Mahavishnu

[Phalex]

I've been a fan of Mahavishnu and / or John McLaughlin forever!

The California Guitar trio released an album a few years ago (Joined by Tony Levin and P@ Mastelotto) on which they covered "Dance of the Maya". I am still dumbfounded. McLaughlin actually wrote music for that? Hokey Pete! I thought it was just something super cool that happened spontaneously never to be recreated precisely the same way again.

Whoa!

[gr8fulhiker]

Originally Posted by Means2nEnd

Love all that music I have to add one more I played about a jillion time is Spectrum by Billy Cobham...smokin!

He'll be in Phoenixville in January!

http://thecolonialtheatre.com/2012/events/billy-cobham/

[jphovercraft]

Wow ... do I ever feel at home in this thread. Saw them all in concert back in the day ...

[Roscoe East]

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

Robert Fripp

Originally Posted by Bisounourse

Fred Frith

What is it about a surname beginning with F-R-I that seems to bestow its owners with unbelievable guitar skills? I was looking through my CD collection (which is arranged alphabetically by artist) and when I came across the Fripp, Frisell, Frith section I started to think maybe there's something about that letter combination...

[geeza]

Originally Posted by gr8fulhiker

He'll be in Phoenixville in January!

http://thecolonialtheatre.com/2012/events/billy-cobham/

I live about 20 minutes away from there. Hmm...

[Diesel Kilgore]

Originally Posted by tkozal

There are some live shows out there that show the incredible awesomeness of Rick Laird. The studio albums dont really show what he can do. He was a wise man, and stayed out of the many diva's ways.

His old book on how to play jazz is great.

Is that book still around or a pita to find?

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by Phalex

I've been a fan of Mahavishnu and / or John McLaughlin forever!

The California Guitar trio released an album a few years ago (Joined by Tony Levin and P@ Mastelotto) on which they covered "Dance of the Maya". I am still dumbfounded. McLaughlin actually wrote music for that? Hokey Pete! I thought it was just something super cool that happened spontaneously never to be recreated precisely the same way again.

Whoa!

People (including me, for sure) tended to look at a lot of fusion of that era that way at the time, but at least some of it was actually not very spontaneous at all. Plenty of evidence of this if you cruise closely spaced dates here. Lots of great music on that site though!

As far as popularity, the original MO filled up our local high school auditorium as a headliner no problem. They tended to open for some pretty unlikely acts in the big cities though -- T-Rex in the case of my first MO show.

[Richland123]

Some other groups that came out around that time were

Dixie Dregs
Kittyhawk
Kraan & Helmut Hattler solo (Bassist)

A prog band that has always been a personal favorite is Saga. Their early stuff on the first three albums especially.

[Slabobian Mesh]

My buds and I have been paying homage to the likes of The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, RTF, Ponty, Jeff Beck, The Dregs and other fusion artists by taking on this music in our band Birds of Flame for a few years now. Tough stuff to play for sure, but unfortunately not much of an audience. But man, the artists who created these pieces were visionaries for sure. Here's our humble take on a Mahavishnu tune called "Miles Beyond".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnV7G...2ww1-A&index=1

[rapidfirerob]

I've been into fusion for a long time, saw MO, RTF, WR numerous times. Had a fusion band a few years back. So many great fusion musicians, so little space. As far as guitarists go in this genre, and there are loads, Holdsworth is probably IT if you have to choose one. I'll be seeing Cobham's 40th Anniversary Spectrum tour at Yoshi's Oakland in January. Dean Brown on guitar, Ric Fierabracci on bass, Jerry Goodman on violin (MO alumni of course), and Gary Husband on keys (who is a great drummer as well). The MO shows I saw as a youth were probably the most intense concerts I experienced.

[bassybill]

McLaughlin is right up there amongst the most influential and accomplished musicians in any style or period of music, imo.

The "big 3" of jazz-rock/fusion in that post-Miles era were definitely Mahavishnu, RTF and, just a little later, Weather Report, with the very greatest bass player of all time.

Nice to hear a shout out for Brand X (and Percy Jones) in this thread. Often an under-rated band, their best stuff is right up there with the others I just mentioned. I also really liked Colosseum II, and a couple of the albums by Bill Bruford's band with Jeff Berlin on bass.

