One of John McLaughlin's strengths as a musician, aside from his obvious facility on the fretboard, is his need to grow. He's continually searching, probing into new areas of music and technology, interacting with musicians from different disciplines. He's been evolving as a guitarist ever since he
picked up his first instrument at age 11, and continues to do so. "For me, that's what life is about," he told me. "To learn, for me, is one of the greatest of all things in the world. It's something I never get tired of, something I never regret."
That open-minded attitude toward music has taken John down a number of musical paths in the past three decades. He makes a musical statement, gets comfortable with that, then sheds his skin and moves on to another mode. Which is why he's gone back and forth with acoustic and electric guitar throughout his career, from swinging jazz to searing rock, from Indian ragas to flamenco flurries, from down-home blues to spacey jams, from sublime ballads to very, very sick noise-thrash. Consequently, a retrospective review of his career is a veritable cornucopia of sound. You'll certainly never get bored listening to the 40-plus albums listed in his discography. There is always a new twist, a spark, a surprise on each album. And no matter what mode he might be in, John always approaches the music with a kind of reverence. He plays with the qualities that John Coltrane speaks of in the notes to "A Love Supreme" - elation, elegance, exaltation. Or, to use the title of one of his albums - passion, grace and fire.
John McLaughlin was born on January 4, 1942 in Yorkshire, England. He grew up listening to the blues of Big Bill Broonzy and Muddy Waters along with flamenco and jazz. Django Reinhardt, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane were of particular interest to young John. Moving to London in the early 1960's, he became part of the jazz side of the British blues/r&b revival as a member of Georgie Fame's Blue Flames, The Graham Bond Organisation and Brian Auger's Trinity. One very rare, historic recording documents the guitarist's formative years with Graham Bond, "Solid Bond" (Warner Bros. 2555). This mono recording of a live gig at Klook's Kleek in London, sometime in June of 1963, features John on three cuts in the company of Ginger Baker on drums, Jack Bruce on acoustic bass and bandleader Bond on alto sax. He had not yet found his own distinctive voice on the instrument and seems to be aping the likes of Grant Green and Kenny Burrell on the Sonny Rollins tune "Doxy," a Jack Bruce original called "Ho Ho Country Kicking Blues" and a Bond-McLaughlin composition, "The Grass Is Greener." Poorly recorded and lacking the focus and passion he would acquire in later years, but an interesting portrait of the artist as a young man.
McLaughlin may have recorded with the other jazz/blues outfits he joined around London, but no records are available Stateside. Perhaps some bootlegs are floating around the UK somewhere. His next session was the experimental jazz album, "Where Fortune Smiles" (Pye 12103), recorded in 1967 with British avant-garde reedman John Surman and British bassist Dave Holland. More readily available is his 1969 session with Surman, "Extrapolation" (Polydor PD 5510). John is still dipping into the Grant Green-Kenny Burrell soul-jazz bag on this session, featuring Brian Odges on acoustic bass and Tony Oxley on drums, but his playing is stronger, more self-assured. He's grown considerably from that '63 date with Graham Bond and seems to be stretching beyond the bop excursions of Tal Farlow on the burning "Pete The Poet" and the super uptempo "Two For Two." On the solo acoustic guitar showcase, "Peace Piece," the touches of Indian droning hint at things to come. And the lovely ballad "Argen's Bag" will later appear in different incarnations under the title "Follow Your Heart." This album gave John semi-legendary status in UK jazz circles and also helped to bring him to the attention of drummer Tony Williams, who had just left the Miles Davis Quintet and was forming a band of his own called Lifetime. 