Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John McLauglin: John McLaughlin: The Heart Of Things; Li...

255

John McLauglin: John McLaughlin: The Heart Of Things; Live In Paris & Shakti; The Believer

By

Sign in to view read count
John McLauglin: John McLaughlin: The Heart Of Things; Live In Paris & Shakti; The Believer
Shakti: The Believer ; release date – October 3, 2000

The Believer is the follow up to “Shakti’s” 1999, 2-CD reunion set, titled Remember Shakti which to some extent, was unexpectedly mellower than what the band was dishing out back in the 1970’s. Although violinist L. Shankar is no longer with this latest rendition of the band, original member and tabla master Zakir Hussain joins guitarist John McLaughlin along with amazing electric mandolin virtuoso, U. Shrinivas and ghatam/kanjira/mridangam performer, V. Selvaganesh.

This new release features live material culled from a 1999 European tour, as the overall production is a tad more kinetic than what was presented on Remember Shakti. - The guitarist’s often-fervent interaction with his newest foil, U. Shrinivas, who frequently matches the extraordinarily fast McLaughlin note for note via his astonishingly rapid execution of single note lines, augmented by an angular style brimming with arched voicings and East Indian modalities.

Throughout these six pieces, the band effortlessly whirls through blazing solos and unison choruses, in parallel with Hussain’s maddening rhythmic pulses, alternating statements and some call and response melded with sonorous themes. Yet on the track titled, “Anna”, McLaughlin tosses in an intriguing funk groove as the typical progressions of an East Indian raga intersect with Western harmonies and rhythms. The overall presentation makes for a most gratifying and often charming coalition of the musical spirits as The Believer instills some of the grit and fiery interplay witnessed on those magnificent and altogether groundbreaking 1970’s “Shakti” LP’s.

Personnel

John McLaughlin; guitar: Zakir Hussain; tabla: U. Shrinivas; mandolin: V. Selvaganesh; kanjira, ghatam & mridangam

John McLaughlin

Album information

Title: John McLaughlin: The Heart Of Things; Live In Paris & Shakti; The Believer | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Verve Music Group

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.