Return To Forever - 1996 "Return To The 7th Galaxy"

Return To The 7th Galaxy: The Anthology (1996) is an anthology of recordings made from 1972 to 1975 by bands assembled by Chick Corea under the name "Return to Forever." The album is a compilation of tracks from the four Polygram studio albums, Light as a Feather, Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Where Have I Known You Before and No Mystery together with four previously unreleased live tracks (including a very funky 14 minute version of "Spain").

This two-CD set is a bit of a mixed bag. It serves as a retrospective of the first two versions of Chick Corea's Return to Forever, with three selections from Light as a Feather (featuring saxophonist Joe Farrell and singer Flora Purim), three from Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (which has guitarist Bill Connors), five selections from Where Have I Known You Before and four taken from No Mystery; the latter two dates match keyboardist Corea with guitarist Al DiMeola, electric bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White. However, the real reason for serious collectors to acquire this double-CD set is for the four previously unreleased selections (totaling 39 minutes), including three taken from 1973 and matching Corea and Clarke with guitarist Connors, drummer Steve Gadd and percussionist Mingo Lewis (highlighted by a 14-minute rendition of "Spain"). Whether RTF fans will want to duplicate the other performances to get these four is a bit debatable, making one wish that the "new" material had been released separately.

Return to Forever is, without a doubt, one of the founding groups of jazz-rock fusion. However, they actually fused together three genres--Latin, rock, and jazz. This stylistic amalgamation became the hallmark of the band's early years.

RETURN TO THE 7TH GALAXY: THE ANTHOLOGY includes both live and studio performances by Return to Forever, spanning the years 1972 to '75. The first two tracks, "500 Miles High" and "Captain Marvel," both have a samba feel to them. On the former, Flora Purim's Brazilian singing is both melodious and sensual, and Chick Corea's electric piano solo is blisteringly hot. Other tracks such as "Captain Senor Mouse" highlight the band's raw, unruly side. On this cut, Lenny White really kicks things into high gear, bashing with the full force of a rock drummer. Guitarist Bill Connors's distorted tone also firmly establishes the rock vibe on this tune. While this two-disc set underlines the many line-up changes in RTF's first few years, it also proves the consistency of the band's music and underscores Corea's unique, brilliant artistic vision.

Tracks Listing

Disc 1: (76:27)
1. 50 Miles High (9:07)
2. Captain Marvel (4:53)
3. Light As A Feather (10:56)
4. Spain (14:16)
5. After The Cosmic Rain (8:43)
6. Bass Folk Song (6:57)
7. Hymm Of The Seventh Galaxy (3:28)
8. Captain Senor Mouse (9:00)
9. Theme To The Mothership (8:47)

Disc 2: (71:34)
1. Vulcan Worlds (7:51)
2. Beyond The Seventh Galaxy (3:14)
3. Earth Juice (3:46)
4. The Shadow Of Lo (9:07)
5. Where Have I Known You Before (2:20)
6. Song To The Pharoah Kings (14:22)
7. Dayride (3:25)
8. No Mystery (6:09)
9. Flight Of The Newborn (7:22)
10. Celebration Suite (Part I & II) (13:58)

Total Time: 148:01

Personnel:

- Chick Corea / piano, organ, synthesizer, percussion, vocal
- Joe Farrell / Tenor saxophone, flute
- Bill Connors / guitar
- Al DiMeola / guitar
- Stanley Clarke / bass, synthesizer, vocal
- Mingo Lewis / percussion
- Airto Moreira / percussion, drums
- Flora Purim / percussion, vocal
- Lenny White / percussion, drums
- Steve Gadd / drums
 

Miles Davis - 1967 [1998] "Sorcerer"

Sorcerer is an album recorded in May 1967 by the Miles Davis quintet. It is the third of five albums that this quintet recorded. It also includes one track from a 1962 session with vocalist Bob Dorough, which was the first time Wayne Shorter recorded with Davis. Davis does not play on the second track, "Pee Wee". The album's cover is a photo of actress Cicely Tyson, who at the time was Davis's girlfriend (and many years later his wife), in profile.

The only tune from the album known to have appeared in Davis's live performances is "Masqualero", written by Wayne Shorter. Davis's groups performed it as late as April 1970; the last known version appears on the live album Black Beauty. The tune has also been revived by Wayne Shorter by his quartet since the 90's.
The CD reissue includes alternate takes of "Masqualero" and "Limbo". The alternate take of "Limbo" was actually recorded in Los Angeles on May 9, several days before the final take was recorded in New York City. This take also replaces Ron Carter with bassist Buster Williams. Both versions of "Masqualero" were recorded on the same date and with the same personnel.

Sorcerer, the third album by the second Miles Davis Quintet, is in a sense a transitional album, a quiet, subdued affair that rarely blows hot, choosing to explore cerebral tonal colorings. Even when the tempo picks up, as it does on the title track, there's little of the dense, manic energy on Miles Smiles -- this is about subtle shadings, even when the compositions are as memorable as Tony Williams' "Pee Wee" or Herbie Hancock's "Sorcerer." As such, it's a little elusive, since it represents the deepening of the band's music as they choose to explore different territory. The emphasis is as much on complex, interweaving chords and a coolly relaxed sound as it is on sheer improvisation, though each member tears off thoroughly compelling solos. Still, the individual flights aren't placed at the forefront the way they were on the two predecessors -- it all merges together, pointing toward the dense soundscapes of Miles' later '60s work. It's such a layered, intriguing work that the final cut, recorded in 1962 with Bob Dorough on vocals, is an utterly jarring, inappropriate way to end the record, even if it's intended as a tribute to Miles' then-girlfriend (later, his wife), Cicely Tyson (whose image graces the cover).

Track listing

    "Prince of Darkness" (Shorter) - 6:30
    "Pee Wee" (Tony Williams) - 4:51
    "Masqualero" (Shorter) - 8:55
    "The Sorcerer" (Hancock) - 5:14
    "Limbo" (Shorter) - 7:19
    "Vonetta" (Shorter) - 5:39
    "Nothing Like You" (Bob Dorough, Fran Landesman) - 2:03

Personnel

    Miles Davis - trumpet
    Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone
    Herbie Hancock - piano
    Ron Carter - double bass
    Tony Williams - drums

The lineup differs greatly on the track "Nothing Like You", since it was recorded several years prior:

    Miles Davis - trumpet
    Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone
    Bob Dorough - vocals
    Gil Evans - arrangements
    Frank Rehak - trombone
    Paul Chambers - bass
    Jimmy Cobb - drums
    Willie Bobo (William Correa) - bongos

Chick Corea - 1986 "Elektric Band"

The Chick Corea Elektric Band is an album by jazz fusion keyboard player Chick Corea, released in 1986. It is the eponymous debut album of the Chick Corea Elektric Band, which at that time also featured drummer Dave Weckl, bass player John Patitucci and guitarists Scott Henderson and Carlos Rios.
This album can be described as "jazz-rock", though it is much closer to traditional jazz than the jazz-rock albums of the 1970s. The keyboard sounds on the album are typical for the mid-1980s. The drums played by Dave Weckl dominate the album's sound, with the guitar duties split between Scott Henderson and Carlos Rios.
The album features a heavy use of FM synthesis, MIDI and drum programming, expanding on Corea's previous work in later lineups of Return to Forever (band) and reflecting the technology of the time when it was conceived and recorded.

