Bill Connors - Add Eleven

[@jasonfordney794]

One of my favorite fusion albums of all time. It introduced me to the incredible playing of Kim Plainfield on the drums, who has unfortunately passed away. An incredible soloist.

[@musopaul5407]

It is really great, but his first record Step It is just amazing. Kim Plainfield is a superb drummer, but Weckl takes that record to another level.

[@bencoletti4119]

Awsome album..the last 40 seconds gives me the chills

[@georgeacton7918]

Amazing drumming by Kim Plainfield here. Tight and in the pocket.

[@jeraldcuccurullo2497]

My teacher of 10 year's eve sorely missed friend as well as my Favorite drummer and teacher ever!! I told him so just 4 weeks before Kim Plainfield passed on, so young and so suddenly!! Love you Kim! He brought this album to my home to hear his playing with great band to boot!! T.Y 4 the Memories Kim, t.y Bill, awesome work!!

[@jeraldcuccurullo2497]

I get a lump the size if a grapefruit every time I read this comment!! He was an Amazing person as well as my favorite drummer since sonny Emory..Kim had all Latin, afrobeat Cuban stuff nailed at a very young age.His feel, his voice, I still study all his material, well I can do a great impersonation of Kim's stuff...Soon I promise

[@RiquezaEmGotas]

But but but It sounds like Holdsworth, so what? Comparisons to Holdsworth's style are unavoidable but i think Connor's tone, soloing and chordal work are top notch, it seems that Holdsworth is not the only one that came from another planet .

[@arguellescisnerosmovies2442]

i find him more melodic

[@creator-n4g]

Featuring a very young Tom Kennedy on bass! One of my favorite fusion records.

[@danaandra9735]

There are definitely guys who can sound like Holdsworth, but Connors isn't one who bothered. He has his own sound and style. This track in particular is a thing of beauty.

[@BGoldtone]

ironically enough being a die hard Holdsworth fan and Conners fan and being a musician myself I began to appreciate Conners Rhythm playing even though it was compared to Holdsworth. Holdsworth is without peer as a soloist, having seen him four times in various venues but still you have to give ground to the musical moment and Conners definitely delivers in that respect.

[@marselom]

Forever in my heart Bill...

[@bradallmand2841]

When I first heard this on Pandora,, I thought for sure it was Allan Holdsworth. wow killer stuff!...

[@corkykab]

This band was a force of nature. I don’t think there is a more underrated fusion band that’s ever been in existence. And to all of the “Holdsworth copycat” dissenters, deal with it. RIP Kim Plainfield.

[@glennsukustis456]

I've Listened To Bill Conners since the RTF days . I have just now experienced Him Recently & He is Still a Great & Gifted Guitarist 🎸 ! He never disappoints ! I Love Him !

[@cosmicman621]

...what’s to deal with...there ain’t nothing to deal with...

[@kevinkinnu341]

Best fusion guitar album ever in my book

[@williamking7420]

Very haunting and ethereal ending...I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@winstonbarclay5807]

Saw him on the first RTF tour. So glad he returned to Fusion after his acoustic sojourn.

[@BGoldtone]

@BGoldtone Wow!!! I totally agree. I have followed both of these players throughout their perspective careers. After a point I actually began to appreciate Conner's chordal playing more than Wordsworth's believe it or not. I have seen Holdsworth in person 4 times and never have I been so fortunate to see Conners but I still say that either player has much to express in their own idiom. I have such a respect for both players but only wish that Conners a more prolific career.

