Matt Haimovitz & Uccello, Meeting of the Spirits

An eight-cello ensemble? That's Matt Haimovitz & Uccello's lineup on Meeting of the Spirits (Oxingale 2017). For something like this to work, of course, the material, the arrangements and the execution must be very good. David Sanford does the arrangements throughout and they are well-wrought. It's jazz repertoire all the way (except for Sanford's interesting modern classical piece "Triptych"). So we get a really ravishing version of "Open Country Joy" by Mahavishnu--and John McLaughlin guests on this one. The interplay between guitar and cellos extends the Mahavishnu sonority in ways faithful to the spirit of the original, and McLaughlin gets in some solo work that shows he is still in good form.

The very formidable contemporary drummer Matt Wilson joins the group on two numbers and kicks the ensemble into orbit, especially on the Mahavishnu odd-metered title track, which also brings in Jan Jarczyk on electric piano. The cellos take on most of the soloing and the original ensemble parts in a most convincing performance.

But there are also stimulating arrangements of Ornette Coleman's "W.R.U," Strayhorn's beautifully melancholy "Blood Count," Miles' "Half Nelson," "Haitian Fight Song" by Mingus, and more besides.

There's a kind of cello big band sound they get and it is done so convincingly that you stop thinking about how novel it all is and instead let yourself be captivated by the beauty and strength of the performances.

They do for the cello ensemble what Kronos has sometimes done for the string quartet. They make a convincing case for a sort of jazz-classical nexus in ways where the nexus itself is secondary to the pure enjoyment one gets from the music itself.

It's quite an achievement and highly recommended.

Gary Husband Comes Through with "Dirty and Beautiful, Volume 1"

Gary Husband has impressed me in the past as a dynamically lively and exciting drummer and a musical mind as tunesmith, keyboardist and all-around positive force in the universe. Some of Allan Holdsworth's albums made with Gary are of the very best sort, and Gary's doing good things as keyboardist and drummer with John McLaughlin's new group (see earlier posting for a discussion of the latest album).

That's all true, but what of his new solo album, Dirty and Beautiful, Volume One (Abstract Logic 027)? The answer is, "Wheeew, yeah!"

This is one of those albums whose personnel alone is something you can't help but take note of in anticipation. There's both Allan Holdsworth and John McLaughlin, which is saying much; then Steve Hackett and Robin Trower; then there are the old Mahavishnu heavyweights Jan Hammer and Steve Goodman. There are other significant cats too. Does the music live up to the promise of who is involved? In every way it does.

Gary has put together a program of solid originals plus a brief look at a Miles Davis perennial and an engaging Allan Holdsworth piece. They all have melodic substance and serve as excellent platforms for some eloquent songbirds to gather and achieve ensemble and solo excellence. This is good rocking fusion the way you might anticipate it but with the Gary Husband flair for subtle sophistication. Allan Holdsworth sounds like you expect him to, beautiful tone and line as always. John McLaughlin lets out with a couple of solos that are some of the best I've heard from him in a long time, showing rock-crank-velocity and gritty tone. The other Mahavishnus (Goodman and Hammer) make appearances that show you they have not lost a thing, and, well, everybody else makes good contributions.

It's the cumulative effect of the Husband smart-fusion way that makes this album a thrilling experience, if you love fusion. This is what fusion is and still can be, a real art form. I can't recommend this highly enough!

Ranjit Barot Proffers A Remarkable Indian Fusion Blend on "Bada Boom"

Music keeps going on in this world no matter what else is happening. It is a source of endless satisfaction to have the privilege to be exposed to new and exciting musical work.

That's how I feel when listening to drummer Ranjit Barot's Bada Boom (Abstract Logix 026). Ranjit has assembled a wonderful cast of musicians to play a kind of Indo-American fusion that to my ears has not been heard in quite this way before. When something is new and different, description becomes more of a challenge, but I welcome the opportunity to sing the praises of this one.

Where to start? Ranjit Barot's drumming? It is really impressive. He gets the rhythmic sophistication of classical Indian ways of playing with the drive and command of the fusion drum approach. It is a marvel. His compositions are no less impressive because they combine aspects of Indian vocalizing and rhythmic patterns with a melodic-harmonic orientation that seems to me is quite original. His lead vocals are really quite good as well. I found that the music made me catch my breath and I'm still finding that to be the case.

Then the cast of musical luminaries. Not only is it impressive, the performances too are something to hear with awe. Zakir Hussain on tabla for example, is an ideal participant--because of his innovative and masterful command of the musical language, but also because he has been one of the key pioneers in Indo-fusion as it has evolved since that later sixties. John McLaughlin....of course the same applies and he sounds great. U. Srinivas on mandolin? One of those players that you hear once and that's IT! There are many others, some from the "Western" camp, some out of the Indian tradition, but they all contribute excellently crafted pieces to this elegant solution to the jigsaw puzzle of cosmic musical life.

I don't think I can say enough about this one. It is something not to be missed. Maestro Barot has crafted an ornate and lustrous musical jewel. I hope he does many more and that I will be hear to appreciate them!