Favourite albums:
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire
RTF - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, No Mystery, Romantic Warrior
Weather Report - Night Passage, Heavy Weather, 8-30
Brand X - Livestock, Unorthodox Behaviour, Product, Do They Hurt?
Bruford - One of a Kind, Gradually Going Tornado
Colosseum II - all 3 albums (Strange New Flesh, Electric Savage, War Dance)

That's about the best fusion stuff you can get, imo. There's other stuff out there but the ones I've just listed are the greatest of the great for me.

[aproud1]

Originally Posted by bassybill

Favourite albums:
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire
RTF - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, No Mystery, Romantic Warrior
Weather Report - Night Passage, Heavy Weather, 8-30
Brand X - Livestock, Unorthodox Behaviour, Product, Do They Hurt?
Bruford - One of a Kind, Gradually Going Tornado
Colosseum II - all 3 albums (Strange New Flesh, Electric Savage, War Dance)

+1 to all of those though I would say my favorite Weather report album is probably Black Market.

[KJung]

It was fun to be a young bassist when all that stuff came out. I remember hearing Birds of Fire for the first time in high school. It was quite a shock. Definitely about the heaviest stuff out there at the time, and when you combine it with the 'spirituality' of John, it kind of rose above the rest of the stuff in intensity.

All that stuff sounds so dated to me now, but I spin the Return to Forever, Weather Report stuff once a year or so, and it is fun to listen to from an historical perspective.

Say Weather Report with Jaco (Heavy Weather tour), Return to Forever with Stanley (Romantic Warrior tour), Cobham's Spectrum tour, Jon Luc Ponty (Aurora tour) with Ralphe on bass live back when it was new and fresh. I would put Yes's Relayer tours in their also with Patrick Moraz on keys (the backstory on that album was that Yes was freaked out when all the Chick Corea electric stuff came out and, just like the Beatles when they heard Pet Sounds, thought they better get on the stick and put something out that was of similar musicianship and intensity).

Of course, many of the great fusion pioneers came from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew era. That has always been difficult for me to listen to, but again, anyone getting into the fusion thing needs to have that in the library IMO.

Final note, had the wonderful experience of hearing Ralphe Armstrong play in small clubs a few years ago when I lived in Detroit. Amazing, since the last time I saw him play was in an arena size venue with Luc Ponty in the late 70's/early 80's. Really nice cat.

[Lonesomedave]

Originally Posted by KJung

It was fun to be a young bassist when all that stuff came out. I remember hearing Birds of Fire for the first time in high school. It was quite a shock. Definitely about the heaviest stuff out there at the time, and when you combine it with the 'spirituality' of John, it kind of rose above the rest of the stuff in intensity.

All that stuff sounds so dated to me now, but I spin the Return to Forever, Weather Report stuff once a year or so, and it is fun to listen to from an historical perspective.

Say Weather Report with Jaco (Heavy Weather tour), Return to Forever with Stanley (Romantic Warrior tour), Cobham's Spectrum tour, Jon Luc Ponty (Aurora tour) with Ralphe on bass live back when it was new and fresh. I would put Yes's Relayer tours in their also with Patrick Moraz on keys (the backstory on that album was that Yes was freaked out when all the Chick Corea electric stuff came out and, just like the Beatles when they heard Pet Sounds, thought they better get on the stick and put something out that was of similar musicianship and intensity).

Of course, many of the great fusion pioneers came from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew era. That has always been difficult for me to listen to, but again, anyone getting into the fusion thing needs to have that in the library IMO.

Final note, had the wonderful experience of hearing Ralphe Armstrong play in small clubs a few years ago when I lived in Detroit. Amazing, since the last time I saw him play was in an arena size venue with Luc Ponty in the late 70's/early 80's. Really nice cat.

buddy, we're going to have to agree to disagree on that one....

i could listen to all that 70's stuff all day, and it sounds just as good and fresh as when it first came out.

listen to DANCE OF MAYA or NOONWARD RACE....has anything been made before or since that even comes close... (if it has, please turn me on to it)

sure, there is some good stuff being made now, but where would the likes of victor wooten be without those broad 70's fusion shoulders to stand on.

jaco may not (quite) be technically the "best" anymore, but he opened our eyes to what the bass could do....he was a lead instrument in much of Weather Report.

i mean no disrespect by this post, but i urge you to give a systematic listen to a bunch of records by all the 70's fusion greats...you may find that they really aren't so dated after all.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

buddy, we're going to have to agree to disagree on that one....