Chick has a long history of reinvention — not least of which was the stunning high-velocity jazz-rock of Return to Forever. In 1986, after a long period of high-profile, mostly acoustic collaborations, Chick assembled the Elektric Band, a plugged-in unit so tight and flawless that it reinvigorated jazz for a new generation. Their first album, The Chick Corea Elektric Band, is a stunner: from the opening flourish of “City Gate,” Chick was clearly announcing a new direction. The lineup of young masters — Scott Henderson and Carlos Rios on guitar, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl — simply inhabit Chick’s new compositions, creating instant classics out of tunes like “Got A Match?” and “Elektric City.”

Chick Corea's Elektric Band's first disc is the record which formally introduced the bass virtuoso John Patitucci and awe-inspiring drummer Dave Weckl to the world. Patitucci's six-string electric bass technique and Weckl's crystal clean drumming acrobatics would become the stuff of legend and the sparkle in the eyes of rhythm section students from this point forward. Unlike most keyboardists at the time, Corea approached the synthesizer as an individual instrument--not as an electrified piano. As a result, this group's sound was much richer and more creative than similar ensembles of the day.

On "Rumble," Corea's furious fingerings are matched note-for-note by Weckl's use of drum machines and electronic sounds to create a kaleidoscopic backdrop. In contrast, the subdued "Cool Weasel Boogie" displays a softer side to the machines and sampled sounds. The most impressive track is "Got A Match?" Blisteringly fast with jaw-dropping solos by all, this tune cemented the group's status among musicians the world over. The unique "King Cockroach" features a nice blend of Corea's nimble playing, guitarist Scott Henderson's soaring tones and the Weckl/Patitucci rhythm machine. In all, there is little wonder why this band all but defined great electric jazz in the '80s.  

Track listing

All songs by Chick Corea except where noted otherwise.

    "City Gate" – 0:54
    "Rumble" – 4:04
    "Side Walk" (Chick Corea/Dave Weckl/John Patitucci) – 3:48
    "Cool Weasel Boogie" – 6:43
    "Got a Match?" – 5:38
    "Elektric City" – 4:07
    "No Zone" – 5:29
    "King Cockroach" – 6:56
    "India Town" – 5:06
    "All Love" – 5:45
    "Silver Temple" – 8:32

(Tracks #1, #10 & #11 were not included in the original issue of the album)

Personnel: 
 Chick Corea (keyboards, synthesizer, programming) 
 Scott Henderson , Carlos Rios (guitar)
 Bo Tomlyn (voice box)
 John Patitucci (electric bass, 6-string bass)
 Dave Weckl (drums, percussion) 

Allan Holdsworth - 1997 "Heavy Machinery"

Heavy Machinery is a collaborative studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, keyboardist Jens Johansson and drummer Anders Johansson, released in 1996 through Heptagon Records (Sweden), and on 12 August 1997 through Shrapnel Records (United States) and Pony Canyon (Japan).
Confusingly, on the album's European/U.S. release, "Macrowaves" is made up of complete silence after 2:51, with an additional improvised "filler" keyboard and drum solo by the Johanssons at 23:46. On the Japanese release, "Macrowaves" only comprises the first part as normal without any silence; the silence has instead been moved to the bonus track, "The Moose Are Marching", where it fills the space from 7:59 to 20:45, after which the latter keyboard solo from "Macrowaves" ends the album.

Remember Jan Hammer and Jeff Beck jamming together with lead tradeoffs ad libitum forever amen? You will hear many similarities in guitar legend Holdsworth and keysman Jens Johansson springboarding off each other. A big difference soon unfolds -- this duo just plain smokes, cutting early into the fast lane and getting right down to business. Things overall are compositionally interesting, noticeably precise, big and phat, just more intriguing than those Hammer/Beck excursions. It immensely helps havin' monster-everywhere drumming, a veritable demon-wind blowin' at their backs like Anders Johansson kept rock steady.
It was refreshing to hear Holdsworth get funked up and get in a rockin' groove thang for a change on many cuts. His guitar tone seemed bigger -- perhaps augmented in places with some background triggered synth-echo delays and textures. Jens Johansson was outstanding in his mosaic of keyboard styles and voicings. He nearly duplicates that signature Holdsworthian lead phrasing. An expertly interwoven synthesis of sound and rhythm is present. Great jazz-rock fusion happens here.
An intensity propels this musical meeting. Drummer Anders Johansson and Jens Johansson have roots that dig deep: playing with axe-shredder Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Ronnie James' Dio, and a host of other metal ventures. Latter-day Mahavishnu Orchestra bassist Jonas Hellborg has collaborated with the Johansson brothers as well. Simply put, herein lies vast versatility. Invite guitar genius and innovator Allan Holdsworth over to jam and you spark unforgettable fireworks of furious fusion. Holdsworth fans, this is a must. Rockers and jazz-rock fusionists alike will delight in this recording.
John W. Patterson at AllMusic gave Heavy Machinery three stars out of five, but described the album positively as "unforgettable fireworks of furious fusion" and "great jazz-rock fusion". He praised all three musicians for their intense playing, in particular comparing Holdsworth and Jens Johansson's jamming to the duo of guitarist Jeff Beck and keyboardist Jan Hammer, but remarked that the album is "just more intriguing than those Hammer/Beck excursions."

Track listing

All music composed by Jens Johansson.
No.     Title     Length   
1.     "Joint Ventures"       5:48
2.     "Beef Cherokee"       4:02
3.     "On the Frozen Lake"       4:52
4.     "Mission: Possible"       5:15
5.     "Good Morning, Mr. Coffee"       7:25
6.     "Siouxp of the Day"       4:02
7.     "On the Fritz"       5:24
8.     "Tea for One and a Half"       6:22
9.     "Never Mind Our Weather"       5:54
10.     "Macrowaves"       24:55
Total length:
    73:59

Personnel

    Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe
    Jens Johansson – keyboard, bass synthesizer,[5] engineering, mixing, production
    Anders Johansson – drums, production

John Mclaughlin, Chick Corea - 2009 "Five Peace Band" [Live]

Five Peace Band Live is a 2009 post bop/jazz fusion album from musicians Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride and Vinnie Colaiuta.

They toured Europe between the 22 October and 23 November 2008, subsequently touring North America, and went on to Asia in spring 2009 with Brian Blade on drums

Chick Corea and John McLaughlin share one of the great pedigrees in the music of the 20th century: they were both key sidemen on Miles Davis' seminal albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. They have played together since those heady days, as a duo or as sit-in guests. Five Peace Band was Corea's idea of putting together a dream band to play all kinds of jazz, and he approached McLaughlin. Corea chose the other members in saxophonist Kenny Garrett, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and bassist Christian McBride. The group toured for nearly a year following Corea's Return to Forever reunion tour, and this double CD was compiled from that jaunt. It's true that on paper supergroups are suspicious offerings. Not so here. This band includes three younger -- yet veteran -- musicians who team wonderfully with the two legends on this set. Of the eight pieces included here, five are originals -- three by McLaughlin and a pair by Corea -- along with Davis' "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time" (with Herbie Hancock guesting), Jackie McLean's "Dr. Jackle," and a reading of the standard "Someday My Prince Will Come" (a duet between pianist and guitarist that elegantly closes disc two). McLaughlin's compositions are fairly recent; they were recorded with his 4th Dimension group on his excellent Floating Point and Industrial Zen albums. As one can imagine, this material is played here the way it was there -- only more so -- as extremely engaging 21st century electric fusion. His other piece, "Señor C.S.," is reimagined from the studio version on Industrial Zen. Here it is played harder and faster yet gives away none of its Latin groove, and instead comes off as a new, much more technically ambitious mutation of samba.
It should be noted that the rhythm section here is nothing less than startling. McBride is equally at home on an electric bass, and his sense of fire, funkiness, and dynamic range is in every note. Colaiuta is simply one of the most talented and exciting drummers out there, and creates an art form of dressing his timekeeping in impeccable and imaginative ways. Corea's tunes are closer to something resembling mainstream jazz -- though the gorgeous and lengthy (it clocks in at over 27 minutes) "Hymn to Andromeda" moves gradually and beautifully to the outside, with beautiful playing by Garrett and McLaughlin, who can still handle non-fusion material with invention, restraint, and taste. Disc two begins with an odd, idiosyncratic reading of McLean's "Dr. Jackle" as an attempt to stretch hard bop toward something (via Corea's arrangement) -- but what it is, isn't quite clear. The version of "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time" with Hancock is the album's high point. He plays an electric piano and creates the necessary incantatory vibe in the ethereal, soft, speculative beginning for Corea to simply caress into being. McLaughlin just floats about as an accompanist to the keys, and when he does play single lines, they become hesitant, soft, direction-pointing exercises toward what is to come. When the tune splits and becomes more aggressive in the latter half, the band gels and he finds himself in the maelstrom as the two keyboardists vie for dominance and the rhythm section creates a sense of pulse and excitement. His solo is brief and to the point yet full of knots and turns -- his trading lines with Garrett is especially tantalizing. Five Peace Band re-creates an extremely ambitious and beautifully executed gig, where all players were firing on all cylinders.