1969 was a major turning point in McLaughlin's career. "Extrapolation" was a stepping stone to Lifetime, which brought him to the attention of Miles Davis and, consequently, the entire jazz world. John arrived stateside in '69 and began playing around town with Lifetime, which featured Williams on drums and Larry Young on organ. Miles swept him up quickly for a studio session, "In A Silent Way" (Columbia 9875, recorded on Feb. 18), then John went into the studio with Lifetime on May 26 to cut the pulsating "Emergency!" (Polydor 25-3001). These two records could not be further apart in concept and attitude. While the title track from "In A Silent Way" may, in fact, be the seminal New Age piece, everything on "Emergency!" is raucous, frenzied and full of fire. It's like the difference between George Winston and George Lynch. The two-record set that introduced Lifetime to the world reflects the mood of the times. It's laced with psychedelia and anger (yes, this was the tumultuous sixties...Haight-Ashbury, Vietnam, marching in the streets and all that), yet is ultimately tied to the blues. John, Larry and Tony take the traditional organ trio format to the moon with their energized jams, though John is still coming out of Tal Farlow rather than John Coltrane. He would transcend that leap a few years later with the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
On August 19 - 21 of 1969, McLaughlin participated in the "Bitches Brew" session with Miles Davis. This recording has been cited in various jazz history books as being the landmark jazz-fusion project, though others like Larry Coryell with his Free Spirits or John with Lifetime had been there
before. But "Bitches Brew," by virtue of Miles' reputation, crystallized the jazz-rock movement and gave it credibility in the eyes of jazz critics, and for that reason it is an important record. John gets off some cool licks at the beginning of "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" and near the end of "Pharaoh's Dance," but it is not generally a great vehicle for him. No flashy solos or chops grandstanding. Like its predecessor, "In A Silent Way," this album is about setting a mood and laying down textures. John's playing is spacious, applying the less-is-more theory that Miles subscribed to at the time. Some funky comping on the title cut, but fans of the burning McLaughlin solo will probably be disappointed with this one. A week later, John was in the studio with Miles' sax player, Wayne Shorter. His ambitious project, "Super Nova" (Blue Note B1 84332), features John in the company of drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Miroslav Vitous and percussionist Airto Moreira. His crisp Farlow-influenced playing is placed alongside the crazed, shards-of-splintered-glass sound of guitarist Sonny Sharrock. Interesting contrast, though Sonny's "out" playing seems to have rubbed off a bit on John at times.
In February of 1970, John recorded three cuts with the Miles Davis band which were later released in 1981 on "Directions" (Columbia KC2 36472). These cuts feature John's old mate from his very first recording date back in England, bassist Dave Holland, who had played on "Where Fortune Smiles." But this time, Miles had Holland playing electric bass in the funky r&b tradition of Motown bassists like Jerry Jemmot and James Jamerson. Billy Cobham is the drummer on "Duran" and John sinks his teeth into this heavy r&b vamp. His solo burns with intensity and he gets off some wicked wah-wah licks as well. On "Willie Nelson" he solos in Indian scales on another funky r&b groove laid down by Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette. On both these cuts, John is given far more room to blow than on his previous sessions with Miles.
Somewhere around this same time in 1970, McLaughlin participated in Carla Bley's magnum opus, "Escalator Over The Hill" (Jazz Composers Orchestra JCOA 3LP-EOTH), an opera that involved some 40 musicians and was released in a three-record box. John is featured on four cuts with bassist Jack Bruce, drummer Paul Motian and Bley on organ (similar instrumentation to the latter-day edition of Lifetime). He cuts loose on "Rawalpindi Blues," sailing like electric Shakti on top of Carla's organ drone. And he adds more fire on "End of Rawalpindi."
