Woodenhead
CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOODENHEAD!
Hailing from the vibrant musical melting pot of New Orleans, WOODENHEAD was formed in 1975 by guitarist Jimmy Robinson and students at The Loyola College Of Music in New Orleans. The music combined rock, jazz, Celtic, R&B, and New Orleans elements with their classical training, and was influenced by the fusion explosion of the 1970s and bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Dixie Dregs and Alan Holdsworth. The group’s first recording, Woodenhead, was produced by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint and released on the New York based label Inner City in 1982.
With a few early personnel changes, the lineup has remained consistent. The current lineup of keyboardist Fran Comiskey, drummer Mark Whitaker and Paul Clement on bass has been in place since 1985. Drawing from the rhythmic complexity of jazz fusion, the raw energy of rock, and the infectious bounce of New Orleans funk, their compositions feature intricate arrangements, odd time signatures, and seamless transitions between composed sections and freewheeling improvisation.
Woodenhead is a mainstay of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and has toured the U.S. and Central America. The band has toured with and opened shows for Chick Corea’s Elektrik Band, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Dixie Dregs, The Steve Morse Band, Allen Holdsworth, Spyro Gyra, Hugh Masekela, Johnny Winter, Bill Bruford & Patrick Moraz, The John McLaughlin Trio, The Neville brothers, Jeff Beck and others.
2025 marks Woodenhead’s 50th anniversary. To celebrate, the band has remastered and released its entire back catalog of albums.
On The Web:
Music To Check Out:
• Woodenhead Music Links
• Woodenhead Video Links
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MARK WHITAKER
(Drums)
JIMMY ROBINSON
(Guitar)
FRAN COMISKEY
(Keyboards)
PAUL CLEMENT
(Bass)
"A great band. Really great feeling"
- JOHN MCLAUGHLIN
"The X factor in Woodenhead’s music is that they are tricky and progressive, with time changes and impossible licks to spare, but they are also visceral and fun, especially in front of a live audience."
- BETT MILANO, OFFBEAT MAGAZINE
"Woodenhead is at the head of the pack for instrumental electric music. You can’t go wrong with this one…."
- PETE PARDO, SEA OF TRANQUILITY
"Robinson is a killer guitarist, capable of removing the heads of most head banging metal freaks. He is also 'tasty' in the old-fashioned sense, rarely letting speed overtake the essentials."
- MARK BINGHAM, WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE