Allan Holdsworth - None Too Soon (96)

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Guitarist Allan Holdsworth is widely considered to be one of the finest instrumentalists in all of jazz fusion, yet has never truly received the recognition that he so rightfully deserves.

Born on August 6, 1946, in Bradford, Yorkshire, Holdsworth was originally taught music by his father, who was a pianist.

First a saxophone player, Holdsworth didn't pick up the guitar until he was 17 years old, but learned the instrument quickly.

After playing in local outfits (in addition to learning the violin), Holdsworth relocated to London, where he was taken under the wing of saxophonist Ray Warleigh.

By 1972, Holdsworth had joined progressive rockers Tempest, appearing on the group's self-titled debut a year later before joining Soft Machine in December 1973 — and radically changing the latter outfit's sound to guitar-based fusion in the process.

Daevid Allen - Dreamin' A Dream (96)

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1 Dear Friends
2 High Points
3 Brothers
4 Big Daddy
5 Wotsa Use
6 Garden Song
7 Came to Find You
8 The Rapist
9 Sittin in a Teashop
10 Fire Becomes Her
11 No One's Slave
12 For Song
13 Dear Friends

Daevid Allen's Dreamin' a Dream is a warm, pretty progressive-rock recording featuring violinist Graham Clark.

Daevid Allen was one of the founders of the British progressive rock band the Soft Machine in 1966.

After recording just one album with the group, he became the founder/leader of Gong, which he left in 1973 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, Banana Moon, was released in 1971 while he was still in the group).

Allen explored his quirky, folky take on rock throughout the '70s and '80s on albums like 1976's Good Morning and 1983's Alien in New York.

His solo work also included collaborations with underground rock impresario Kramer like 1993's Who's Afraid? and 1996's Hit Men, which was released on Kramer's Shimmy Disc label.

Allen returned in 1999 with Money Doesn't Make It, followed a year later by Stroking the Tail of the Bird.

Nectans Glen also followed in 2000.

In 2003 Allen formed a new version of Gong with members of the Japanese collective known as Acid Mothers Temple, as well as playing and releasing material with his California-based band University of Errors.

He continues to release numerous live sets and one-off collaborations in limited editions on various independent labels under his own and various group names.

A best-of, Man From Gong, which only scratches the surface of his lengthy discography, appeared from Snapper Music in 2006.