This overlaps with the recording of Lifetime's second album, "Turn It Over" (Polydor 24-4201). Instructions on the back cover state: "PLAY IT VERY LOUD." Fans of today's digitally clean sound with crystal-clear separation may be shocked by the muddy rumble of this very raucous album. John's guitar sound is incredibly grungy, as If he's playing through ripped speakers. The mix is mushy and Tony's drums are beyond bombastic. But what this album lacks in fidelity it more than makes up for in raw, go-for-the-throat energy. "To Whom It May Concern" sounds like a Boeing 747 taking off. "Vuelta Abajo" is Tony's variation on "Sunshine Of Your Love." And "Right On" is cacophonous thrash-rock at its nastiest. Some of this stuff sounds like Iron Butterfly
Also in 1970, John recorded his second album as a leader, "Devotion" (Douglas 31568, re-issued in 1984 on OAO/Celluloid 5010). This is one of the more powerful sessions that McLaughlin has ever been involved in, which is why Bill Laswell had the good sense to re-release the record on his OAO label. Buddy Miles is the drummer, Larry Young the organ player. John is just finding his Mahavishnu chops here, wailing with psychedelic intensity on "Marbles" and curling some toes on the shuffle blues "Funky Siren." His playing on "Purpose Of When" is purely Hendrixian, while "Dragon Song" is 11 minutes of Mutron-infested madness. Some call it sick, some call it catharsis. I call it incredible.
John brought this bold new voice into the 1971 sessions with Miles Davis, "A Tribute To Jack Johnson" (Columbia 304595) and "Live-Evil" (Columbia 30945). Though "Bitches Brew" had earlier been cited by jazz historians as the first real fusion of rock and jazz, these two begin to creep more into the camp of rock than jazz. Both are louder, rawer and more intense than "Bitches Brew" and John really kicks into overdrive. "Right Off" on "Jack Johnson" is Miles' smug answer to Lifetime's "Right On," and John's guitar is killer on this cut. His machine-gun picking and odd voicings on "Funky Tonk" from "Live-Evil" are breathtaking. Both albums are filled with the kind of extended psychedelic soloing that you either love or hate. Radio programmers today definitely hate it, crazed guitar fiends and readers of this magazine should love it.
Soon after those albums were released, McLaughlin shed that musical skin and headed for the opposite end of the spectrum, recording the all-acoustic album, "My Goals Beyond" (Douglas 31568, re-issued in 1982 on Elektra/Musician E-1-60003). This is an important album not only for its quiet acoustic beauty but also because it brought McLaughlin together with Billy Cobham and violinist Jerry Goodman, future charter members of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. They join reedman Dave Leibman, bassist Charlie Haden, percussionist Airto and tabla player Badal Roy on two extended compositions, "Peace One" and "Peace Two," both highly successful meldings of Eastern classical and Western scales in an improvisational context. The other side of this brilliant album features John overdubbing acoustic guitars on beautiful tunes like Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat," Bill Evans' "Blue In Green" and his own signature ballad "Follow Your Heart."
John, of course, did not pursue this path of acoustic purity with Cobham and Goodman. In late 1971, with bassist Rick Laird and keyboardist Jan Hammer, they recorded the Mahavishnu Orchestra debut, "Inner Mounting Flame" (Columbia 31067). This incendiary album blew minds all over the globe. John takes it up a notch from where Lifetime left off and the band follows him. "Vital Transformation" and "The Dance Of Maya" are filled with John's signature distortion-laced Les Paul ticks, while his solos on "The Noonward Race" and especially "Awakening" are unbelievably intense. His great sustain solo on the ballad "Dawn" is yet another highlight in this sizzling, no-holds-barred guitar hero album. They followed this formula in 1973 with "Birds Of Fire" (Columbia 31966) and the live-in-Central-Park recording, "Between Nothingness And Eternity" (Columbia 32766), and then the flame was snuffed. That original edition of the Mahavishnu Orchestra
disbanded in January 1974 and John started up the second line with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, drummer Michael Walden, bassist Ralphe Armstrong, keyboardist Gayle Moran, two reeds players and a four-piece string section.
This was around the time when John was heavily under the influence of his guru, Sri Chinmoy. He had recorded a sprawling jam with fellow Sri
Chinmoy disciple Carlos Santana in 1973, "Love Devotion Surrender" (Columbia PC 32034), which Wax Museum advisor Bob Quine gruffly dismisses
as "an exercise in wretched excess." True, the Sri aura is a little thick but there's an intense, raw energy on John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and
on John's answer to that tune, "The Life Divine," which cannot be denied. The passion-soaked riffs of John and Carlos are supported by ex-Lifetime
mate Larry Young on organ and ex-Mahavishnu mate Billy Cobham on drums. And the acoustic duet on Coltrane's "Naima" is nice. But there is some truth in
what Quine says. This one does ramble on.