Superstar collaborations often look good on paper but don't pan out in reality, so it's a real pleasure to see that the pairing of two modern legends—keyboardist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin—is far more than some marketing representative's wet dream. Teaming with three younger players who add their own cachet—saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta—Five Peace Band Live captures the group on the first leg of a nearly year-long tour, hot on the heels of Corea's much-lauded Return to Forever reunion, documented on Returns (Eagle Records, 2009). While FPB Live isn't as pedal-to-the metal fusion as Returns, there's no shortage of high-octane playing, as the quintet works through a number of originals, a couple of standards and a fine tribute to Miles Davis, who brought Corea and McLaughlin together for the first time 30 years ago on In a Silent Way (Columbia, 1969).

Comparing FPB with McLaughlin's 4th Dimension group, the two tracks covered by both bands yield significant differences. The fiery "Raju" doesn't change much, though Garrett nearly blows the roof off whatever venue it was recorded in, lending considerably more weight to the song. Colaiuta and McBride are equally powerful, while Corea's personality gives the tune some additional harmonic movement.

"Senor C.S.," on the other hand, is reimagined as a high velocity samba, beginning with a Corea/McLaughlin duet that demonstrates the simpatico bond that makes this pairing long overdue. Despite McLaughlin's lightning-fast yet always lyrical delivery, it recalls Corea's early, Latin-esque Return to Forever—although the late Joe Farrell never played with as much unbridled passion as Garrett, who comes close to stealing the show from Corea and McLaughlin on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, "New Bruise, Old Blues," from Industrial Zen (Verve, 2006), is as funky as FPB gets, with one of Corea's most visceral synth solos of the set.

If McLaughlin's tunes are more fusion-centric, Corea's two contributions take FPB closer to the modern mainstream, with "The Disguise" more down-the-middle, but proof- -as if any was needed—that McLaughlin can still work that turf with ease. "Hymn to Andromeda" begins freely, Corea working in and out of the piano box as McBride enters to deliver a poignant arco solo before the rest of the group joins to gradually move into modal territory, with Garrett delivering another set highlight, gradually building his solo as the band coalesces and intensifies behind him.

Alongside a quirky rearrangement of Jackie McLean's "Dr. Jackle" and a closing Corea/McLaughlin duet on "Someday My Prince Will Come," the group pays tribute to Miles on a lengthy, more open-ended rework of "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time," with Herbie Hancock guesting to create an ethereal electric piano cushion before the band enters in the more propulsive second half, with McLaughlin proving himself as able an accompanist as he is an evocative soloist.

Track listing
Disc one

    "Raju" (John McLaughlin) – 12:29
    "The Disguise" (Chick Corea) – 13:32
    "New Blues, Old Bruise" (John McLaughlin) – 14:06
    "Hymn to Andromeda" (Chick Corea) – 27:45

Disc two

    "Dr. Jackle" (Jackie McLean) – 22:53
    "Senor C.S." (John McLaughlin) – 20:15
    "In a Silent Way / It's About That Time" (Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul) – 20:06
    "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Frank Churchill, Larry Morey) – 7:42

Personnel

    Chick Corea - acoustic piano, electric piano, synthesizer
    Kenny Garrett - alto saxophone
    John McLaughlin - electric guitar
    Christian McBride - acoustic bass, electric bass
    Vinnie Colaiuta - drums, percussion

Weather Report - 2006 "Forecast Tomorrow" [3 CD Box]

Forecast: Tomorrow is a 3-CD/1-DVD career-spanning compilation of recordings of Weather Report. The 37 tracks are presented chronologically, beginning with three tracks pre–Weather Report, from ensemble duties with Miles Davis (both Zawinul and Shorter), Cannonball Adderley (Zawinul), and from a Shorter solo album. In addition to one unreleased track, the set closes with DJ Logic's remix of a Weather Report track.
The 4th disc in the package is a 2-hour DVD of a concert in Offenbach am Main, on September 29, 1978 for the German TV program Rockpalast. The boxed set includes a 100-page book with notes on the set by compiler Bob Belden, a long essay on the band by Hal Miller, and a reminiscence of the 1978 concert by drummer Peter Erskine.

Led by Miles Davis alumni Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, Weather Report incorporated elements of electronic, rock and world music into jazz motifs. This 3-CD set covers their entire 15-year (1970-1985) career with 37 tracks, highlighted by favorites like In a Silent Way; Super Nova; Milky Way; Birdland; Havona; Eurydice (Full Version) and more, plus unreleased tracks. And the DVD offers two full hours of live Weather Report in their prime, performing with Jaco Pastorius on bass and Peter Erskine on drums. The forecast is very, very good!

From 1970 to 1985, the jazz-fusion ensemble known as Weather Report reigned supreme as one the most distinguished and indefinable ensembles of the 20th century, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter and keyboardist Joe Zawinul were the cofounders of this ever-changing group. This superb, three-CD, 37-track collection features the band's incredible cast of musicians: drummers Peter Erksine and Alphonse Mouzon; percussionists Airto Moreira, Alex Acuna, and the late Don Alias; bassists Miroslav Vitous, Alphonso Johnson, and the incredible Jaco Pastorius. The roots of their sound are heard in Zawinul's "In A Silent Way," and their greatest hits--from "A Remark You Made" and an unreleased version of "Nubian Sundance" to their 1976 mega-hit, "Birdland," are included here, along with the lesser known classic, "Indiscretions," a DJ Logic, hip-hop remix of "125th Street Congress," and a sizzling, two-hour DVD concert from Germany in filmed in 1978. This set is a powerful primer to their "folk music of the future."

We’ve seen Weather Report best-of discs before, not to mention the remarkable Live and Unreleased of 2002. But Forecast: Tomorrow is the group’s first box set, and probably the final word on Weather Report compilations. Coproduced by founding members Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter and famed producer Bob Belden, the box is part chronology and part historiography, highlighting the band’s aesthetic origins by including a track apiece from Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way, Shorter’s Super Nova and Cannonball Adderley’s Domination. (Zawinul and Belden explored the Adderley connection in depth via their 2004 Capitol Jazz collection Cannonball Plays Zawinul.)

