Ahira's Hangar

I'm sure I posted some of my feelings about The Mahavishnu Orchestra around here before, but I now own Birds of Fire for the first time since, oh '76. What an incredible CD! What an incredible band! John McGlaughlin on doubleneck guitar, Jerry Goodman on electric fiddle, Rick Laird on bass, Jan "Miami Vice" Hammer on Keyboards and Billy, my favorite drummer of all time, Cobham on drums. Totally instrumental jazz/rock fusion with dashes of classical here and there. This band isn't for everyone-the music is hyperkinetic and can change very abruptly, it can sound at times like all the musicians are off in their own tangents but suddenly they all come together and some of the cresendos are the most amazing things you've ever heard.

Alot of bands tryed this style back in the '70s but only a few mastered it and gained noteriety. Weather Report and Return to Forever are some of the few. Some of the best bassists: Laird, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, keyboarists: Hammer, Chick Corea, Josef Zawinul and drummers: Cobham, Lenny White in the world have come out of this genre. Not to mention McGlaughlin, Jean Luc Ponty, Wayne Shorter, or Al DiMeola. If you like groups like Gentle Giant and newer King Crimson-this music could be for you.

also try:
Passion, Grace and Fire (DiMeola, Paco deLucia & McLaughlin)
Bitches Brew (Miles Davis)
Extrapolation (McGlaughlin)
Love, Devotion and Surrender (McGlauglin & Santana)
Spectrum (Cobham)
anything by Jen Luc Ponty
and, I have found, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, to be very good too. *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 5/30/06 12:06 pm
</i>

I love rock. I love jazz. For whatever reason, though, I have not really ever explored the fusion of them, other than a bit of Pat Metheny and Carlos Santana.

Would your list be a good place to start, Danlo. ? ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

Possibly, what I would do if I were you is to enter this genre on the "gentler"/historical side. Your might want to start with artists some of these guys played with before J,R/F started like 65-72 Miles Davis, Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd. Bitches Brew is the most important influence on the overall music, and especially if you want to trace John McGlaughlin's path (but remember that McGlaughlin becomes, arguably, the most intense and fastest individual sound).

The direct McGlaughin route would probably be:
Bitches Brew
Extrapolation
MO: The Inner Mounting Flame,
Birds of Fire,
& Between Nothingness and Eternity
Love, Devotion and Surrender-with Carlos Santana
A Friday Night In San Francisco (more acoustic & mellow) &
Passion, Grace and Fire-with Al DiMeola and Paco de Lucia.
>>>the reason these guys blend so well is that DiMeola is a cross of intensity/jazz and flamenco and de Lucia is stunning flamenco.

After Davis, Getz and Byrd the overall "mellow" route would probably be:
Extrapolation
Return To Forever's (self-titled)
& Romantic Warrior
Weather Report's (self-titled),
Mysterious Traveller
& Heavy Weather
Brand X's Morrocan Roll (Phil Collins is their drummer, btw)
both of Stanley Clarke's first solo albums
Billy's Cobham's Crosswinds
& Spectrum
Jen Luc Ponty's Imaginary Voyage,
Cosmic Messenger
& Enigmatic Ocean
The Jeff Lorber Fusion's Wizard's Island
and A Friday Night in San Francisco

and some other semi-related artists;
The Brecker Brothers, Stanley Turrentine, Herbie Hancock, Rashaan Roland Kirk, Sun Ra, Gato Barbeirri and, of course, most anything by The Rippingtons who essentially grew right out of the genre.





*****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 5/30/06 12:13 pm
</i>