The first album with the second line of the Mahavishnu Orchestra was 1974's "Apocalypse" (Columbia 32957). This impressive affair features John's signature wailing in the company of violinist Ponty, drummer Walden, bassist Armstrong and keyboardist Moran, backed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Unlike the rambling jam with Carlos, this one showcases intelligent, creative writing by John and inspired playing by the sidemen. Also that year, John played on Miles' "Big Fun" (Columbia PG 32866), a two-record set of atmospheric jams where each side tells a tale. He makes his presence felt on side one, "Great Expectations," and on side three, "Go Ahead John," But it's hardly the vehicle for his guitar playing that Mahavishnu had been. Later that year, John played on Miles' "Get Up With It" (Columbia KG33236) alongside bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Cobham, electric pianists Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett,
saxophonist Steve Grossman and percussionist Airto. John shines on "Honky Tonk, " a blues funk mantra with a tricky meter.
One other session that John played in 1974 was Larry Coryell's "Spaces" (Vanguard 79345) with Miroslav Vitous, Chick Corea and Billy Cobham. His solos on the title cut and on "Wrong Is Right" are among his finest ever. And there's the additional treat of a sprightly Django-esque acoustic guitar duet in "Rene's Theme."
1975 saw the release of "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" (Columbia 33411) with Ponty, Walden, Armstrong, Moran and John augmented by a string trio. And in 1976 he streamlined the band down to himself, Walden, Armstrong and keyboardist Stu Goldberg for "Inner Worlds" (Columbia 33908). This is a highly schizophrenic album that has some glorious high points and embarrassing low points. On the high side there is the solidly funkydrumming of Walden on "The Way Of The Pilgrim" and his amazing display on the free piece "Miles Out." On the low side are four vocal tunes with lamepop pretensions. But John plays his heart out, as usual. And this album is a landmark of sorts in that it highlights some of the earliest recorded examples of guitar synthesizer and use of sequencers. "Miles Out" is an incredible display of noise-feedback guitar rivaling Jimi Hendrix' "EXP" from the "Axis: Bold As Love" album. On this very "out" cut, John is playing through a 360-degree Systems Frequency Shifter. The sweeping, rotating effect is uncanny.
And then John disbanded Mahavishnu once again to delve into more acoustic pastures. Of course, that phase wouldn't last too long before it would be time to shed his skin again.
"I like the electric guitar, but to me it's got a narrow emotional frequency band. It just doesn't have a lot of breadth compared to the acoustic guitar, which has a wonderful dynamic range. And, consequently, the expression for me is much greater on that instrument."
Thus spoke Johnny Mac. And so began an intensive period of acoustic playing, soon after the folding of his Mahavishnu Mark II and its 1976 album, "Inner Worlds" (Columbia 33908).Of course, John had always played acoustic guitar (see the 1972 "My Goals Beyond", Douglas 31568, re-issued in 1982 on Elektra/Musician
E1-60003). But he began again in earnest upon meeting the brilliant Indian classical musicians Zakir Hussain, T.S. Vinayakaram and L.
Shankar.Together they formed Shakti, an Indian term meaning "creative intelligence,beauty and power." The band was just that, combining the fire ofMahavishnu, the ragas of classical Indian music and the acoustic beauty of violin, guitar and tablas. It was a perfect fusion of East meets West and
represented some of McLaughlin's most inspired playing.
Shakti recorded a live concert at Southampton College on Long Island on July 5, 1975, around the same time that "Inner Worlds" was recorded. Bothwere released in 1976 by Columbia, but "Shakti" (Columbia 34162) attracted more attention from critics and fans alike.
John embraced the culture and music of India with as much zeal as he had displayed for guru Sri Chinmoy a few years earlier; so much so, in fact,that he put his trusty Les Paul electric on the shelf and ordered up a special acoustic guitar with extra drone strings, made by Abe
Wechter, aluthier in Paw Paw, Michigan, who John would rely on over the years.
