MY PROG HERO
JAKE DREYER
Inspiring the wider music world…
As afan of Asia, the Witherfall guitarist had an unexpected introduction to prog supergroup UK that had aprofound impact on him.
UK: (L-R) Eddie Jobson, Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth and John Wetton left their mark on Jake Dreyer (inset).
WATAL ASANUMA/SHINKO MUSIC/GETTY IMAGES
STEPHANIE CABRAL
“I’m a guitar player and UK had Allan Holdsworth in the band. The producer we worked with on the first Witherfall album was a huge Holdsworth nut and was like, ‘Have you ever heard UK before?’ And I was like,‘Nah.’ He played the intro to Nevermore – the acoustic passage – and I was just fucking blown away. I just had to go and listen to the entire eponymous debut. And while I was playing it, I thought, these drums are sick, too! And that was Bill Bruford.