Guitarist John McLaughlin

Guitarist John McLaughlin




STRUMDABIZ's

John McLaughlin Page :
Biography
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Description:
1] K\/k__r)a)m)__Z\/z
A punctuated guitar Pick and Roll Tab terminology. Alternate flatpicking with 3 fingers roll
and a Strum designation.
_______
2] Musical lives of guitarists
John McLaughlin, Ed Bickert,
and others.
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Pick (K\/k)and Roll {r)a)m)} 

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____________Strumdabiz_____........In A Silent Way........
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___________-"Johnny McLaughlin, electric guitarist-___________
 Official Web Site:
 http://www.john.mclaughlin.com
Imagine a boy, born January 4th, 1942, to a family of Irish roots, in Kirk Sandall, England U.K. . John, the youngest of 5 children, is the 4th son. The father is a power engineer, the mother an amateur violinist. The parents divorce when Johnny is barely in school, 7 or so. The father wants the youngest to live with him, but Johnny declines. The mother raises the 5 children with music in the home, and her 3 older sons, who go on to other pursuits pass on a guitar. After having begun piano lessons, at 8 or so, Johnny takes to the acoustic guitar, at age 11 by the hour. He plays until his fingers bleed. Since all sorts of recordings, radio broadcasts, and amateur family perorming of music surround Johnny on a daily basis, he learns , and absorbs, sound as his environment. ___________Lonnie Donegan to Ludwig_________ From the skiffle craze of his brothers' college years , and blues, by artists like Muddy Waters, to Ludwig Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which moves him very deeply ,the susceptible lad is imprinted by music. Learning to play by ear, these mysteries and sensations take over his waking hours. When he has started to listen farther afield, with Belgian-born Django Reinhardt as one more boyhood catalyst , American artists from trumpeter Miles Davis, to the guitarist Tal Farlow give him his real schoolwork... Even a flamenco club would provide inspiration, as he hitch-hiked across Yorkshire to catch the monthly meetings. When his father had asked him around the age of 13, what did he want to do when he grew up, John McLaughlin naturally replied he would be a musician. His father sneered that that wasn't a real job. Young John felt instant contempt at that, and not a little disrespect. Leaving school, teenage John McLaughlin worked at various day jobs, and sat with local groups. Soon he was in London, building a reputation in the R'& B' circuit impressing people like reedman Dick Heckstall-Smith on first hearing. The bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, later members of The Cream with Eric Clapton were the rythym section of The Graham Bond Organization, led by the organist-saxist Bond who was to influence McLaughlin's lifeviews while he played, briefly, with them. Other performers, such as singer keyboardist Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, (including Mitch Mitchell drummer later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience), and Brian Auger, included McLaughlin for brief periods. Singer Duffy Power and McLaughlin co-wrote some tunes, some of which appear on the singer's "Little Boy Blue" Lp. McLaughlin, like others on this British scene emulating American music carried the progressive flag, on a professional level, but had to play many pop styles, on gigs and sessions, to survive. The studio peers he worked with, such as Vic Flick, the guitarist for John Barry's oo7 work, Jimmy Page , ad Big Jim Sullivan often of Tom Jones' band could marvel at his inventive approaches, between takes , while seeing him musically wasted, in so commercial a vein. Coming to the end of a period of artistic frustration, he and his flatmate bassist Dave Holland managed to jam with Jack de Johnette, a visiting member of The Bill Evans Trio . The drummer had a cassette recorder,which was a new item at the time. Jack taped this impromptu meeting,and returning to America, played it for fellow drummer Tony Williams, then of the Miles Davis group. In short order, Holland's playing had caught Miles Davis' ear in