From this artistic soil, Zawinul, Shorter, bassist Miroslav Vitous, percussionist Airto Moreira and others grew an enduring body of work, examples of which fill the rest of disc one. Devotees will not want to miss the unedited, 11-minute version of Shorter’s “Eurydice” (with five minutes of rubato introduction) and a long-lost studio take of Zawinul’s “Directions.”
Disc two, spanning the mid-to-late ’70s, documents the band’s Alphonso Johnson and Jaco Pastorius eras. All tracks are previously released except the first—a 13-minute live version of “Mysterious Traveller,” recorded straight from the soundboard in Chicago in 1974. Disc three focuses on 1980–’85, from the end of Jaco’s reign to the band’s final incarnation with bassist Victor Bailey and drummer Omar Hakim. The parting shot is DJ Logic’s remix of “125th Street Congress,” which, oddly enough, is not as au courant as the 1973 original.
The tracks on all three discs are well-chosen and representative. But the bonus DVD, which captures the band live in 1978, in Offenbach, Germany, is reason enough to acquire this box. As a lean-and-mean four-piece with Zawinul, Shorter, Jaco and a 24-year-old Peter Erskine, Weather Report was a sight to behold. Erskine, in newly penned liner notes, sets the scene and recalls his time (paraphrasing Zawinul) with “the band that never soloed and always soloed.”
Jaco, of course, rules the stage. By concert’s end, he and Erskine are shirtless (and Erskine has enough body hair for the both of them). But behind the rock-star antics lies a bedrock creative integrity—yes, even on pieces like “Mr. Gone” and “River People,” unjustly denounced in their day as pop sellouts. In the end, it is Zawinul’s odd harmonic personality and sonic scope that leave the most lasting impression. The band members can hardly contain their joy as they take their bows—except for Zawinul, who seems above the fray, revealing not a hint of a smile.

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. In A Silent Way
2. Super Nova
3. Experience In E Major (Excerpt)
4. Milky Way
5. Tears
6. Eurydice (Full Version)
7. Orange Lady
8. Unknown Soldier
9. Directions
10. Surucucu
11. Second Sunday In August
12. 125th Street Congress

Personnel: Joe Zawinul: organ, electric piano, prepared acoustic piano; Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophones; Miles Davis: trumpet (1); John McLaughlin: guitar (1, 2); Herbie Hancock: electric piano (1); Chick Corea: electric piano (1), drums (2); Dave Holland: bass (1); Tony Williams: drums (1); Sonny Sharrock: guitar (2); Miroslav Vitous: bass (all tracks except 3); Jack DeJohnette: drums (2); Airto Moreira: percussion (2, 5-8); Nat Adderley: cornet (3); Cannonball Adderley: alto saxophone (3); Walter Booker: bass (3); Roy McCurdy: drums (3); orchestra (3); Alphonse Mouzon: drums (5, 6, 7, 8); Wilmer Wise: piccolo trumpet (8); Hubert Laws: flute (8); Andrew White III: English horn (8), electric bass (12); Yolande Bavan: vocals (8); Joshie Armstrong: vocals (8); Chapman Roberts: vocals (8); Roger Powell: consultant (8); Eric Gravatt: drums (9-12); Dom Um Romao: percussion (9-11), pandeira, cuica, tamanco, chucalho, gong, tambourine, cowbell (12); Herschell Dwellingham: drums (12); Marungo: Israeli jar drum (12).


Disc: 2
1. Nubian Sundance (Live)
2. Blackthorn Rose
3. Badia
4. Cannon Ball
5. Black Market
6. Three Clowns
7. Havona
8. Birdland
9. Palladium
10. The Pursuit Of The Woman With The Feathered Hat
11. The Orphan
12. Sightseeing

Personnel: Joe Zawinul: electric piano, synthesizers, oud, melodica, mzuthra, vocal, west africk, xylophone, acoustic piano, orchestration, ARP 2600, Yamaha grand piano, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, keyboards, kalimba, thumbeki drums, sleigh bells; Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophones, vocals; Alphonso Johnson: electric bass (1, 3, 5, 6); Darryl Brown: drums (1); Dom Um Romao: percussion (1); Alyrio Lima: percussion (3); Ndugu: drums (3); Jaco Pastorius: electric bass, mandocello, vocals, steel drums, drums (4, 7-10, 12); Narada Michael Walden: drums (4, 5); Don Alias: percussion (5); Alex Acuna: percussion (5, 6), drums (7-9); Chester Thompson: drums (6); Manolo Badrena: tambourine (8), congas, percussion (9), solo voice, vocals (10); Peter Erskine: drums, vocals (10, 12); Jon Lucien: vocals (10); West Los Angeles Christian Academy Children's Choir: vocals (11).

Disc: 3
1. Dream Clock
2. Three Views Of A Secret
3. Port Of Entry (Live)
4. Dara Factor Two
5. Procession
6. Plaza Real
7. The Well
8. D-Flat Waltz
9. Domino Theory
10. Predator
11. Face On The Barroom Floor
12. Indiscretions
13. 125th Street Congress (DJ Logic Remix)

Personnel: Joe Zawinul: keyboards, percussion, vocoder, vocals, orchestrations, electric piano); Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophones; Jaco Pastorius: electric bass, percussion, voice (1-4); Peter Erskine: drums, drum computer, claves (1-4); Robert Thomas Jr.: percussion, hand drums, tambourine (1-4); Victor Bailey: electric bass, vocals (5-12); Omar Hakim: drums, vocals (5-12); Jose Rossy: percussion, vocals (5-10); Mino Cinelu: percussion (12); Miroslav Vitous: acoustic bass (13); Andrew White III: electric bass (13); Eric Gravatt: drums (13); Herschell Dwellingham: drums (13); Marungo: Israeli jar drum (13); Dom Um Romao: pandeira, cuica, tamanco, chucalho, gong, tambourine, cowbell (13); Carlos (Omega) Caberini: vocal (13).

Deep Purple - 1970 [1992] "Live and Rare" - Live In Stockolm

Scandinavian Nights is a double live album by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was originally recorded by Swedish National Radio for a radio show called Tonkraft at the Stockholm Konserthuset on 12 November 1970, but not released until 1988. The tapes were re-mixed by Tom Leader at Angel Studios in London. It remains the prime example of the early Mk II set list and ferocious concert dynamics. The set list comprises songs from the album Deep Purple in Rock and long instrumentals from earlier albums. The two songs "Mandrake Root" and "Wring that Neck" took up half the concert in the early days, until the Fireball tour.
The US double CD, released in 1992, was titled Live and Rare, while the European double vinyl and double CD, released in 1988, were both titled Scandinavian Nights. The European vinyl release contained a limited edition picture booklet. The track timings printed (on both European vinyl and CD) refer to the length of the actual songs, in-between pauses are not included, but the timings on the US CDs do include the pauses.

 This early live set by Purple Mark II, complete on two discs, was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden in 1970, and it showcases the band at its most extended. The jams on "Wring That Neck" and "Mandrake Root" clock in at around half an hour apiece. An instrumental version of the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" leads into the requisite drum solo, and also included is the longest-ever recording of "Child in Time." Some of this (especially "Mandrake Root") can be trying to the patience of someone who wasn't there. But this was the era when hundreds of bands were stretching out every night, and Purple, with the skills and imaginations of Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore to call on, did it better than many, at its climaxes reaching a fiery intensity matched by few others.