i could listen to all that 70's stuff all day, and it sounds just as good and fresh as when it first came out.

listen to DANCE OF MAYA or NOONWARD RACE....has anything been made before or since that even comes close... (if it has, please turn me on to it)

sure, there is some good stuff being made now, but where would the likes of victor wooten be without those broad 70's fusion shoulders to stand on.

jaco may not (quite) be technically the "best" anymore, but he opened our eyes to what the bass could do....he was a lead instrument in much of Weather Report.

i mean no disrespect by this post, but i urge you to give a systematic listen to a bunch of records by all the 70's fusion greats...you may find that they really aren't so dated after all.

Many still like it. Pure IMO there (edit: FYI, I have the FULL library of CD's from that era.... literally everything!). Again, if you were there at the start (at least at the start of that sort of music becoming popular in the mid 70's), it was exciting as heck. I've always tried to stay current in both my approach to playing and my listening. However, I love the oldies as much as anyone my age.

Didn't mean to diss it. Amazing stuff. Just don't enjoy 'looking back' that much, since I wore that stuff out on the turntable back in the day (along with Blow by Blow and other gems).

[Richland123]

A few more fusion acts from that era you might want to check out.

Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express and Brian’s solo stuff
Gong
Here is a live cut from Gong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiy5K81qvbg
Lee Ritenour
Tony Williams Lifetime
Soft Machine
Stanley Clarke (solo stuff)
Al DiMeola (solo stuff)
Bill Bruford (solo stuff)
Larry Carlton
Pat Metheny
Jeff Lorber Fusion
John Scofield
Jeff Berlin (solo stuff)
Eddie Jobson (solo stuff)
Jan Akkerman (solo stuff)
Allan Holdsworth (solo stuff)

[Jhengsman]

Originally Posted by Diesel Kilgore

As a lover Jazz and of Djent metal. I recently discovered The Mahavishnu Orchestra and I am blown away to be honest. I am not shocked that the fusion movement of the 70s was this good, but that it is so obscure. Maybe not? But it seems like great technical music gets overlooked. Maybe Djent in 40 years will be something people will stumble on like I did this?

I am extremely happy I discovered this for myself. Its timeless and is so up my alley. Had to create a thread about it.

Because I was in my school's jazz band my recollections may be prejudiced about how popular enough back in their day. They could draw some rock and R&B fans depending upon the exact nature of their fusion but like the guitar heroes of today. minus John Mayer, a big portion of their audience were musicians. We saw our own headlining and not being the support to say a Mick Jagger.

To become radio friendly much of Fusion evolved into Smooth Jazz and New Age during the 80s and now the former Smooth Jazz radio stations play the R&B oldies with the headlining singer and that jazzy lick as opposed to a blues playing in support.

[N.F.A.]

Throw in...
Gong
Eloy
Novalis
Grobschnitt
Camel
PFM
Groundhogs
Gentle Giant
Some of these may be considered Prog though...
If you like John McLaughlin's playing check out him in Shakti. They are great, especially if you like Indian flavored music.

[Lonesomedave]

Originally Posted by Richland123

A few more fusion acts from that era you might want to check out.

Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express and Brian’s solo stuff
Gong
Here is a live cut from Gong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiy5K81qvbg
Lee Ritenour
Tony Williams Lifetime
Soft Machine
Stanley Clarke (solo stuff)
Al DiMeola (solo stuff)
Bill Bruford (solo stuff)
Larry Carlton
Pat Metheny
Jeff Lorber Fusion
John Scofield
Jeff Berlin (solo stuff)
Eddie Jobson (solo stuff)
Jan Akkerman (solo stuff)
Allan Holdsworth (solo stuff)

i saw the Jeff Lorber fusion in the early 80's (back when they still had kenny g. on sax) at, of all places, the Knoxville, TN world's fair........now there is an oxymoron!

[Jhengsman]

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

i saw the Jeff Lorber fusion in the early 80's (back when they still had kenny g. on sax) at, of all places, the Knoxville, TN world's fair........now there is an oxymoron!

I saw Jeff Lorber sitting in with Paul Jackson Jr, now of The Tonight Show in a benefit last year. But back in the day I saw Hiroshima in the circle of my high school, their first lead singer was a cheerleader their a couple years before