gordon Beck originals, in a “straight-ahead” jazz vein, drawing upon Beck's talents as an arranger. The rhythm section teamed for the project included bass prodigy Gary Willis and drummer Kirk Covington, both members of the West Coast based fusion powerhouse, Tribal Tech. None Too Soon built upon the same chemistry established in a brief recording session of the same musicians featured on a Beatles guitar tribute titled “Come Together,” (1994, NYC Records) in which this same group covered Beck's arrangement of the Beatles' “Michelle.” In None Too Soon , Holdsworth produced a refreshing jazz recording that realized a different perspective on his playing, while demonstrating his appreciation of standards as penned by John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Django Reinhardt and Joe Henderson. None Too Soon offers listeners a compelling and swinging musical journey, including a riveting, updated interpretation of Irving Berlin's “How Deep Is The Ocean” and a blistering twist on the Lennon/McCartney classic, “Norwegian Wood.”Building on the supreme sonic craftsmanship Holdsworth realizes in his home studio in Southern California , The Brewery, Holdsworth's latest solo recording is certain to be singled out as one of his greatest musical masterpieces. The Sixteen Men Of Tain marks a further exploration of traditional jazz motifs, and, as a first on his solo projects, an acoustic rhythm section. Holdsworth's tenth solo album marked the debut of a new band formed with bassist Dave Carpenter and drummer Gary Novak, both West Coast session men. First released in 2000, a special edition with two additional tracks was released via Eddie Jobson's label, Globe Music, in summer of 2003. Tain marked a new direction in a forward-looking jazz vein and blended together a new vision explored to a degree in the more traditional jazz arrangements found in None Too Soon .One frequent topic of discussion among Holdsworth devotees was the fact that after well over a decade of touring with stellar players, Holdsworth had never approved the release of any live recordings by his bands, or any of those with him as a guest performer for that matter. In Fall 2002, Sony Japan released Holdsworth's first ever live recording, featuring Jimmy Johnson and Chad Wakerman in which Sony featured the trio's performance show as a showpiece for their next generation of state-of-the-art five-channel sound technology. In late 2003, Alternity Records will release a second landmark Holdsworth live recording, Then! featuring a quartet performance from 1990 with keyboardist Steve Hunt, along with original IOU drummer Gary Husband, and Jimmy Johnson. Recorded originally in digital 24-track, Then! covers material from a broad swath of Holdsworth's recording career, from his days with Tony Williams' Lifetime up through Hard Hat Area and includes three never-released group improvisation tracks, not to mention some of Holdsworth's most powerful and ferocious solo flights ever captured on tape. Holdsworth spent time later in 2002 completing production duties for the recently released Softworks album Abracadabra , which featured alumnus from different eras of the legendary English experimental band, Soft Machine. Holdsworth toured with the band in Japan in the summer of 2003, which included saxophonist Elton Dean, bassist Hugh Hopper, and drummer John Marshall.In the past decade Holdsworth has varied his music career, engineering and inventing electronic sound-processing tools, including The Harness. He has several unique electric guitar designs now produced by Carvin, and has worked with luthier DeLap in conceiving custom baritone and piccolo guitars. In fact one of the larger and longer baritones is featured on all three improvised pieces in the new live album, Then! In his expanded and improved home studio, Holdsworth is already writing material for a new album of original pieces, and is planning to participate as a guest musician in several other projects as an engineer/producer. Whether he is playing instruments with the latest electric guitar innovations, piccolo, baritone guitars, or the Synthaxe, Holdsworth remains never quite satisfied in his eternal “quest for the perfect tone."
Record Label: Virgin
Type of Label: Major

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