Track Listings
CD 1
1. Wring That Neck
2. Speed King
3. Into The Fire
3. Paint It Black

CD 2
1. Mandrake Root
2. Child In Time
3. Black Night

Personnel:
Ian Gillan (v, p)
Ritchie Blackmore (g)
Roger Glover (b)
Jon Lord (or, k)
Ian Paice (d, p)

Aphrodite's Child - 1971 "666"

666 (The Apocalypse of John, 13/18) is a double album by psychedelic/progressive rock group Aphrodite's Child. It was released in 1972, and was the primary vehicle/effort for the Vangelis project. It had a minor Album Oriented Radio hit in "The Four Horsemen", and the song "Break" was also released. The album was ostensibly an adaptation of Biblical passages from the book of the same name, but was also very experimental in lyrics and composition.

666 was created with an outside lyricist, Costas Ferris. The music combines psychedelic and progressive rock with ethnic instruments, choral chanting, recitations, and use of keyboards. The record company, Mercury Records, objected to the double-album length of 666 and the musical experimentation, as well as the track "∞" (infinity), on which a female orgasm is simulated by the Greek actress Irene Papas, who repeated the words "I was, I am, I am to come" over a sparse percussion track.
The liner notes state "This album was recorded under the influence of Sahlep."

After Roussos and Sideras had already released their first solo albums, Mercury agreed to release 666, one year after completion and two years after the band had finished their parts in it, on its progressive rock subsidiary Vertigo Records. The single "Break" also came out in 1972, as did a single vinyl edition of the album in Brazil, also titled Break. An extended vinyl edition of 666 was released in Greece in 1974, containing alternative mixes of songs with music cut from other versions of the album. Some of these versions had appeared on the Brazilian release.
Allmusic gives it 4½ stars, but notes that "the entire set eventually becomes too overwhelming to sit through". IGN rated the album #3 on their top 25 list of Prog Rock Albums. In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition ‘’Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock’’, the album came #40 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".



Tracklist:
Disc one: (36:45)
1. The system (0:23)
2. Babylon (2:51)
3. Loud, loud, loud (2:37)
4. The four horsemen (5:57)
5. The lamb (4:34)
6. The seventh seal (1:30)
7. Aegian sea (5:25)
8. Seven bowls (1:25)
9. The wakening beast (1:07)
10. Lament (2:55)
11. The marching beast (2:00)
12. The battle of the locusts (0:56)
13. Do it (1:45)
14. Tribulation (0:32)
15. The beast (2:33)
16. Ofis (0:17)

Disc two: (41:43)
1. Seven trumpets (0:30)
2. Altamont (4:45)
3. The wedding of the lamb (3:35)
4. The capture of the beast (2:15)
5. "∞" (Infinity) (5:16)
6. Hic et nunc (3:00)
7. All the seats were occupied (19:27)
8. Break (2:55)

Total Time: 78:28

Personnel
Band musicians

    Vangelis Papathanassiou (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou) - keyboards, organ, piano, vibraphone, bass, flute, percussions, backing vocals ("Lament", "The Beast", "Break")
    Demis Roussos (Artemios Ventouris Roussos) - lead vocals ("Babylon", "The Four Horsemen", "Lament", "Hic et Nunc"), bass, guitar, backing vocals
    Lucas Sideras - drums, lead vocals ("The Beast", "Break"), backing vocals
    Silver Koulouris (Anargyros Koulouris) - guitar, percussion

Guest musicians

    Harris Halkitis - bass, tenor saxophone, congas, percussion, backing vocals
    Michel Ripoche - trombone, tenor saxophone ("Babylon", "Hic et Nunc")
    Irene Papas - vocals ("∞")
    John Forst - English narration
    Yannis Tsarouchis - Greek narration ("Ofis")
    Daniel Koplowitz - voice ("Loud Loud Loud")
    Costas Ferris - lyricist

Steppenwolf - 1968 [1980] "Steppenwolf"

Steppenwolf is the first studio album by American rock band Steppenwolf, released in January 1968 on ABC Dunhill Records.

The album was a successful debut for the band, featuring the songs "Born to Be Wild", as well as "The Pusher", both of which were used in the 1969 film Easy Rider. "Berry Rides Again" is a tribute to guitarist Chuck Berry. The spelling of track #4 on the vinyl is "Hootchie Kootchie Man". The album credits say it was recorded at American Recording Company in Studio City, California; however, the actual name of the studio was American Recorders.

Early editions of the "Silver Background" version credit "Mars Bondfire" with writing "Born to be Wild" on both the LP label and the back of the LP cover.

The background color of the original ABC LP cover was silver or "foil", in contrast to later (MCA Records) LP issues and the modern CD sleeve in which it is replaced by white. It is the only album by the band to have been released in both stereo and mono configurations. Although the latter is simply a 'fold down' of the stereo mix it is sought after as a collector's item.

Steppenwolf entered the studio for their recording debut with a lot of confidence -- based on a heavy rehearsal schedule before they ever got signed -- and it shows on this album, a surprisingly strong debut album from a tight hard rock outfit who was obviously searching for a hook to hang their sound on. The playing is about as loud and powerful as anything being put out by a major record label in 1968, though John Kay's songwriting needed some development before their in-house repertory would catch up with their sound and musicianship. On this album, the best material came from outside the ranks of the active bandmembers: "Born to Be Wild" by ex-member Mars Bonfire, which became not only a chart-topping high-energy anthem for the counterculture (a status solidified by its use in Dennis Hopper's movie Easy Rider the following year), but coined the phrase heavy metal, thus giving a genre-specific name to the brand of music that the band played (and which was already manifesting itself in the work of bands like Vanilla Fudge and the just-emerging Led Zeppelin); the Don Covay soul cover "Sookie, Sookie," which, as a single by the new group, actually got played on some soul stations until they found out that Steppenwolf was white; two superb homages to Chess Records, in the guise of "Berry Rides Again," written (though "adapted" might be a better word) by Kay based on the work of Chuck Berry, and the Willie Dixon cover "Hoochie Coochie Man"; and Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher," an anti-drug song turned into a pounding six-minute tour de force by the band. The rest, apart from the surprisingly lyrical rock ballad "A Girl I Knew," is by-the-numbers hard rock that lacked much except a framework for their playing; only "The Ostrich" ever comes fully to life among the other originals, but the songs would catch up with the musicianship the next time out.

Tracklist:

Sookie Sookie 3:09       
Everybody's Next One 2:53       
Berry Rides Again 2:45       
Hootchie Kootchie Man 5:07       
Born To Be Wild 3:28       
Your Wall's Too High 5:40       
Desperation 5:35       
The Pusher 5:43       
A Girl I Knew 2:38       
Take What You Need 3:28       
The Ostrich 5:43

Personnel

John Kay: guitars, harmonica, lead vocals.
Rushton Moreve: bass guitar, backing vocals.
Michael Monarch: guitars, backing vocals.
Goldy McJohn: organ, piano, electric piano.
Jerry Edmonton: drums, percussion, backing vocals.

Trapeze - 1970 [1994] "Medusa"

Medusa is the second studio album by English hard rock band Trapeze. Recorded in 1970 at Morgan Studios, it was produced by The Moody Blues bassist John Lodge and released in November 1970 by Threshold Records. The album was preceded by the release of the single "Black Cloud" in 1970.

Following the release of Trapeze's self-titled debut album Trapeze in early 1970, lead vocalist John Jones and keyboardist Terry Rowley left the band, leaving guitarist Mel Galley, bassist Glenn Hughes and drummer Dave Holland to continue as a trio. Four of the seven songs on Medusa were written by Galley and his brother Tom, two were written by Hughes, and one was written by the trio.

