Allan Holdsworth earned his place in modern guitar history early on, by virtue of his work with Soft Machine, Gong, Tony Williams Lifetime, and Bruford’s U.K.. Originally, Holdsworth wanted to play saxophone but was unable to afford one. As is often the case, necessity became the mother of invention and the British guitarist went on to develop a style that combined superhuman speed with wide intervals in order to mimic the sound of the greatest jazz saxophone players. He developed an advanced sense of harmony that led to highly complex compositions and dense, flowing lines.