London, where working at Ronnie Scott's Club, as it happens, either legendary drummer Philly Joe Jones, or Jack De Johnnette, passed on the word "come play with me", recruiting the bassist to the Davis band. The bassist emigrated to America. (John McLaughlin recorded his first album "Extrapolation", without Holland as a result.) While Dave was in Davis' group, rooming on the road with Tony Williams, talk about musicians led to the firey drummer asking for McLaughlin's phone number, and Holland complied, calling his compatriot. Soon ,if not soon enough, for either, McLaughlin was going to New York City. He joined Tony Williams, and organist Larry Young, right away, in Count Basie's Harlem nightspot, ~The Club Baron~, as "Tony Williams' Lifetime". His talent was equally appreciated by Miles Davis; two days in New York City saw John McLaughlin invited to a recording date. This found John McLaughlin playing on "In A Silent Way", his guitar liquidly supplanting Miles, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, with the title cut's melody. Soon, the successful album Bitches Brew which included a cut called JOHN McLAUGHLIN, and several others of Miles' Columbia LPs, such as A TRIBUTE TO JACK JOHNSON, featured McLaughlin. On ~ATTJJ~ he was quite spontaneous, and his playing showed initiative, for example, here on a shuffle souffle that he started in E but shifted to Bb when Miles entered, shades of Purple Haze's tritonal ambiguity! No wonder, Davis said the guitar and bass (Michael Henderson)were FAR OUT? ...Right Off (M. Davis) 27:00... ~` `~ E|------------------------|------------------------|E B|------------------------|------------------------|B G|----k8----k8----k8----k8|----k7----k7----k7----k7|G D|--K6++--K6++--K6++--K6++|--K6++--K6++--K6++--K6++|D A|,---;-,---;-,---;-,---;-|,---;-,---;-,---;-,---;-|A E|K6++++K6++++K6++++K6++++|K6++++K6++++K6++++K6++++|E ~` Bb7 Sus Bb7 `~ His Harlem debut, work and LPs with Lifetime "knocked everyone out", to quote Larry Coryell, who heard McLaughlin that first night. He toured with Lifetime if to not household acclaim, and that band impressed the likes of Carlos Santana, with it's unparelled power.
Later, McLaughlin's second album Devotion, sporting a (suitably 60's ) psychadelic looking LP cover, included the hold- no punches drumming of Buddy Miles, recently of the Jimi Hendrix Band Of Gypsies, Larry Young, and Billy Rich on bass guitar. The atypical blend of odd meters, dissonant harmonies, rapid executions, made this a more avant-garde rock (or...Roll) LP at that, than a jazz work, but few fans would know, for years, that McLaughlin, was a little dissatified with the editing of "Devotion", absent as he was from the final mixing. The 1970's saw McLaughlin going to India's music and philosophy, just as he was adjusting to American pace. Taking interest in the teachings of a guru, Sri Chinmoy, he made lifestyle changes, which included garb, diet and abstaining from alcohol, and,if not succesfully, cigarettes. He left Williams' quartet which included now old friend Jack Bruce. He emphasized his love of guru and acoustic guitar having recorded his third LP "My Goals Beyond" which featured 2 of the musicians he found to play in his own group. His wife Eve (Mahalakshmi), as well was on this album, with a respectable addition of reed, saxophonist Dave Leibman, Brazilian omni-musician Airto Moreira, and tablist Badal Roy (who McLaughlin had met, and played with in a NY City East Indian Restaurant), on percussion, and the versatile Charlie Haden on double bass. The guitarist looked around to old friends, and new, friends of friends, and started the (5-piece) Mahavishnu Orchestra. Mahavishnu John McLaughlin , as he was renamed by Sri Chinmoy, moved to an electric guitar primarily, although the flattop would be his acoustic compliment on stage and in recordings. From a Gibson Les Paul, or an Ovation roundback guitar, he lead Billy Cobham (drummer from various Miles Davis sessions), and violinist Jerry Goodman, a classically trained musician, (from the rock band The Flock), out of these "My Goals Beyond sessions, adding an old bandmate from England, Dublin-born Rick Laird, on electric and acoustic bass,and a talent from Czeckoslovakia, pianist Jan Hammmer. Thus a storm began.