Critical reception for Medusa was generally positive. A review published on AllMusic awarded the album four and a half out of five stars, with writer Jason Anderson describing the album as "the finest offering from '70s outfit Trapeze" and "one of the decade's most underappreciated hard rock recordings".^[2] Anderson praised Hughes's "soulful vocal delivery" and Galley's "catchy and affective" guitar performance, concluding that "it's a wonder that the record isn't mentioned more when influential albums of this era are discussed"

Not only is Medusa the finest offering from '70s outfit Trapeze, it is one of the decade's most underappreciated hard rock recordings. With a lineup that consisted of future Deep Purple, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath members, there seems to be proof that at least a few fellow musicians appreciated this 1971 offering. Fans of his later work might be surprised by Glenn Hughes' soulful vocal delivery, especially on the midtempo blues-rockers like "Black Cloud" and "Your Love Is Alright." Guitarist Mel Galley also deserves mention for his sparse approach to classic rock riffing that is catchy and affective. Even the ballads are focused, memorable, and unique. There are some melodic moments on the closing title track that sound almost as if a '90s alt-rock crooner composed them. Considering that Medusa predates many similar, and more successful, classic rock LPs from the likes of Bad Company, Nazareth, Foreigner, and others, it's a wonder that the record isn't mentioned more when influential albums of this era are discussed.

Track listing

1.     "Black Cloud"       Mel Galley, Tom Galley     6:13
2.     "Jury"       M. Galley, T. Galley     8:10
3.     "Your Love Is Alright"       M. Galley, Glenn Hughes, Dave Holland     4:54
4.     "Touch My Life"       M. Galley, T. Galley     4:06
5.     "Seafull"       Hughes     6:34
6.     "Makes You Wanna Cry"       M. Galley, T. Galley     4:41
7.     "Medusa"       Hughes     5:40

Personnel

  Mel Galley – guitar, vocals
  Glenn Hughes – bass, piano, vocals
  Dave Holland – drums
  John Lodge – production

Various Artists - 1994 "Rock Instrumental Classics Vol.3 The Seventies"

Rhino's third rock instrumentals volume covers the '70s, a period that found disco, funk, and fusion joining the formula alongside one-shot concept works and the usual novelty numbers. The 18 cuts include stomping club/funk from B.T. Express and Brass Construction, King Curtis' updated honking sax cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," very stylized material from the Electric Light Orchestra and Deodato, and memorable outings by Billy Preston, Edgar Winter, and AWB. Gary Glitter, Edgar Winter, the Chakachas, Rhinoceros, and Van McCoy offer lighter pop variations, and "Sun Goddess" was a musically adventurous excursion into fusion by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Tracks

1. Joy  - Tom Parker
2. Outa-Space  - Billy Preston
3. T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)  -  MFSB
4. The Hustle  -  Soul City Symphony
5. Movin'  -  Brass Construction
6. Sun Goddess  - Ramsey Lewis
7. Whole Lotta Love  - King Curtis
8. Daybreaker  -  Electric Light Orchestra
9. Also Sprach Zarathurstra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey)  -  Deodato
10. Rock & Roll, Pt. 2  - Gary Glitter
11. Pick Up the Pieces  -  Average White Band
12. A Fifth of Beethoven  -  Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band
13. Popcorn  -  Hot Butter
14. Express  -  B.T. Express
15. Jungle Fever  -  Chakachas
16. K-Jee  -  Nite-Liters
17. Apricot Brandy  -  Rhinoceros
18. Frankenstein  - Edgar Winter

Nektar - 1973 [2002] "Remember The Future"

Nektar (German for Nectar) is a 1970s English progressive rock band originally based in Germany.

Remember the Future is the fourth album from English progressive rock band Nektar. It is a concept album featuring one song divided into two parts. On the original LP, each side contained one of the two parts. It was first released in 1973 by Bacillus (Bellaphon).
The album was re-released in 1990 on LP and CD by Germany's Bellaphon. The mix used for this release was the LP mix that was rejected. In 2002 Bellaphon remastered the album from the original tapes and reissued it on CD with two bonus tracks, which were Radio Promo edits. This was the first time that the correct LP mixes were released on CD

The band formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1969. Members included Englishmen Roye Albrighton on guitars and vocals, Allan "Taff" Freeman on keyboards, Derek "Mo" Moore on bass, Ron Howden on drums, and Mick Brockett on lights and special effects. Songwriting was always considered a group effort.
The band's early albums Journey to the Centre of the Eye, A Tab in the Ocean, and ...Sounds Like This were obscure psychedelic rock albums that won the band a growing cult following, based largely on word of mouth. The last of those albums was the first Nektar album to be released in the U.S., on the small Passport Records label.

Nektar's second U.S. release, Remember the Future (1973), propelled the band briefly into mass popularity. A concept album about a blind boy who communicates with an extraterrestrial being, the music was a big leap forward for the band, with a much more melodic sound than on previous albums. It shot into the Top 20 album charts in the U.S. The follow-up album, Down to Earth (1974), was another concept album with a circus theme; it also sold well, breaking into the Top 40 album charts and included Nektar's only song to chart on the Billboard singles charts, "Astral Man". The next album, Recycled (1975), was stylistically close to bands like Gentle Giant and carried on the band's close connection with progressive rock.

Tracks Listing
 

1. Remember the future (part I) 16:38
a) Images of the past
b) Wheel of time
c) Remember the future
d) Confusion/
2. Remember the future (part II) 18:55
e) Returning light
f) Questions and answers
g) Tomorrow never comes
h) Path of light
i) Recognition
j) Let it grow

Total Time: 35:33

 Personnel

Allan "Taff" Freeman – keyboards, backing vocals
Roye Albrighton – guitars, lead vocals
Derek "Mo" Moore – bass guitar, backing vocals
Ron Howden – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Mick Brockett – lights

Vertù - 1999 "Vertù"

Vertú is a jazz fusion band consisting of bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White (both of Return to Forever fame), keyboardist Rachel Z, violinist Karen Briggs and guitarist Richie Kotzen. The band released one eponymous album in 1999.

Vertu is undeniably an ambitious project, certainly more so than most contemporary fusion projects. At the core of the collective are Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, the renowned rhythm section of Return to Forever; they're augmented by violinist Karn Briggs, keyboardist Rachel Z, and former Poison guitarist Richie Kotzen, of all people. It's a wildly eclectic group of musicians, and they appropriately tackle all sorts of music, from straight-ahead fusion and post-bop to worldbeat and classical-tinged rock. Thanks to the fine musicianship of all involved, it's not nearly the mess that it could have been, but it's hardly an unqualified success, either. The main problem is the weird blend of songs and compositions. Vertu is basically divided between songs (only a handful of which feature Kotzen's strained bluesy vocals), which have one simple melody, and flowing, multi-layered, multi-sectioned compositions. In each case, they're graced by some truly extraordinary playing (laugh you may, but Kotzen is a gifted guitarist and it's a pleasure to hear him stretch out, instead of being confined to pop-metal), but the songs often are built around lame themes that feel like excuses for improvisations; even worse, those themes are often delivered with the tone and grace of a television commercial. Vertu is much better with "Topasio Es Puro Corazon" and "Danse of the Harlequin" -- opportunities to build fascinating contrasts in sound, both through themes and improvisations. These pieces, along with the plentiful solo sections in the flawed songs, have some great interplay that will certainly be of interest to fans of all the involved musicians. And if they're longtime fans of any of the members (especially Clarke, White, and Return to Forever), they'll realize that creative risks are often successful and flawed in equal measure, so they won't be discouraged by the awkward moments on Vertu.

