In 2000, the dawn of the new millennium, I started a boutique record label called BHP Music-Guitar Trax Records, specializing in instrumental guitar music. After having a successful career as a contemporary jazz artist and TV/Film composer, I had the crazy impulse to start a record label concentrating on producing records for the artistic value. So, I tapped into my contacts and began to release the Guitar Master Series licensing various tracks by artists: Jeff Beck, John Paul Jones, Zakk Wylde, BB King, and Santana. I then went onto producing specialty albums, inviting famous guitarists like Steve Morse, Billy Sheehan, Leslie West, Gary Hoey, and Larry Coryell to guest on each track.
One of the artists I licensed songs from was the bass player David Hines, in which he had Allan Holdsworth featured on his album. One such track titled, Skippy was placed on the album Guitar Masters Vol. 1. (I’d like to add that this was a physical CD release before downloading or streaming was popular.) I thought the song really showed Allan’s signature tone. His unique legato soloing can be heard as well as his dissonant outside voicings derived from his use of chromatic and altered scales. Holdsworth was a frustrated sax player who often translated classic jazz horn solos to guitar. His solo album, Atavachron you can hear his tone sounding very horn like as he was using a guitar synthesizer called the SynthAxe. Unfortunately, Allan’s music never reached a wider audience even though he had enlisted Warner Brothers hit maker producer Ted Templeman on his 1983 EP Road Games. Several times in his life he was not able to garner the revenue to meet financial obligations such as rent and groceries through his record sales or live performances. However, he did leave a legacy of guitar playing behind that influenced such incredible players as Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani.
You can learn more about Allan & David here
About the Curator: Brian Tarquin
Multi Emmy Award winning Brian Tarquin is an established top rate composer/guitarist. He has won 3 Emmy's for “Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series” and has been nominated for an Emmy 6 times. In 2019 Tarquin received a Global Music Gold Award for his release Orlando In Heaven for “Best Album.” Three years in a row (2016-2019) Tarquin received “Best Album of the Year” nominations from the Independent Music Awards for his releases: Guitars for Wounded Warriors, Orlando in Heaven, and Guitars for Veterans. On which, Tarquin shows his guitar prowess alongside such world-class shredders as: Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot (Guns N’ Roses), Reb Beach (Whitesnake), Chuck Loeb (FourPlay) to name a few. In 2006 SESAC honored him with the Network Television Performance Award. Tarquin has graced the Top Billboard Charts with such commercial releases as: This is Acid Jazz, Vol. 2, Sweet Emotions, and Bossa Brava: Caliente on Instinct Records, followed by several solo jazz albums, which charted Top 10 at Smooth Jazz Radio R&R and Gavin charts. Brian has appeared on 38 releases, selling over 140,000 records in his career.
