Adam Holzman

Adam Holzman - Overdrive - 1994 - Lipstick Records

Very few keyboardists are staying true to the world of fusion music, most take a stab and venture elsewhere in the wide world of gigging and session work, granted you have Corea, Sherinian and few others, but where are the rest? Hammer, Zawinul, Lorber, Zavod to name a few, have really exempted themselves from the fusion scene, by either not releasing significant music in the genre, or becoming obscure in the rcording industry altogether. Enter Adam Holzman, he has been around for a while, making a name for himself as a onetime member of The Fents, which released two cds(reviewed here at the site), and are musts for fusion fans to get hold of. I his solo music, Holzman may have morphed into a funkier version of his former band, but his music is every bit as interesting and dazzling as his offerings with The Fents. Adam Holzman is the kind of keyboardist that pays as much attention to his note selections as he does is sound patches, his detailed approach to sound and melodic hooks are captivating. He also has surrounded himself with some outstanding talents, every member involved on this cd is a virtuoso in their own right. The music here is not so much about improv, more so geared towards the creation of compositional arrangements, works that are built through careful construction, played with meticulous detail. I guess a fair comparison would be towards the early works of Chick Corea's Elektric Band. The music is everybit as funky and complex as Chick's early work with that band. So if you like that stuff, this is a must. Holzman's keyboards are far more futuristic sounding than most keyboardists in the fusion scene, he really stands out, but in a good way, the music has a great production quality to it, a treat for audiophiles to be sure. The guests on this cd are respective players in their own right, you may be familiar with some of them from other bands/artists releases. Van Romaine has been steadily recording and gigging with The Steve Morse Band, anyone who is familiar with his playing knows he is both skilled and powerful, and he does the same with Holzman's material. Jimi Tunnell has been steadily gaining popularity as an outstanding fusion guitarist, his sound is very versatile, and he can play the most demanding solo spots with rare spontanaity. Both of these players turn in great performances on this cd. To date, I have come to the conclusion that Adam Holzman posesses the Midas Touch, every cd I have heard him involved with has been nothing short of great fusion, this one perhaps his best to date, hopefully we can expect Adam Holzman to stay the course of a dedicated fusion keyboardist, and only with fan support can this be a reality, check him out. By & © MJBrady Published on: 29 Nov 2003 © ProGGnosis - Progressive Rock & Fusion © 2000 - 2011 where appropriate - All rights reserved http://www.proggnosis.com/PGRelease.asp?RID=7077

A good album of funk rock crossover jazz/jazz fusion from the N.Y multi-instrumentalist, Adam Holzman. Many of these albums defy definition. One reviewer on Amazon called it "cyber electric fusion", and that may be the most suitable description of this album. Adam Holzman is mainly known for his keyboard skills. He was once a member of the jazz rock band, The Fents who released two albums of brilliant jazz rock/fusion. Check out The Fents' "The Other Side" album. Adam was influenced by artists like "The Doors", Leon Russell and Dr. John, but during the late 70s his music became more jazz and progressive rock orientated. Adam said, "First I was influenced by groups like "Emerson, Lake & Palmer" or "Yes". When I heard Chick Corea, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Billy Cobham I got completely turned on to jazz." he says today. "But I only started getting serious about jazz harmonies when I was in my late 20s. Even today there are still some gaps in my jazz knowledge. But I do not consider my musical role to be a keeper of jazz traditions. I try to make entertaining music today, influenced by rock, jazz-rock, funk and a lot of other styles and ideas." The great guitarist Drew Zingg plays on the album, as does the late Hiram Bullock, but don't expect many killer guitar solos. The review from proggnosis above describes the album very well. N.B: The album was previously released as Mona Lisa Overdrive's "The Laws of Physics". Listen to Adam Holzman & Brave New World's "Spork" album.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Breakfast at Troy - Adam Holzman
2 Dog Day - Adam Holzman, Wayne Krantz
3 Maze - Erin Davis
4 Shaggy Dog - Steve Logan
5 Half Gainer - Adam Holzman
6 The Laws of Physics - Adam Holzman
7 Iven Space Trek - Adam Holzman
8 Szechuan Death Nugget - Adam Holzman
9 Mr. Potato Head - Adam Holzman, David Phelps
10 Power Lunch - Adam Holzman, David Phelps, K. Dennard
11 Mean Ol'Cinelu - Jimi Tunnell

MUSICIANS

Adam Holzman - Acoustic Guitar, Sampled Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Sound Effects, Synthesizer Percussion
Drew Zingg, Jimi Tunnell, Hiram Bullock, David Phelps - Guitar
Steve Logan - Bass, Vocals, Voices
Van Romaine - Drums, Sound Effects, Electronics

ADAM HOLZMAN (SHORT BIO)

Jazz keyboardist Adam Holzman (b. February 15, 1958, in New York, NY) has had an interesting career trajectory. The son of Jac Holzman, the president of Elektra Records during its late-'60s heyday, Holzman learned keyboards at an early age, picking up the instrument when he was in the third grade. Since he was in the inner circle of Elektra, he was not only exposed to many of the era's trailblazers, but he was also able to see how they worked. He hung out at Doors rehearsals, met Love, and saw the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in their prime. Like many musicians of his era, he was also heavily influenced by the Beatles. He found himself attracted to the music of Butterfield and the Fab Four, which led him to explore a number of different artists from Leon Russell to Joe Cocker, eventually leading to keyboard-dominated prog-rockers Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Yes. Holzman's infatuation with prog-rock turned out to be the doorway to his passion for jazz-fusion and synthesizers. In a matter of time, ELP gave way to Chick Corea's groundbreaking Return to Forever and Herbie Hancock's innovative early-'70s work. By the early '80s, he was working at Goodman's Music, a respected instrument store in Los Angeles. At Goodman's, he became an expert in MIDI technology and synth programming, which led to regular studio gigs. Soon, he had attracted the attention of Miles Davis, who was interested in MIDI. He joined Davis' band in 1985. Holzman stayed with the legendary musician for four years, spending his final year -- from 1988 to 1989 -- as the musical director for the entire band. Following his tenure with Davis, he toured and recorded with a variety of artists, including Chaka Khan, Michel Petrucciani, Wayne Shorter, Kolvynator and Kenny Garrett. In the spring of 1997, he joined Grover Washington Jr.'s band. By the late '90s, he was also playing with FM Tribe and Francis M'Bappe in New York City. In addition to his role as a sideman, Holzman pursued many of his own projects. He led the Los Angeles-based jazz-rock group the Fents with guitarist Ted Hall; they released The Other Side on Passport Jazz in 1987. He also formed the prog-influenced Mona Lisa Overdrive, who released an eponymous album in 1993. In the '90s, he released several solo albums -- In a Loud Way (1991), Overdrive (1994) and Big Picture (1997) -- before forming the New York-based, funk-inflected group Brave New World, who were a recording entity in their own right, releasing Worldwind in the fall of 1998. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/adam-holzman-p45164/biography