For his next act, the decibel champion of electric jazz shocked the world by unplugging and returning to South Indian music before an excitable audience at South Hampton College. Yet the alert John McLaughlin follower will note that beyond the reliance upon South Indian instruments and scales, there are unbroken links to records like My Goal's Beyond and the high-speed electric music that McLaughlin was casting aside at the moment. McLaughlin called his new quintet Shakti, which
means "creative intelligence and beauty and power" and the music here has all of that and something else, a ferocious streak inherited from the Mahavishnu days. McLaughlin ignites "Joy" by playing at a blazing speed, his cohorts Lakshminarayana Shankar (violin), Ramnad V. Raghavan and T.H. Vinayakram (mridangam), and Zakir Hussain (tabla) keeping up with the furious unison tempos with great dexterity and discipline, while a reworking of "Lotus Feet" forms a meditative interlude. Side two is taken up by a single, lengthy raga-like track in which McLaughlin combines his rapid-fire Western manner with note-bending techniques clearly emulating a sitar, and the Indians get plenty of dueling room. In its way, this fire-eating acoustic music is just as energizing as the most electrified Mahavishnu flights. - by Richard S. Ginell, AMG
Artist: John McLaughlin & Shakti
Album: Shakti with John McLaughlin
Year: 1975 (Columbia Records)
Label: Sony Music (1991, Digitally Remastered)
Runtime: 52:06
Recorded live at the South Hampton College, Lond Island, New York City; 06.05.1975
Tracks:
1. Joy (John McLaughlin / Lakshmirayana Shankar) 18:15
2. Lotus Feet (John McLaughlin) 4:47
3. 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 (John McLaughlin / Lakshmirayana Shankar) 29:04
Personnel:
John McLaughlin (Guitar)
Lakshmirayana Shankar (Violin)
Ramnad Raghavan (Mridangam)
Zakir Hussain (Tabla)
Vikku Vinayakram (Ghatam, Mridangam)
Monday, May 29, 2017
Monday, May 22, 2017
John Scofield - Quiet
Ironically, Quiet finds guitarist John Scofield using a much larger group of musicians than usual. The basic band has Scofield (who sticks to acoustic guitar), Wayne Shorter on tenor, bassist Steve Swallow, and either Bill Stewart or Duduka Da Fonseca on drums. They are joined by trumpeter Randy Brecker, two French horns, two woodwinds, Roger Rosenberg on bass clarinet, and Howard Johnson on tuba and baritone. Since Scofield is mostly in the lead, the music -- eight originals by
the leader and a song by producer Swallow -- is indeed mostly at a lower volume, although there is plenty of heat, too. However, since the guitarist is less distinctive than usual due to his playing acoustically, this set is not quite as significant as his other Blue Note releases. - by Scott Yanow, AMG
Artist: John Scofield
Album: Quiet
Year: 1996
Label: Verve
Runtime: 50:46
Recorded: Power Station Studios, New York City, April 3-6, 1996
Tracks:
1. After The Fact (John Scofield) 5:26
2. Tulle (John Scofield) 5:00
3. Away With Words (John Scofield) 6:49
4. Hold That Thought (John Scofield) 6:23
5. Door #3 (John Scofield) 5:48
6. Bedside Manner (John Scofield) 6:46
7. Rolf And The Gang (John Scofield) 5:23
8. But For Love (John Scofield) 5:37
9. Away (Steve Swallow) 3:34
Personnel:
John Scofield (Acoustic Guitar)
Steve Swallow (Double Bass)
Randy Brecker (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)
Charles Pillow (Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute, English Horn)
Lawrence Feldman (Flute, Tenor Saxophone)
Fred Griffin (French Horn)
John Clark (French Horn)
Roger Rosenberg (Bass Clarinet) - 1,3,4,7-9
Bill Stewart (Drums) - 1,3,4,7-9
Duduka da Fonseca (Drums) - 2,5,6
Wayne Shorter (Tenor Saxophone) - 3,5,8
