Scott Henderson sounds much like Allan Holdsworth, and given that he’s West Coast based and this record was taped in Hollywood, that’s no surprise. The English expat Holdsworth and Henderson have both taught at California’s Guitar Institute Of Technology, I believe. So, Henderson employs that familiar legato approach, but also adds in a good deal of more US-inflected jazz and blues as well as a few chunks of heavy metal.
He is a virtuoso, and his extraordinary bravura technique is matched blow for blow by demanding material of the gymnastic jazz-rock variety. Many in his field have of course made a lot of noise and busted a few fingers in pursuit of complexity for its own sake, but Henderson does manage to keep the aesthetic point in view and tempers technique with imagination. His inspirations barely need to be noted, but at the top of the list we’re likely to find Weather Report, Bill Bruford and The Brecker Bros.
Clearly drawn and brightly arranged, the record is not without its longueurs, but in sum it adds up to a worthwhile addition to the heavy-metal bebop library.
Discography
Caribbean; Punkin Head; Ivy Towers; Tribal (21.24) – Spears; Island City Shuttle; Big Fun (22.36)
Henderson (g); Pat Coil (kyb); Gary Willis (b); Steve Houghton (d); Brad Dutz (pc); Bob Sheppard (s/f). Recorded Hollywood, June 1985.
(Passport PJ 88010)
