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Jazz Articles about John McLaughlin

About John McLaughlin

412

Album Review

John McLaughlin and The Heart of Things: Live In Paris

Read "Live In Paris" reviewed by Walter Kolosky

by Walter Kolosky
November 20, 2002

You just knew this band was going to put it all together. This is the Heart of Things album Verve should have released first. Yes, their debut studio effort was good. But in all facets it is humbled by this live recording.The track list does not suggest much excitement. After all, the only new composition on the album is “Tony", a tribute to the late drummer Tony Williams. “Seven Sisters," “Fallen Angels" and “Acid Jazz" all make a ...

253

Album Review

John McLaughlin and Remember Shakti: The Believer

Read "The Believer" reviewed by Walter Kolosky

by Walter Kolosky
November 20, 2002

Will the real Remember Shakti please stand up? On its first live release, Remember Shakti was a serious-minded, bottom-ended, soul-searching ensemble. This time out, Remember Shakti raises its pitch. McLaughlin has an excellent foil in young electric mandolinist U. Shrinivas, who has created a whole new vocabulary for the instrument. Tabla player Zakir Hussain has his foil as well. V. Selvaganesh is featured on the kanjira, a tambourine-like instrument on which he can create sounds that would make some trap ...

367

Album Review

John McLaughlin and Shakti: Shakti

Read "Shakti" reviewed by Walter Kolosky

by Walter Kolosky
November 20, 2002

I remember quite clearly walking through the aisles of the Sears record department in 1976 checking to see if there was a new Mahavishnu Orchestra album. What stared back at me from the Mahavishnu bin was a very strange looking album cover. John McLaughlin had longish hair and a tight, confident smile, and he was holding the oddest-looking acoustic guitar I had ever seen. It had an extra set of strings attached in a crooked fashion across the sound hole. ...

481

Album Review

John McLaughlin: The Promise

Read "The Promise" reviewed by Walter Kolosky

by Walter Kolosky
November 20, 2002

Some highly respected music critics criticized this 1996 effort as a hodge-podge of musical ideas with no central theme. However, they are mistaken. Clearly the thematic nature of this outing was the diversity of the music itself. The original tunes are compositionally strong, and the playing throughout is purposeful and exquisite. McLaughlin has gathered several of his friends--who happen to occupy the higher echelons of music--for The Promise 's musical journey through genres ranging from the all-out bombastic fusion of ...

462

Album Review

John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, Paco DeLucia: Passion Grace & Fire

Read "Passion Grace & Fire" reviewed by Walter Kolosky

by Walter Kolosky
November 20, 2002

Never has an album been so justly deserving of its title. In 1983, the guitar super trio of John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola and Paco DeLucia followed up their phenomenal live acoustic album Friday Night in San Francisco with this masterpiece of a studio recording. The prevailing opinion at the time was that the raw excitement of the original live recording could never be matched in the recording studio. Delightfully, the Trio answered all those who had questioned its potential with ...

296

Album Review

John McLaughlin and Shakti: Natural Elements

Read "Natural Elements" reviewed by Walter Kolosky

by Walter Kolosky
November 20, 2002

Shakti was really the world's first World Music super group. The only problem was that no one knew it yet! The group's live performances were mesmerizing, but Columbia couldn't give the albums away. Natural Elements, from 1977, was the third and last Shakti album. It offered a more cohesive and structured presentation in terms of themes and shorter tunes. The group attempted to make the music more accessible by including pleasing hooks and some humor, but there was no chance ...

373

Album Review

John McLaughlin: Music Spoken Here

Read "Music Spoken Here" reviewed by Walter Kolosky

by Walter Kolosky
November 19, 2002

Finally available from Wounded Bird Records, 1982's Music Spoken Here features the same line-up as the previous year’s Belo Horizonte. MSH is a little rougher around the edges than the earlier effort. This may be seen as an improvement to some, as the music is a bit wilder. But to others, the compositions may seem a bit weaker. However, make no mistake about it: this is a fine album with much to offer. “David" is the highlight of ...