The debut Shakti album blew guitarists away. All those fleet-fingered fusionheads who had copped John's Mahavishnu licks now stood in awe of thesheer power and heights of energy he attained in this new context. The rapid-fire, telepathic exchanges between McLaughlin's guitar, Hussain's
tablas and Shankar's violin were frighteningly intense. In concert, the whole band seemed to levitate a couple of feet above the stage, bearing
down and climbing higher and higher peaks of inspiration. Of course, "Shakti" sold nowhere near the number of records that, say, "Inner Mounting
Flame" or "Birds of Fire" did. But after it, guitarists began speaking his name in reverential whispers.
The centerpiece of the live Shakti album is a jam entitled "What Need Have I For This - What Need Have I For That - I Am Dancing At The Feet Of
My Lord - All Is Bliss - All Is Bliss" not only the longest song title of all time, but featuring some of the most incandescent moments of
McLaughlin's career.
That same year, he also appeared on Stanley Clarke's "Journey To Love" (Nemperor NE 433), performing in an acoustic trio with Stanley and Chick
Corea on "Song To John," a two-part opus dedicated to John Coltrane. In 1976 he kept the Shakti momentum flowing with "A Handful Of Beauty"
(Columbia 34980) while also appearing on Stanley's follow-up album, "School Days" (Nemperor 439).
In 1977, Shakti released "Natural Elements" (Columbia 34162), perhaps its most accessible offering of the three. The tunes were considerably
shortened...three, four minutes, seven at most...in an attempt to grab Western listeners. The same fire is still very much present on these cuts,
but it's sandwiched around heads and bridges rather than allowed to burn freely over stretched-out ragas. No matter - the formula still wasn't
enough to impress Columbia executives, saleswise. So, at their urging, John relented and put out "Johnny McLaughlin, Electric Guitarist" (Columbia
35326), heralded in the press and hype sheets as a long-awaited return to the instrument he first made his mark with. As John said in an interview,
"I was feeling that music bubbling up inside again. I was just hearing a lot of trap drums, electric bass, synthesizers, and it's impossible to play
along with that on an acoustic guitar."
The reunion of John, Billy Cobham and Jerry Goodman on "New York On My Mind" recalls earlier times, with Stu Goldberg subbing for Jan Hammer and
Fernando Saunders subbing for Rick Laird. John and Carlos Santana have a "Love, Devotion, Surrender" reunion on "Friendship" (no, not the Cole
Porter song) and John trades licks with alto saxophonist David Sanborn on the ballad "Every Tear From Every Eye." He recalls his Lifetime phase with
some Mutron-inflected funk on "Are You The One," featuring old mates Tony Williams on drums and Jack Bruce on bass. and he plays an energized
overdrive guitar tribute to John Coltrane on "Do You Hear The Voices," which is propelled mightily by Jack DeJohnette's drums. The weirdest moment
comes during "Phenomenon," a raucous duo jam with Cobham that predates the bombast of the so-called Downtown noisemakers scene in New York City. All
in all, an interesting, if slightly fabricated reunion.
In 1979, John unveiled his One Truth Band with an album and follow-up tour. This album, "Electric Dreams" (Columbia 35785), is an overlooked gem
in the McLaughlin discography. Sounding not a little bit Weather Reportish at times, the playing by drummer Tony Smith, bassist Fernando Saunders and
keyboardist Stu Goldberg is strong throughout, and L. Shankar adds his magic touch on electric violin. Fernando does a fretless Jaco-thing on
"Desire And The Comforter" while John, Stu and Shankar trade burning fours. "The Dark Prince" is an uptempo scorcher in the tradition of "Giant Steps,"
featuring Fernando's furious walking basslines beneath Tony's aggressive bashing. This tune would later be reprised by John at the infamous Havana
Jam (Columbia PC236053), recorded live in Cuba in 1979 with Jaco Pastorius and Tony Williams (billed as The Trio Of Doom). Other sparkling moments are
David Sanborn's sanctified alto sax wailing on "The Unknown Dissident" and John's banjo (that's right!) playing on "Electric Dreams, Electric Sighs."
