Customer Reviews

Live at the Royal Festival Hall

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4 star:		(1)
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On this 1989/90 tour McLaughlin was joined by Kai Eckhardt on his 5 string electric bass and Trilok Gurtu, one of the greatest drummers/percussionists in his own right. The concert they had in Zagreb during the same tour was one of the last great concerts before the war.

This recording of a London performance captures a great and inspired concert and includes more than one hour of music. What makes me reach for it most often is McLaughlin's use of his guitar synthesizer (called Photon) which for the most part adds a certain "golden" shadow, elegant and unobtrusive, to the notes he plays on acoustic guitar. There are other great guitarists who found a good use of guitar synthesizers (John Abercrombie, Pat Metheny, to mention just a couple of them), but this Photon thing and the way McLaughlin uses it must be - I am certain - one of the most tasteful and moderate examples of how to use a device which in wrong hands can ruin the music.

What a breath of fresh air this disc was when it first came out and still is to this very day! After the disastrous resurrection of the Mahavishnu name in the 80's (with NONE of the brilliance), Johnny Mac regrouped and set off on a new course, armed with a customized acoustic axe (w/ midi) and the combined innovativve brilliance of percussionist Trilok Gurtu and a rotating cast of soulful bassists (here, it's Kai Eckhardt).

The end result was nothing short of beautiful, where nuance, beauty and detail combine with ferocity and mystery.

Energized by an appreciative audience, our heroes unfurl Miles Davis' "Blue In Green" which takes on a whole new set of colors in McLaughlin's capable hands as Gurtu and Eckhardt lend empathetic support and Eckhardt turning ina very soulful bass solo as well. "Just Ideas/Jozy" gets downright funky and then leads into the fiery reworking of "Florianapolis" from "Adventures in Radioland". Here, the melody really comes to the fore even as the tempo is DANGEROUSLY high, yet the fearsome threesome keep it together, turning in melodious ideas and never letting the high-velocity get in the way of them. This version absolutely DESTROYS the original (I sure don't miss the shrill high-tech overkill of the 80's Mahavishnu at all here). "Pasha's Love" is a Trilok Gurtu piece that features raga-like exchanges alternating with beautifully yearning segments.

The real piece de resistance is "Mother Tongues", which builds slowly with McLaughlin's tasteful use of guitar-synth and the rhythm section's inventive slow smoldering swing, things get more fiery and then, the big feature, Trilok's percussion extravaganza as McLaughlin and Eckhardt receded quietly into the background. Trilok begins very quietly with all kinds of forest sounds and builds to a monstrous climax, something like a huge steam locomotive pulling out of the station and gathering speed, eventually coming to rest with a beautiful mysterious close.

For an encore, there's "Blues For LW" featuring a feisty vocal-jamming section with all 3 musicians and before long, the crowd roars its approval as our heroes exit triumphantly.

The next best thing to being there.

Having been lucky enough to be at the Royal Festival Hall for this recording I can heartily reccomend. McLaughlin, Eckhardt and Gurtu held the audience absolutely spellbound for the entire duration. The focus and intensity of their complex interplay was simply astounding. When this is coupled with the originality of their soundscapes and the emotional depth of the music then you have a truly exceptional recording. I bought it on vinyl when it first came out, now I've got it on CD. I urge you to do so.

This is the best work McLaughlin has produced since Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti. As it turns out, it's also been his most interesting work since. The live synergy between the breathtaking drumming of Trilok Gurtu and the lyricism and virtuosity of Kai Eckardt on bass and McLaughlin is something awe inspiring. Included on the CD (not on cassette) is also a great Indian 'rap' in which the trio improvises with rhythmic vocalisations in a call and response style. If you're a Mclaughlin fan or just a fan of great jazz this is a MUST!

this record is unbelievable. but I mean seriously brilliant. A brilliant John Mclaughlin, an increadible Kai Eckhardt, and there simply arent enough words to describe Mr. Gurtu's work on this CD. Kai Eckhardt bass lines and solos are sooooo good that they're almost unreal (check out Mother Tongues) It's a pity that this trio didn't record any more discs, because they make up for the best music that I've heard in years.

When this CD came out in 1990, I did not expect it to be as wonderful and creative as it is! John had spend the 80's playing more straight up jazz stuff. Honestly, he was boring then. This record brought fusion back, even though it is not a fusion record. This also exposed me to Trilok Gurtu for the first time. He is astounding and John is focused and alive on this recording. This is fusion but it is not at the same time. Intelligent playing and arranging, I can not believe that it was live... but it is! Fantastic spin!

The interplay of the soundscapes created by John Mclaughlin, Trilok Gurtu, and Kai Eckhardt is amazing. Kai drops the bass bombs on this amazing recording! Trilok Gurtu is a master percussionist, and is on fire as he breaks into rock-solid funk breaks! A+++++++++++ A MUST HAVE!

I agree with everyone here - this is something very special. I don't know I'd say that everything is on the very highest level - Kind of Blue doesn't do it for me as some of the other tracks do - but Gurtu's solo on Mother Tongues is one of the greatest things I've ever heard. I'm not a fan of everything Mclaughlin and Gurtu have done but this record transcends stylistic boundaries to become something profoundly expressive and illuminating.

This album is one of the best i have listened so far. It is easy and quality listening and wow, excellent. If you like Jazz, then you should have this.

Unlike the very good studio album that would follow this live recording , you are there!!! This is probably the best place , in addition to his own discs , to listen to the remarkable Trilok Gurtu . He plays much more than "purcussion" when he gets the opportunity to stretch out on fourteen + , eighteen + and a nine minute tracks . He uses his voice (as do the othe two men here) as well as everything from a kit to water to everything in between to bring these beautiful and evocotive songs to life . Most of the project is written by John . A portion of a combined track is credited to keyboard/pianist Mitch Forman . Miles Davis's BLUE IN GREEN is given a lovely and understated reading as is Mr. Gurtu's PASHA'S LOVE . Mr. Eckhardt is a wonderful and magical voice on bass . John is in top form on both acoustic and his very discreetly treated Photon guitar synthesizer . The crowd is large and highly appreciative on a superbly recorded event that just exceeds sixty four minutes . Transporting , thoughtful , grooving and totally unique .