John McLaughlin and the Fourth Dimension

Bass_Thumper · #1 11-30-2010, 12:17 PM

Going to see John McLaughlin and the Fourth Dimension tonight. I'm very excited to see him and can't wait to hear Etienne Mbappe live. I'm expecting it to be one of those musical/spiritual experiences like I had when I saw Return to Forever on their last tour.

Has anyone else caught this tour?

Bass_Thumper · #2 11-30-2010, 02:12 PM

I figured that I'd include a youtube clip for those that aren't familar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjRLHtxYCB8

**lowfreqgeek** · #3 11-30-2010, 02:22 PM

BassThumper,

I'm going too!!! This will be very, very cool - especially at the Lensic. I saw Richard Bona there a couple years ago - amazing experience.

I'm going with one of my musical partners from Santa Fe who first saw John McLaughlin w/Tony Williams in San Francisco for his 21st birthday in the '60s. My friend and the bar tender were the only people in the room for the entire gig...

Definitely looking forward to it!

Bass_Thumper · #4 11-30-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowfreqgeek

BassThumper,

I'm going too!!! This will be very, very cool - especially at the Lensic. I saw Richard Bona there a couple years ago - amazing experience.

I'm going with one of my musical partners from Santa Fe who first saw John McLaughlin w/Tony Williams in San Francisco for his 21st birthday in the '60s. My friend and the bar tender were the only people in the room for the entire gig...

Definitely looking forward to it!

Right on man, I'm sure it's going to be stellar to say the least. I've heard really good things about the Lensic but I haven't seen a show there yet. REALLY looking forward to it. I've already listened to "To the One" a couple of times today and the Five Peace Band live discs.

**lowfreqgeek** · #5 11-30-2010, 02:34 PM

When I saw Bona, I was on about the 3rd row. I could hear his breath off the stage as he sang. It was almost like a "private show", so to speak. Not as "private" as my friend's 21st birthday show by The Tony Williams Lifetime, but it's hard to go wrong in the Lensic.

Bass_Thumper · #6 11-30-2010, 03:07 PM

I bet that was something. I'm a pretty big Bona fan as well. I watch the Mike Stern show that I have on DVD pretty regularly and am always amazed. I'm on row G in the orchestra section so I should be pretty close I'm thinking. Have fun at the show.

Toronto Bassist · #7 11-30-2010, 03:10 PM

I saw them in Toronto a few weeks ago...great show, but the hall was a bit boomy and I couldn't always hear Etienne. There was also a bit of technical difficulty at the beginning, which turned out to be due to McLaughlin's wireless unit. So he had to go plugged in, like a caveman. Anyways, the show was spectacular all around, and it's great how McLaughlin can still make electrifying music to this day.

Bass_Thumper · #8 11-30-2010, 03:17 PM

He really is something special and thanks for the insight on this tour. I'm preparing to be amazed. I'm just so thankful that some of the fusion greats continue to make music that is so exciting and fresh.

Did you guys read the Christian McBride interview in Jazztimes a while back where Christian was talking about how open John and Chick were to the rest of the band's ideas and suggestions after sets during the Five Peace Band tour? That tells you one of the secrets for sure, no ego!

JimmyM · #9 11-30-2010, 03:31 PM

will they do "aquarius (let the sun shine in)" and "up, up and away"?

plangentmusic · #10 11-30-2010, 07:38 PM

Bad name.

faulknersj · #11 11-30-2010, 07:46 PM

Sick creative players....John proves that we can play viable music well into our Golden years. P.S. couldn't help but notice that Jimmy's avatar is back to normal...all is well with the universe again...

JimmyM · #12 11-30-2010, 08:09 PM

eh, nobody got the bat signal version of devo jb. i loved it, though.

kotzman · #13 12-01-2010, 01:22 AM

Just saw them here in Santa Fe, off the charts! What an amazing show. So... I may be slow on the uptake, but why does Etienne Mbappe wear gloves while playing? Never seen anything like it.