John finally split from Columbia in search of acoustic fulfillment and signed with Warner Bros. He had already done an acoustic tour of the States
and Europe with Larry Coryell and Paco De Lucia in 1979. In the fall of 1980, Al DiMeola replaced Coryell in that amazing trio and the new line-up
was featured on the live Friday Night In San Francisco, recorded at the Warfield Theater on December 5, 1980 and later released by Columbia
(DiMeola's label) in 1981. This album and the triumphant tour of the world was heralded as "A Victory For The Acoustic Guitar" and was further
significant in exposing the talents of the incredible flamenco master Paco De Lucia to wider audiences. In the presence of the great Paco, both John
and Al seem to be lifted to new heights of inspiration. Their flamenco flurries and rapid-flre exchanges on Al's "Fantasia Suite," John's
"Guardian Angel" and Chick Corea's "Short Tales Of The Black Forest" are breathtaking examples of acoustic virtuosity.
Meanwhile, over at Warner Bros., John was cooking up some acoustic concoctions of his own. His Belo Horizonte band sought to resolve the
conflict that he had came up against years before - successfully blending the acoustic guitar into an electrified setting that included synthesizers
and trap drums. The band and subsequent album, "Belo Horizonte" (Warner Bros. BSK 3619) is basically an opportunity to play with his then-main
squeeze, the gifted pianist Katia LeBeque, a world class concert pianist from France.
The music on "Belo Horizonte" is more strictly structured and arranged than the all-out blowing sessions with Mahavishnu, Shakti or The Trio. There's a distinct European flavoring to the music, recalling the strictly composed, challenging music of Astor Piazolla or other proteges of the French composer Nadia Boulanger. "Waltz For Katia" is sprightly and lyrical, highlighting Katia's considerable chops on piano alongside some firebrand violin work by Augustin Dumay. French acoustic bassist Jean Paul Celea provides a warm tonal balance to the brightness of synthesizers, while American drummer Tommy Campbell plays lightly and politely, though lets loose when called for, like on the burning title cut. One highlight here is the acoustic guitar duet with Paco De Lucia on "Manitas D'Oro." A successful though slightly retentive effort. Old fans urged John to break out and crank a bit more, though the music of "Belo Horizonte" won over a whole new audience.
John continued this formula in 1982 with "Music Spoken Here" (Warner Bros. 23725-1). The French connection of Katia, bassist Celea and synth player Francois Courturier was back in full force along with drummer Campbell, only this time, John picked up his electric on the nasty-funky "Honky Tonk Haven," a song that predates the big-drum sound he would later use on "Adventures In Radioland" with the rejuvenated Mahavishnu. "Aspan" is a fiery flamenco-flavored tune that he would reprise with The Trio on "Passion, Grace & Fire" (Columbia FC 38645), the 1983 studio album he did with Paco and Al. Elsewhere on "Music Spoken Here", John plays with typical finesse and fire on acoustic, like on the super uptempo "Negative Ions," a bashing showcase for drummer Campbell, or on the lovely duet with Katia, "Brise De Coeur."
The Passion, Grace & Fire album was released in 1983, accompanied by another whirlwind tour. More flamenco flurries and dazzling displays of
64th notes from the three masters.