VERTU is a fusion "superband" made only for one record. Stanley Clarke (basses), Lenny White (drums) still are the best rhythm section of all times. Rachel Z (keyboards) is great (waiting to work with Peter GABRIEL). Richie Kotzen isn't only a hard guitar player, just listen and you'll understand. Karen Briggs (violin) is as good as Jean-Luc Ponty or John Goodman themselves.

"We're trying to bring virtuosic playing back to the forefront in music," says drummer Lenny White about his new band Vertú, a musical collective that features bassist Stanley Clarke, keyboardist Rachel Z, violinist Karen Briggs, and guitarist Richie Kotzen. "I haven't had an opportunity to play like this in a long time - where everybody is really stretching out on their instruments and playing up to their full potential." White is talking about playing fusion again, music that begged its participants to go for broke and show the audience everything they had in them. But will today's jazz audience be down with the "F" word? White thinks so. "I'm convinced that there is a whole new audience out there that will respond enthusiastically to this music, just as people did 30 years ago."

Tracklist:

01. V-Wave (5:09)
02. On Top Of The Rain (7:42)
03. Anoche (5:30)
04. The Call (7:23)
05. Topasio Es Puro Corazon, Part One (4:47)
06. Topsaio, Part Two (5:02)
07. Danse Of The Harlequin (6:38)
08. Start It Again (5:38)
09. Marakesh (4:12)
10. Toys (7:55)

Personnel:

 Richie Kotzen (vocals, guitar)
 Karen Briggs (violin)
 Rachel Z (keyboards)
 Stanley Clarke (bass)
 Lenny White (drums).

Various Artists - 2010 "Mahavishnu Re-Defined II": A Tribute To John McLaughlin & Mahavishnu Orchestra

As many of you know, back in 2008 ESC Records released "Mahavishnu Re-Defined". The two-disc set included tracks by Billy Cobham & The HR Big Band, Mitch Forman, Jim Beard, Dennis Chambers, The Mahavishnu Project and many others. The first set was such a success that ESC has now released a second volume. "Mahavishnu Re-Defined II" will feature another double CD compilation featuring tracks by incredible artists such as Surinder Sandhu featuring Steve Vai, Chris Massey, David Torn, Allen Hinds, George Colligan, Steve Topping, Kai Eckhardt, Michael Manring and others. This time around, The Mahavishnu Project has contributed their high intensity take on "One Word/Resolution" featuring vocalist Melissa Stylianou.

Second instalment of the Mahavishnu tribute series. Inspired 2CD set featuring tracks by various modern artists either creating their own dynamic arrangements of John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra - compositions or producing original sonic paintings based on Mahavishnu consciousness. This collection serves to enlighten neophytes, satisfy seasoned fans of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and pay homage to one of the most deserving masters of the fusion genre with some stellar performances and interesting interpretations of McLaughlin?s compositions.

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/2015/09/various-artists-2008-mahavishnu-re.html

  Tracks Listing

CD1:
The Dance Of The Maya (Kai Bruckner)
Starmaker Machinery (For John McLaughlin)
Miles Beyond (Christopher Schreiner, aka The Guy)
The Little Hindu (Surinder Sandhu/Steve Vai)
Are You The One? (Nat Janoff)
Setilla's Dance (Don Mock)
One Word (Resolution) (Mahavishnu Project)
Windchaser (John Stowell)
Gore (Chris Massey's Forever Sharp & Vivid/David Torn)
My Foolish Heart (Allen Hinds)
12 Tone Boogie (Bruce Arnold)
I Wonder (Mychael Pollard)

CD2:
Celestrial Terrestial Commuters (Ali Neander/Helmutt Hattler)
House Of Return (Jeff Gauthier Goatette)
Can't Stand The Funk (Bon Lazaga)
Keeping Pace Ruff (George Colligan & Mad Science)
The Life Divine (Steve Topping)
Thanks Mah (Bill Hart)
Hope (Mark Wingfield)
Snake Charmer (Rez Abassi)
Quiet Moves (Claude Pauly)
Hymn (Asaf Sirkis & The Inner Noise)
Mahvishnology (Gianfranco Continenza)
Vital Transformation (Trio Of Stridence)
Very Early (James Findlay)

Various Artists - 2008 "Mahavishnu Re-Defined": A Tribute To John Mclaughlin And Mahavishnu Orchestra

 With guitar icon John McLaughlin's greater visibility, thanks to recent tours with his 4th Dimension group and Five Peace Band collaboration with pianist Chick Corea, there's been a flurry of reassessment of his vast and vital output as a repertory source. Drummer Gregg Bendian's Mahavishnu Project delivered first-time performances with Return to the Emerald Beyond (Cuneiform, 2007), guitarist Jeff Richman's Visions of an Inner Mounting Apocalypse (Tone Center, 2005) recruited name guitarists to rework classic Mahavishnu Orchestra (MO) material, 4th Dimension keyboardist/percussionist Gary Husband delivered a deeply personal solo piano tribute with A Meeting of the Spirits and radio.string.quartet.vienna unleashed the remarkable Celebrating the Mahavishnu Orchestra, where MO's raw power was reworked for a far-from-conventional chamber group.

Many of these artists and more appear on Mahavishnu Redefined: A Tribute to John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, a generous double-disc of music written or inspired by McLaughlin that, in its broad range, demonstrates just how pervasive the guitarist's reach is. There are tracks from existing tributes, including Husband's reverent yet harmonically reworked "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters," from MO's classic Birds of Fire (Columbia, 1973) and radio.string.quartet.vienna's remarkable version of "Meeting of the Spirits," originally on MO's debut, Inner Mounting Flame (Columbia, 1971)—a sound that shook the world, and here retains its raw electricity, even while unplugged. Bendian has provided previously unreleased live recordings from his annual VishnuFest, including his 11-piece incarnation working a potent extended version of Birds of Fire's "Sanctuary," as well as two songs featuring the group's string quartet and vocalist Melissa Stylianou.

Equally, there are unique reworks of McLaughlin material, ranging from acoustic guitarist Pascal Bournet's challenging look at "Guardian Angels," from McLaughlin's Electric Dreams (Columbia, 1978) and, in duet with cellist Enrique Alberti, a joyous version of Birds of Fire's countrified "Open Country Joy," to MO drummer Billy Cobham
's HR Big Band collaboration on a swinging version of the 1975 Columbia date, Visions of the Emerald Beyond's "Eternity's Breath."

The most revealing music on Mahavishnu Redefined is, however, the original music, where McLaughlin's deep influence can be felt, even as the artists assert their own individuality. Guitarist Nguyên Lê's "Dding Dek" takes McLaughlin's Indo-centricity farther east to Vietnam, yet the ascending chords that form the basis of his solo are unmistakable. Keyboardist Jim Beard's distinctive octet of woodwinds and strings create the beautiful "In All Her Finery," while Trinity Xperiment's "Visions of Fire" possesses unmistakable references to early MO. Drummer Dennis Chambers
references the structure of "New York on My Mind," from McLaughlin's Electric Guitarist (Columbia, 1978), with guitarist Jon Herington's "Paris on Mine." In a once-removed reference, drummer Ron Thaler's quartet reworks the title track to John Abercrombie's Timeless (ECM, 1975) an album over which the spirit of McLaughlin loomed large.

Just as Mysterious Voyages (ESC, 2005) demonstrated the enduring nature and influence of Weather Report
, so too does Mahavishnu Redefined prove that McLaughlin's legacy—while still far from complete—has reached more than one generation of musician and, no doubt, will continue to influence many more.