John McLaughlin’s New Electric Album “To the One”

It is most surely a good thing that John McLaughlin has been devoting much of his attention to the electric guitar. Not to take away from his acoustic playing, which has had some wonderful periods (I like the Shakti sides and the trio with Trilok Gurtu best), but after all it was as a musical electrician that John originally revolutionized the music world, with Miles, Lifetime, Mahavishnu and on from there.

When McLaughlin burst onto the scene he had of course incredible technique but also a unique harmonic-melodic-rhythmic approach. And he had a sound: wiry, screaming at times, very electric but also distinctive.

His new album with the 4th Dimension band, To the One (Abstract Logix 027), shows him in great form burning up the fretboard with 16th note runs, rekindling the old fire, letting the guitar breathe with natural pauses between phrases, doing the things you expect from McLaughlin. But his sound has changed. Now one cannot expect someone to keep the sound the same all the time. Especially with the electric guitar. These days he has a richer tone, in part a product of the effects he uses. It sounds like he's adding plenty of chorus and a little flanger perhaps. It takes some getting used to and it’s been a part of his new sound for a while so it’s not a surprise. It’s a different McLaughlin in that sense though. Maybe a tad more like other players in the fusion bag. That’s all fine but it is a factor in McLaughlin today, no less than the later Stan Getz had a different sound than the earlier. Artists hear a different sound, the technology of electronics changes and artists find something available to them that they like. So, cool.

In the main To the One is a strong outing. The band has Gary Husband on keys and drums and a second drummer in Mark Mondesir (and a great drummer is critical to the McLaughlin onslaught. We’re covered there.) Bassist Etienne M’Bappe sounds limber and on the game as the one in charge of the bottom.

The originals are mostly worthy, with a few a bit less distinguished than what one might expect. Some of the harmonic-melodic interest of the early McLaughlin seems to be less in the foreground. Perhaps it is more important to establish the new electric band at this point and work further magic as time goes by. This is an Inner Mounting Flame to a future Birds of Fire, perhaps. That would be nice!

The fact is though, that this is a very good McLaughlin outing. I hope this band keeps developing its repertoire and growing ever tighter. Cheers, then.

John McLaughlin, Mahavishnu at Montreaux DVD

The musical style of John McLaughlin has taken many zigs and zags since his emergence with Tony Williams and Miles Davis in the late ‘60s. The original Mahavishnu Orchestra sent guitarists, drummers, keyboardists and violin wielders to the woodshed to try and catch up. The band had such technique and fire! McLaughlin was not merely technically amazing; his rhythmic-melodic amalgam and the group concept went way beyond what anybody had done before. Then that band broke up and new Mahavishnu groups, Shakti and all kinds of permutations in his approach occurred over the next 30 years or so. But nothing was quite like that original band. It was natural for some to be disappointed with the later incarnations of the group. Nothing quite matched that first burst of flame. Yet looking back those realignments in the Mahavishnu personnel and repertoire were not nearly as big a letdown as they seemed at the time.

This brings us to a two DVD set that has been out for a bit but I am only now getting around to reviewing. I speak of Mahavishnu Orchestra Live at Montreux 1974, 1984 (Eagle Eye). First off, for a very modest price you get hours and hours of music, 234 minutes to be precise. The 1974 disk alone contains a 45 minute or so video of the band in action and another 70 plus minutes of additional music for audio only. Today we deal with that first disk. The second will be covered later.

The picture quality and sound are first rate. The 1974 group added a string quartet and several horns, mostly for orchestral texture. This was the band with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, who of course added another astoundingly proficient improvising voice to the mix. Michael Walden filled Cobham’s shoes with bravado and manages here to seem nearly as boisterous as the indefatigable Billy.

The music gives wide scope for some astounding McLaughlin soloing and so also for Mr. Ponty. The two are in great form! Musically the material consisted of new numbers the band had worked up and a few pieces from the earlier repertoire. No LP release of the time came close to giving a representative view of what the band could do. This DVD does that well and the 1974 concert has a great deal of fine moments. I was less captivated by the 1984 disk, but that is a story for later. McLaughlin fans at any rate should not hesitate to find this one. It should give you many hours of enjoyment. Anybody new to McLaughlin who hasn’t listened to Birds of Fire by the original Mahavishnu might do better to start there.

Originally posted on March 26, 2009 at www.gapplegate.com.

Miles Davis and John McLaughlin Reunite, 1985

Originally posted on February 7, 2008

How many albums did guitarist John McLaughlin record with Miles Davis? I’ll let you answer that for yourself if you know but there may have been one you’ve neglected. In 1985 Miles entered the studio with John McLaughlin and others to perform Palle Mikkelborg’s compositions/arrangements in an album that became known as Aura (Columbia). Even though it took three years before the label put it out, it is hands-down one of the absolute best of the last years of Miles’ output. It is steaming, thick, complex, hot music with a burning cool in the middle. A true classic of fusion. Look for it if you want to hear something different.