Then in 1984, John felt his old Mahavishnu roots bubbling inside again. He persuaded his old mate Billy Cobham to jump back in, though by this time
Rick Laird was more interested in photography than bass playing and Jan Hammer was too involved with his successful solo career and Miami Vice work to even care about such sentimental notions as a Mahavishnu reunion. Jerry Goodman had apparently been sounded by John on the idea, but before he could say yes, Mr. Mahavishnu had already hand-picked the new band and was locked away in France doing rehearsals. Somewhere between the session for "Mahavishnu" (Warner Bros. 25190-1) and the subsequent tour, Cobham had a dispute with John and split. Drummer Danny Gottlieb was called in as a last-minute replacement, joining Bill Evans on reeds, Mitch Forman on keyboards and the Swedish bass phenom Jonas Hellborg on electric bass. This is a powerhouse outfit, particularly in concert, though the album itself is badly mixed. The engineer (or John?) had no idea of a good snare or bass sound. John thoroughly explores the Synclavier digital guitar synthesizer on the record, with mixed results. On "Radio-Activity," he sounds amazingly like Shankar's electric violin, propelled by Cobham's signature double-bass drum thumping. On "Pacific Express," he opts for a flute patch on some lively uptempo spy music, somewhat reminiscent of the Belo Horizonte Band's lighter touch. And on "Nostalgia," it's more fun with timbres. "East Side West Side" features some boppish exchanges between McLaughlin and Evans, and on "Nightriders" he finally pulls out the Les Paul and cranks with rock intensity. In concert, fans were often confused about who precisely was soloing at any given moment. John's guitar sounded like a Mini-Moog or a flute or an organ, and members of the audience would shift their heads from Mitch Forman to McLaughlin to try and discern who was soloing. As one wag put it, "So, John spent $50,000 so he could sound like Mitch Forman, huh?" Inevitably, when he would put down his synth guitar and reach for the old black Les Paul, the old fans would stand up and cheer.
The 1986 Mahavishnu album, "Adventures In Radioland" (Relativity 88561-8081-1) features some slickly-packaged tunes like Jim Beard's "The
Wait," Bill Evans' "Half Man-Half Cookie" and Mitch Forman's "Mitch Match." Jonas' bass sounds better here, and Danny's drum sound, blended with
Simmons, is big-beat contempo, particularly on "Gotta Dance," a la Phil Collins. John mixes it up with acoustic ("20th Century Ltd." and
"Florianapolis," another like the Belo Horizonte formula) and Synclavier synth guitar, but he also lets loose with some good, old-fashioned Les Paul
screaming on "The Wall Will Fall," which features some straight-out Chuck Berry licks amidst the incredible flourishes. John, of course, is John, but
the album in general lacks the single-minded focus of his best effects. The playing of Bill Evans is a highlight, but rather than representing any kind
of milestone in his career, this edition of Mahavishnu seems more like an interim band, like the One Truth Band - very good, but ultimately lost in
the shuffle of countless high points in an incredible career.
Perhaps John is feeling tired of electric guitar. Maybe he's feeling those acoustic roots bubbling inside again. His most recent activity would
indicate that. In 1987, he toured Europe and the States with bassist Jonas Hellborg, playing jazz standards and Mahavishnu classics and new material
on acoustic guitar.
Also in 1987, John played on the beautiful "Making Music" (ECM 1349) with his former Shakti mate Zakir Hussain, tenor saxophonist Jan Garbarek
and flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia. This inspired effort is perhaps the most exemplary work John has done since "Natural Elements", recorded 10 years
earlier. Unlike the flashy Trio with Al and Paco, which at times was more like a slam-dunk competition than an inspired collaboration, "Making Music"
transcends notes and gets to the heart of the matter. Foolishly enough, this album was listed in the New Age Category in some magazines. No way.
The title cut is a burning romp that would frighten George Winston fans.
And the duet between John and Zakir on "You And Me" is full of emotion and energy. Garbarek's sax at times approximates the phrasing of L. Shankar's
violin, yet has a life of its own. This is one great band and it's obvious upon listening to "Making Music" that John feels at home in this context.
But he'll no doubt continue to stretch. He never sits in one place for too long. Something will come along to pique his interest - a new
breakthrough in technology, a new musician to challenge him, a new idea to fuse musical cultures. Needless to say, John McLaughlin will continue
making music for a long time to come, taking chances and leading the way down some new paths as he goes.
(Bill
Milkowski)
Courtesy
from: Dave Marshall
http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/mclaughlin/home.html
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