Bass_Thumper · #14 12-01-2010, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kotzman

Just saw them here in Santa Fe, off the charts! What an amazing show. So... I may be slow on the uptake, but why does Etienne Mbappe wear gloves while playing? Never seen anything like it.

That was an amazing show to say the least. Listening and watching Etienne burn through Recovery was simply AWESOME! My jaw was on the floor.

I was wondering about those gloves myself. They looked like they may have been satin or something like it. Maybe he just really, really hates string noise or something. I've never seen anything like it myself.

Was that an F Bass he was playing? I could have sworn that I've seen that bass in some add for a boutique builder in BP at some point.

JimmyM · #15 12-01-2010, 09:45 AM

there is a guy from england on here who plays great and wears white cotton gloves on his hands because of a disease he has that causes great pain if he touches the strings directly. could be possible etienne has the same thing.

edit: nope, he just has sweaty hands and his wife suggested he wear gloves to minimize the effects of them.

**lowfreqgeek** · #16 12-01-2010, 09:46 AM

Awesome show! Best I've ever seen, or probably ever will. Each of those guys have attained the absolute highest level of musicianship we all dream about - that state where music is just a stream of conciseness and there are no physical barriers to get in the way.

I *believe* that Etienne wears the gloves due to an allergy to something in the strings, but I could be wrong. Don't quote me on that. He did have pink coated strings (probably DR?) in addition to the gloves. That's what I could see from row N, anyway...

That was an F Bass BN5 - Walnut top, maple fingerboard. One of the best live bass tones I've ever heard. Nice way to induce GAS, too... Anyone selling an F Bass?

Bass_Thumper · #17 12-01-2010, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowfreqgeek

That was an F Bass BN5 - Walnut top, maple fingerboard. One of the best live bass tones I've ever heard. Nice way to induce GAS, too... Anyone selling an F Bass?

That bass was a showpiece for the eyes and ears for sure. Those pink strings even looked really good on it.

harrybosch · #18 12-01-2010, 10:24 AM

I got to hang out with the band during the new universe festival abstractlogix put on in raleigh a couple weeks ago. Entienne is a sweet guy, fun to hang with, and a killer player. He told me he wears the gloves because he likes the tone. The F bass he was playing that night did not have a walnut top but maybe an amboyna burl or something similar. Very cool group of guys, everyone of them very nice. Gary Husband is a trip, super funny and extremely talented. And John is as down to earth as they come, great guy. It was a great weekend of music and getting to hang out with Anthony Jackson for several hours was incredible. i'm surprised I didn't read anything about this festival on TB.

Bass_Thumper · #19 12-01-2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harrybosch

I got to hang out with the band during the new universe festival abstractlogix put on in raleigh a couple weeks ago. Entienne is a sweet guy, fun to hang with, and a killer player. He told me he wears the gloves because he likes the tone. The F bass he was playing that night did not have a walnut top but maybe an amboyna burl or something similar. Very cool group of guys, everyone of them very nice. Gary Husband is a trip, super funny and extremely talented. And John is as down to earth as they come, great guy. It was a great weekend of music and getting to hang out with Anthony Jackson for several hours was incredible. i'm surprised I didn't read anything about this festival on TB.

I really, really wanted to go to that festival, all that talent in one room must have been off the charts. I had some family coming in for the holidays so I was not able to make the trip but if they have another one next year, I'll have to come east. If there was ever a festival worth flying too (for me), it's that one.

Can you give us the lowdown on the shows?

**lowfreqgeek** · #20 12-01-2010, 11:00 AM

I would have loved to hang out with them, but I know they are in LA tonight and were in Dallas the night before, so not much hang time...

Even though I started on guitar at age 7 (about 25 years ago), I've been playing bass since I was 9 and haven't owned an electric guitar since I was about 15. After seeing McLaughlin make it look "easy", I want to run out and buy a Godin just like his and pretend to be a great fusion guitarist.

Silly, I know...