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/2015/09/various-artists-2010-mahavishnu-re.html

Tracks Listing

CD1:
Celestial Terrestrial Commuters (Gary Husband)
Dding Dek (Nguyên Lê)
Thousand Island Park (Mitchel Forman)
Guardian Angels (Pascal Bournet)
Eternity's Breath Pt. 1 + 2 (HR Big Band feat. Billy Cobham)
Some Timeless (Ron Thaler)
Sanctuary (Mahavishnu Project)
In All Her Finery (Jim Beard)
JM (Pete McCann)
A Lotus on Irish Streams (John Stowell)
Visions of Fire (Trinity Xperiment)
The Wish (Lucas Pickford & Steve Hunt)
The Same Day (Gustavo Assis-Brasil)

CD2:
Trilogy (Wild Strings Quartet)
Way Down (John Bruschini)
Meeting of the Spirits (Radio String Quartet Vienna)
Paris on My Mine (Dennis Chambers)
Do You Hear the Voices You Left Behind (Göran Klinghagen Trio)
La Mere De La Mer / Smile of the Beyond (Mahavishnu Project String Quartet)
Would you like to dance? (Vic Stevens)
John's Blues (Kimo Williams & Kimotion)
Open Country Joy (Pascal Bournet & Enrique Alberti)
One Word (Gianfranco Continenza)
Song to John (Mads Tolling)
Cosmic Strut (Richard Smith)

Personnel:

Gary Husband: piano and "in piano" percussion (CD1#1); Nguyên Lê: guitar (CD1#2); Renaud Garcia-Fons: vbass (CD1#2); Tino di Geraldo: drums and percussion (CD1#2); Kudsi Erguner: ney flute (CD1#2); Illya Amar: marimba and tuned gongs (CD1#2); Mitchel Forman: keyboards (CD1#3); Trey Henry: bass (CD1#3); Ray Brinker: drums (CD1#3); Pascal Bournet: acoustic guitar (CD1#4); Heinz Dieter Sauerborn: alto saxophone (CD1#5); Oliver Leicht: alto and soprano saxophones (CD1#5); Harry Petersen: tenor saxophone (CD1#5); Johannes Enders: tenor saxophone (CD1#5); Rainer Heute: baritone saxophone (CD1#5); Tobias Weidinger: trumpet (CD1#5); Martin Auer: trumpet (CD1#5); Thomas Vogel: trumpet (CD1#5); Günter Bollmann: trombone (CD1#5); Peter Feil: trombone (CD1#5); Christian Jaksjo: trombone (CD1#5); Manfred Honetschlager: bass trombone (CD1#5); Martine Scales: guitar (CD1#5); Peter Reiter: piano, Rhodes and keyboards (CD1#5); Thomas Heidepriem: electric bass (CD1#5); Billy Cobham: drums (CD1#5); Colin Towns: arrangements (CD1#5); Ron Thaler: drums (CD1#6); Chris Clark: keyboards (CD1#6); Ron Bertolet: alto saxophone (CD1#6); Jeff Carney: bass (CD1#6); Gregg Bendian: drums (CD1#7); Glenn Alexander: guitar (CD1#7); Zach Brock: violin (CD1#7); Adam Holzmann: keyboards (CD1#7); Dave Johnson: bass (CD1#7); Matt Szemela: violin (CD1#7, CD2#6); Jeremy Kittel: violin (CD1#7, CD2#6); Jon Weber: viola (CD1#7, CD2#6); Leigh Stuart: cello (CD1#7, CD2#6); Melissa Stylianou: voice (CD1#7, CD2#6); Premik Russell Tubbs: alto flute and soprano saxophone (CD1#7); Jim Beard: keyboards (CD1#8), Hammond B3 (CD2#4), acoustic piano (CD2#4); Marc Quinones: percussion (CD1#8); Aaron Heick: flute, clarinet, English horn and oboe (CD1#8); Stan Harrison: flute and clarinet (CD1#8); Todd Reynolds: violin (CD1#8); Erik Friedlander: cello (CD1#8); John Patitucci: double-bass (CD1#8); Billy Ward: drums (CD1#8); Pete McCann: guitar (CD1#9); John O'Gallagher: saxophone (CD1#9); John Herbert: bass (CD1#9); Mark Ferber: drums (CD1#9); Mike Holober: piano (CD1#9); John Stowell: acoustic guitar (CD1#10); Franz Holtmann: guitar (CD1#11); Mathias Krauss: Rhodes, organ, keys and programming (CD1#11); Gudze: bass (CD1#11); Jost Nickel: drums (CD1#11); Lucas Pickford: bass and sarod (CD1#12); Steve Hunt: synths and programming (CD1#12); Vinay Kantak: tablas, tambourine and shaker (CD1#12); Gustavo Assis-Brasil: guitar (CD1#13); José Pienasola: bass (CD1#13); Mauricio Zottarelli: drums (CD1#13); Marco Anderson: six and twelve string guitars (CD2#1); Philip Gibbs: guitar and tenor guitar (CD2#1); Ale Fernandez: guitar (CD2#1); Peter Evans: violin and string samples (CD2#1); Ron Savage: acoustic bass (CD2#1); John Bruschini: guitar (CD2#2); Robert Aires: keyboards (CD2#2); Jim Nolet: viola (CD2#2); Kip Reed: bass (CD2#2); Jeff Hirshfield: drums (CD2#2); Bernie Mallinger: violin (CD2#3); Johannes Dickbauer: violin (CD2#3); Cynthia Liao: viola (CD2#3); Asja Valcic: cello (CD2#3); Jon Herington: guitar (CD2#4); Bob Malach: tenor saxophone (CD2#4); Matthew Garrison: bass (CD2#4); Michael Davis: trombone (CD2#4); Dennis Chambers: drums (CD2#4); Göran Klinghagen: guitar (CD2#5); Christian Spering: bass (CD2#5); Leroy Lowe: drums (CD2#5); David Fiuczynski: guitar (CD2#7); Percy Jones: bass (CD2#7); Demetrios Pappas: keyboards (CD2#7); Vic Stevens: drums (CD2#7); Vinnie Colaiuta: drums (CD2#8); Larry Kohut: bass (CD2#8); Ben Lewis: keyboards (CD2#8); Chris Siebold: guitar (CD2#8); Kirk Garrison: trumpet (CD2#8); Matt Lewis: trumpet (solo) (CD2#8); Willie Murillo: trumpet (CD2#8); Tuim Rubottom: trumpet (CD2#8); John Mose: trombone (solo) (CD2#8); Jim Boltinghouse: trombone (CD2#8); Peter Brockmann: trombone (CD2#8); Dave Ryan: trombone (CD2#8); Mitch Paliga: tenor saxophone (CD2#8); Roger Neuman: tenor saxophone (CD2#8); Jim Ogdren: alto saxophone (CD2#8); Paul McGinely: alto saxophone (CD2#8); Ted Hogarth: baritone saxophone (CD2#8); Scot Breadman: percussion (CD2#8); Kimo Williams: arrangements (CD2#8); Pascal Bournet: acoustic guitar (CD2#9); Enrique Alberti: cello (CD2#9); Gianfranco Continenza: guitar (CD2#10); Alessandro Centofanti: keyboards (CD2#10); Mark Egan: bass (CD2#10); Walter Martino: drums (CD2#10); Mads Tolling: violin (CD2#11); Mike Abraham: guitar (CD2#11); George Ban-Weiss: acoustic and electric bass (CD2#11); Richard Smith: guitars (CD2#12); Hans Zermuehlen: keyboards (CD2#12).