ELLIOT FREEDMAN GROUP - GREAT FUSION - VERY HOLDSWORTH but more . . ."Eclectic Earwig Reviews Music and More for You!"
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The Elliot Freedman Group: Self-titled (CD, 72:05); THEEFGCD01, 1997
Edge of Freedom Music
Contact: Regentesselaan 160
2562 EG The Hague
The Netherlands
	or
228 East 27th Street
North Vancouver, BC
Canada V7N 1B6
Email: efg@vcn.bc.ca

	Ah, yes, this is good. For those of us having immersed ourselves ritually in a certain guitar 
mastery, seeking the legendary muse of Allan Holdsworth -- hearing Elliot Freedman play is a 
singular pleasure. The short-sighted?, secretly envious?, and knee-jerk smug? may cast aspersions 
his way such as clone, copycat, or an uninteresting echo lacking creativity. What silences them is 
Freedman's music which yes, emulates Holdsworthian majesty, but is uniquely The Elliot 
Freedman Group's own answer to that same muse Holdsworth hears. Music is the language of the 
soul and I will not fault Freedman's speaking his voice in a way that mirrors his heart. Still need 
evidence of Freedman's unique stylings? Listen to "The Silent Path" or the Outer Limits voicings 
on "Taming Restless Arcs". Enuff of all that.
	Much of this release is a quicksilver sea of atmospheric chordal breathings, passages of note 
groupings delineating the diffuse sunrise dancing on the ebony dark waves of aspiration. Got that? 
Freedman may burst forth in a liquid legato when the moment calls for it but it is never excess 
baggage nor free-jazzy, "out there" riffing for riffs sake. It is a punctuation mark, an underlining 
of a phrase so to speak. The bass work by Marc Rogers is wonderfully, Willis precise and fits 
everywhere just right. Paul Mason's drums are multicolored, faultless, stop-on-a-dime tight, and 
place him firmly in the Husband/ Wackerman echelons. Freedman lays out ultra-complex, chordal 
passages and mazes of progressions that he and his bandmates must weave through. They do so 
effortlessly and with notable flair on the in-betwixt steps and swift lane changes. Rogers solos 
confidently and Freedman replies in conversational style.
	There are no Synthaxe manipulations nor synth atmospherics, only upbeat, tight yet free, 
flowing, pulsing, crystal clear perfections of the muse here. Those out there holding Holdsworth 
in reverence will without question be delighted with The Elliot Freedman Group's fourteen little 
gifts on this release. Strongly recommended.	~ John W. Patterson
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"Taming the Restless Arcs" excerpt



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