[@jeraldcuccurullo2497]

So after studying with Kim Plainfield for 10 year's @ The Drummers Collective I attended for a unprecedented 12Years!!! T.Y mom and Daddy 4 spending 30 to 40 bucks each week with my favorite drummer ,and t.y d.ci 4 all the Knowkedge I've gotten from Kim, Kenwood, Lenny white, And Michael Lauren !!! Best memories of my life were at the Drummer's Collective and the Master Class I gave a week after Missing Steve Gadds Master Class! We rode your election down together he saw my poster for my Master Ckass and Steve said You see mine last week? I sadly said no I was rehearsing my 5 piece band playing @ my class, I said holding my Ted reed syncopation bible book Terry Bozzio had written in taught me AMAZING ways to use this book)

[@thejohnirvineband]

Connors clearly has a more 'conventional' understanding of harmony/scales than Holdsworth did. And I think that's what makes his soloing easier to get to grips with. I must say that I prefer Connors over Holdsworth, because of this.

[@bluch251]

Yes indeed....I thought the same thing. Bill plays the harmonic so well and creates great architecture to show thos ideas.

[@written12]

Thanks for articulating why I find Connors soloing more satisfying.

[@mokavadasz428]

Andy Summers do these harmonies too. Both are amazing

[@voriskinlaw9775]

THE ELECTRIC BASSIST IS,TOM KENNEDY ON THIS TRACK...{THE WHOLE ALBUM/DISC}.

[@johnnymase1]

Saw Tom with Mike Stern and Eric Johnson. Wow!!

[@mountainman8775]

This album is turning me on to this guitarist… there should be little need for debate in the comments, however: this is a devotional to Holdsworth that goes into AH cover band territory… but that‘s a good thing! I personally haven’t heard an AH cover band even remotely this good before, and I‘m sorry he received any flak for it in a way because exploring variations on the AH style is a worthy endeavour. Well done Bill it sounds amazing, and is more approachable than AH for newcomers

[@Aboxatax]

this is new for me...i dig it

[@glennsukustis456]

He Moves Me !

[@MrMjp58]

I always felt he was a commanding presence with RTF. I wish he'd managed to somehow stay with them longer, but it wasn't to be. The 80's was a difficult time for guitarists - with all the competing styles and electronic inventions vying for dominance.

[@fusionfan6883]

Love Bill, but I think one of the reasons he never 'broke out' as much as the other great fusion guitarist is that he kept changing his style to the extent that fans became a bit bewildered or unsure what his next release might hold. I am a diehard Holdsworth fan like so many on here - indeed I bought Igginbottom when it came out in 1969 and followed Allan thereafter - but I have not problem with Bill playing in this style (although I know Allan was a bit critical at the time). Very few guitarists bring something completely new to the table, and most are the product of their influences, but I would argue that Bill was groundbreaking in some of the other genres he played in, and his single album with RTF influenced so many players thereafter.

[@bassmanx357]

Can someone please tell me who the bassist is? This guy is awesome!

[@pgonzo98]

tom kennedy..often tours with mike stern...

[@briankane6400]

Also plays in the Dave Weckl band.

[@Krankshaw88]

Ztpa ka duh feeee zok

[@ZootaAndrewMahera]

U dave a k duh zok

[@corkykab]

Interestingly enough, similarities aside, and perhaps Holdsworth was technically a (slightly) better player, I prefer Connors' solo electric works better on a musical enjoyment level... more visceral, but maybe that's just me.

[@BGoldtone]

Funny.. I always loved Conners chordal playing thought he was a better chordal player than Holdsworth.but thought Holdsworth was a better soloist! ;-)

[@Bix12]

Ha! Exactly right. He is literally John Coltrane. All I know is I can sit and listen to Bill indefinitely, with Holdsworth I find myself growing bored rather quickly.

[@williamking7420]

And check out Holdsworth playing violin on the I.O.U. album!!!!!!

[@shaman5150]

Para mi Connors y Holdsworth tienen vocabularios distintos. Lo demás no es tan importante.

[@jonathanwestbay5077]

the chords are nice, but it sounds like he is still practicing how to solo...

[@waynemiller6070]

We all are.

[@Butchy1]

A futile comment to be honest. You clearly don’t understand what Bill is doing here and so you pass it off as bad soloing. He’s stopping/starting, creating breathing space and building structures within the improv. Just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t make it bad. Maybe you just need to expand your knowledge a bit.