Howard Johnson (Baritone Saxophone, Tuba) - 2,5,6
the leader and a song by producer Swallow -- is indeed mostly at a lower volume, although there is plenty of heat, too. However, since the guitarist is less distinctive than usual due to his playing acoustically, this set is not quite as significant as his other Blue Note releases. - by Scott Yanow, AMG
Artist: John Scofield
Album: Quiet
Year: 1996
Label: Verve
Runtime: 50:46
Recorded: Power Station Studios, New York City, April 3-6, 1996
Tracks:
1. After The Fact (John Scofield) 5:26
2. Tulle (John Scofield) 5:00
3. Away With Words (John Scofield) 6:49
4. Hold That Thought (John Scofield) 6:23
5. Door #3 (John Scofield) 5:48
6. Bedside Manner (John Scofield) 6:46
7. Rolf And The Gang (John Scofield) 5:23
8. But For Love (John Scofield) 5:37
9. Away (Steve Swallow) 3:34
Personnel:
John Scofield (Acoustic Guitar)
Steve Swallow (Double Bass)
Randy Brecker (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)
Charles Pillow (Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute, English Horn)
Lawrence Feldman (Flute, Tenor Saxophone)
Fred Griffin (French Horn)
John Clark (French Horn)
Roger Rosenberg (Bass Clarinet) - 1,3,4,7-9
Bill Stewart (Drums) - 1,3,4,7-9
Duduka da Fonseca (Drums) - 2,5,6
Wayne Shorter (Tenor Saxophone) - 3,5,8
Howard Johnson (Baritone Saxophone, Tuba) - 2,5,6
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Pharoah Sanders - Moon Child
By this point in his career, Sanders had largely withdrawn from the kind of screeching avant-gardism on which he at first staked his reputation. The opening "Moon Child," with its attractively spacy vocals, is reminiscent of the days of "The Creator Has a Master Plan," but this version sounds too contrived to rival the classic earlier recording. The mood is subdued throughout and the choice of tunes definitely on the conservative side ("All or Nothing at All" and "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," among the six tracks). William Henderson is lovely on piano, while the drummer (Eddie Moore) and percussionist (Cheikh Tidiane Fale) keep to the quiet side. The results may have originally disappointed some of Sanders' fans, but with time the saxophonist clearly reinvented himself as a more traditional improviser capable of thoughtful and pensive deliberations. - by Steven Loewy, AMG
Artist: Pharoah Sanders
Album: Moon Child
Year: 1990
Label: Timeless Records
Runtime: 52:09
Recorded at Studio Davut, Paris, France, 12- 13. October 1989
Tracks:
1. Moon Child (Pharoah Sanders) 8:07
2. Moon Rays (Horace Silver) 6:10
3. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (Buddy Bermien/Jerry Brainin) 12:17
4. All Or Nothing At All (Arthur Altman/Jack Lawrence) 9:23
5. Soon (George Gerschwin) 5:29
6. Moniebah (Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand)) 10:43
Personnel:
Pharoah Sanders (Soprano and Tenor Saxophone, Vocals)
William Henderson (Piano)
Stafford James (Double Bass)
Eddie Moore (Drums)
Cheikh Tidiane Fale (Percussion)
Artist: Pharoah Sanders
Album: Moon Child
Year: 1990
Label: Timeless Records
Runtime: 52:09
Recorded at Studio Davut, Paris, France, 12- 13. October 1989
Tracks:
1. Moon Child (Pharoah Sanders) 8:07
2. Moon Rays (Horace Silver) 6:10
3. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (Buddy Bermien/Jerry Brainin) 12:17
4. All Or Nothing At All (Arthur Altman/Jack Lawrence) 9:23
5. Soon (George Gerschwin) 5:29
6. Moniebah (Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand)) 10:43
Personnel:
Pharoah Sanders (Soprano and Tenor Saxophone, Vocals)
William Henderson (Piano)
Stafford James (Double Bass)
Eddie Moore (Drums)
Cheikh Tidiane Fale (Percussion)
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