Meeting Of the Spirits Vamp from " The Inner Mounting Flame" E|--------r0--------r0++++|--------r0--------r0++++|E B|----a2++++----a2++++++++|----a2++++----a2++++++++|B G|------m0++------m0++++++|------m4++------m4++++++|G D|--k4++++++--K4++++++++++|--k4++++++--K4++++++++++|D A|,---,---,---,---,---,---|,---,---,---,---,---,---|A E|K2++++++++k2++++++++K2k0|K3++++++++k3++++++++K3k0|E ~`F# Minor 7-9____________`G Major 7(#11 13)_______` ~MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA~ DISCOGRAPHY: ~THE INNER MOUNTING FLAME~ ~BIRDS OF FIRE~ ~THE LOST TRIDENT SESSIONS~ (#) ~BETWEEN NOTHINGNESS AND ETERNITY~ (LIVE)
McLaughlin added a Gibson 6-12 double neck electric guitar very soon, and commissioned luthier Rex Bogue to create a custom 6-12string "The Double Rainbow" This group recorded 4 very intense albums, the (#)third of which was not released until the 1990's . Even as singer songwriters were refining, in the wake of the Beatles demise, this movement of instrumental music caught the ears of the young, and made older jazz fans sit up (or leave the room...). Other groups related to the Mahavishnu Orchestra, largely through Miles Davis' latest work, were Herbie Hancock , Weather Report, Return To Forever, and (McLaughlin's friend and fellow guitarist) Larry Coryell's The Eleventh House brought the volume level up to new levels in old jazz clubs, with electric keyboards joining the guitar on stage, for what was to be a revolution in synthesizers, as well. All this would re-vitalize the interest in previous jazz forms, even as it demolished the lifestyle. Meanwhile, McLaughlin was studying the music of India ,on the Vina with people such as Ravi Shankar, and the (unrelated) L.Shankar, a violinist. He also met the son of Ravi's tabla master, Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussein, himself a tabla student. This circle of McLaughlin's acquantances, along with "claypot" player Vikku proved to be a sincere step towards learning the music of India, while actually joining it's North and South traditions, somewhat. See also http://www.remembershakti.com for a wonderful history of the ~Shakti~ and ~Remember Shakti~ groups. McLaughlin's pattern in the 1970's of restlessness, had a, vaguely, three year rythym. Not the type to ignore his Trans-Atlantic roots, and the electric guitar, he had given Indian Music a kick from two angles, now, he returned with an album of new friends and old: ~Johnny McLaughlin Electric Guitarist~ which like ~My Goal's Beyond~ explored his broader skills as a guitarist while sighfully remembering the impetus of his younger explorations. The album serves as a unstylistic follow-up of sorts to ~My Goal's Beyond~, if only because it sets the stage for other recordings where the record/tour pattern of the rest of his work is set aside, to record with particular musicians at least once, with no other goal, beyond that. Touring a bit with Billy Cobham, Jack Bruce, and Stu Goldberg, McLaughlin probably taxed his old friends quotient. He took Goldberg again to a new project. The ~One Truth Band~ was to evolve from some of the electric roots recording ~Electric Dreams~, with guest David Sanborn released in 1979. McLaughlin had two versions of this band, the latter recorded. A tour with French Gypsy guitarist Christian Escoude (Ess-coo-day) seemed to sate his Gypsy-fired Django Reinhardt roots, touring on the cache of his reputation, from his groups the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti, McLaughlin and Escoude dazzled guitar fans, even combining with old Shakti bandmates here and there in a low key promotion different from the ballyhoo of the M.O., ushering in the 1980's. His interest in acoustic guitar unabated, McLaughlin's ears were caught by the infinite fire and imagination of Spanish guitarist Paco De Lucia. A tour with old friend Larry Coryell, and this amazing flamenco virtuoso gave way to another trio, with Coryell replaced by his one-time protege Al Di Meola. ~Friday Night in San Francisco~ captured The Guitar Trio and all pairings of McLaughlin , DeLucia, and the younger Di Meola. McLaughlin had made Europe his home by this time, and formed a musical and personal liason with pianist Katia Labeque one half of the Labeque sisters duo with sibling Marielle: http://www.labeque.com/ The guitarist wrote new music and formed a new European band propelled by American drummer Tommy Campbell, ~The Translators~ and recorded ~Belo Horizonte~ and later ~Music Spoken Here~, largely playing classical (nylon string ) guitar with that ever- dynamic flatpicking of his. Another ~Guitar Trio~ LP interspersed