Billy Cobham - drums
Jerry Goodman - violin
Jan Hammer - keyboards
Rick Laird - bass
John McLaughlin - guitar
Musicians who recorded and performed with Miles Davis during his early explorations into electric instrumentation inevitably went on to form bands of their own, but few were as adept or as influential as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, a globally diverse group formed by legendary English guitarist, John McLaughlin. Combining the improvisational elements of jazz with the volume and energy of rock music, the group also brought elements of Far Eastern, R&B, Blues and Classical music to the table. The Mahavishnu Orchestra created music that was often intricate and complex, performed by musicians whose virtuosity thrilled audiences and critics alike. The group had a firm grip on dynamics and were equally adept at dense, aggressive flights of feverish intensity as they were at creating moments of passionate spiritual contemplation. This diversity and technical ability dazzled audiences the world over and helped to expose jazz and world music to a younger audience. The initial "classic" lineup of the group lasted barely three years and only released two studio albums and one live recording, but these recordings had a profound effect, redefining the jazz/rock fusion movement in the process.
By early 1973, the Mahavishnu Orchestra had firmly established their reputation. Their debut album, The Inner Mounting Flame, had mesmerized musicians and listeners alike and with more than a year of live performing behind them, they had arguably become the most exciting live band on the planet. The material from the group's blazing sophomore studio effort, Birds Of Fire was now integrated into the live repertoire and they were consciously taking a more improvisational approach in their performances. This February 1973 performance captures the group six months prior to recording their third album, a live recording issued as Between Nothingness And Eternity. Recorded on the campus of Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, this performance is a stellar example of the band's high energy and fluid virtuosity reaching its peak.
They begin the set much like many 1972 sets, with the opening title track of the second album, Birds Of Fire. This intense, high energy opener here segues directly into another track from that album, "Open Country Joy." After the initial onslaught of "Birds Of Fire," this strutting, gradually intensifying urban blues is the least complex, most easily accessible music the classic lineup ever played. Vacillating between a laidback county feel and frenzied rocking power, its disarming rustic theme now provides the initial musical contrast within this set. They continue with the regal sounding "Hope," unfolding over its brief 90 seconds in an elegant, magisterial way, before Cobham suddenly blasts off into "Awakening." This has moments of frightening intensity and the telepathy between these musicians is functioning at an astounding level. McLaughlin's tribute to one of his great influences, "Miles Beyond," follows in a funky, more relaxed manner.
The remainder of the show takes things to the next level. "One Word," another composition from the Birds Of Fire album, begins with a haunting sequence that gives way to a relatively straightforward jam, with the band members trading solos. Billy Cobham gets a solo spot in the middle, which begins smoothly and escalates in both speed and dynamics, preparing one for the explosive second half of the piece. The group launches back in, playing in 13/8 time, continually increasing in speed, with McLaughlin, Goodman and Hammer blazing away, often in unison. Within this complicated time signature, one will discover McLaughlin applying a technique where he reduces his guitar strokes by one with each proceeding line, playing six notes on the first line, five on the second and so on. Beneath all this, Laird and Cobham anchor things, while contributing to the overall searing effect. They next perform "Sanctuary," a slower contemplative piece, demonstrating that the rhythm section of Laird and Cobham are equally effective at subtlety as they are at intensity.
After all the fury that occurred during the previous piece, "Sanctuary" again provides some tranquility to the proceedings. Jan Hammer's introspective synthesizer solo weeps while Goodman's wailing violin compliments McLaughlin's guitar. This segues into a lengthy heavily improvised version of "The Dance Of Maya" that burns for a solid 18 minutes. Following the initial theme, the rhythm section drops out completely, leaving the remaining trio. The interaction between Goodman's pizzicato violin, McLaughlin guitar and Hammer's electric piano is full of a humor and playfulness that is absolutely delightful. Around the 14-minute mark, McLaughlin rips into a solo with Billy Cobham in tow. The unison playing here is thrilling. At times one can sense McLaughlin toying with Cobham, just to see what he'll do. Despite McLaughlin's blazing speed and unpredictability, Cobham never misses a beat - another display of musical telepathy. This eventually becomes a delicate call and response with Hammer adding his gurgling mini-moog embellishments, before all converge and reinstate the song's themes before bringing it to a close - a full 26 minutes after this continuous sequence began. They close the night with "Vital Transformation." In 9/8 time, this contains some of the most furious playing that the band would ever achieve. Charismatic, powerful and blazing with energy, this is a tour-de-force blend of all the elements that comprised the band’s music; jazz, rock, funk and R&B condensed into six minutes of pure power.
In the months to come, the improvisational approach would be taken to the extreme, with compositions often stretching out to over twenty minutes. However, this performance is another prime example of the middle phase of the original lineup, when they were taking their music further than they had before.
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