with this period ~Passion ,Grace and Fire~ a somewhat short album but living up to the expectations of guitar "nuts". McLaughlin turned, musically at least, again to America, culling Mid-Western-born saxophonist Bill Evans from Miles Davis' band and appeasing the Swedish bass guitarist Jonas Hellborg's blantant desire to mix it up, along with electric (piano/synth)keyboardist Mitch Forman, and a brief re- acqauintance with drummer Billy Cobham that was clouded at best, since McLaughlin soon hired ex-Pat Metheny Group drummer Danny Gottlieb. Calling it ~Mahavishnu~, McLaughlin risked the creative-versus-the-old-fav's syndrome, but the nature of the young musicians kept it out of the MOldy bin, shall we say? A stunning new guitar Synclavier synthesizer added a tangent to his return to electric six-string, although the old Marshall amp, "Maha'" was known for, was replaced by the Roland Jazz Chorus amp. This Roland model amp, by the way was built "on spec", ultimately for Joni Mitchell letting her "shadow" guitar lines through the twin channels, to emulate the near unison sound of Miles Davis with Wayne Shorter. Small world. Forman left to play with Wayne Shorter, so Jim Beard entered the line-up in the Mid 80's, but his wholly synthesized arsenal phased out some of McLaughlin's synth colours. So, John picked up the Gibson Les Paul at large again, to many's delight. Two LPs, ~Mahavishnu~ with a few cameos by Katia, Zakir Hussain, and Hari Prasad Chaurasia, and ~Adventures In Radioland~ a genuine three course-meal of Synclavier stylings, satiating ~Les Paul~, and unbelievable nylon string on (~Florianapolis~). He acted a nonverbal part in Bernard Tavernier's motion Picture "Round Midnight" as a guitarist backing Dexter Gordon's composite character Dale Turner, in an all-star band. Shades of his first hearing Tal Farlow, on a recording of ~Autumn In New York~ as a teenager, McLaughlin comps that tune, during a moment of dissolution for Turner, who wanders away from the French nightclub. A fat "jazz" guitar served the electric tradition, here. A original Concerto, ~The Mediterranean~ occupied the re- located guitarist who translated differerent themes with the help of arranger Michael Gibbs, to travel widely and perform with some name Orchestras. Promoting that McLaughlin appeared on the Tonight Show blistering his classical guitar's nylon strings through a rendition of (Ray Noble's) ~Cherokee~ . No doubt as a nod to his American jazz roots, and the older musicians back in late 1950's England who made him play uptempo tunes, to lose him. Fat chance! Miles Davis had called McLaughlin to play on a couple recordings in the 80's, namely ~You're Under Arrest~, and ~Aura~. Zakir Hussain asked McLaughlin to play on an fine ECM LP, called ~Making Music~, with saxophonist Jan Garbarek, and flute virtuoso Hari Prasad Chaurasia. It is a unique quartet. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- JOHN McLAUGHLIN TRIO Giving the turn of the decade a new twist, John McLaughlin gathered a pair of new musical partners, one recent Berklee College graduate, bass guitarist Kai Eckhart, and an equally remarkable percussionist from India, Trilok Gurtu, whose unique blend of Western trap drums and various textural instruments allowed McLaughlin the expansion of surreal departures. Their 1989 JOHN McLAUGHLIN TRIO LIVE AT ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL~LP ushered out one of the last in that recording format from McLaughlin. His use of the Photon Guitar Synthesizer also gave a state-of- the-art transport between acoustic nylon string, and it's triggered electronic programmable timbres. American bass guitarist Jeff Berlin briefly replaced Eckhart. Then, French bass guitarist Dominique Di Piazza entered with a complete tableau of his own, evident on the studio-recorded album ~Que Alegria~ on a piece he called ~Marie~ . =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FREE SPIRITS Something, which I've suspected was a Hammond Organ-like texture in his Photon synthesizer pallete, gave McLaughlin a longing for the Bond, Fame and Auger periods and his Tony Wiilliams Lifetime adventures with Larry Young's imaginative manual/pedal work. Miles Davis introduced John McLaughln to Joey De Francesco, a member of the trumpeter's band and with customary verbal succintity gave his stamp of approval to that young keyboardist's talent which was Hammond-honed. McLaughlin summoned De Francesco and the amazing Dennis Chambers a drummer with wide funk and jazz experience, to form a new trio, THE FREE SPIRITS. It courted a less "fusiony" feel but their talents and spontaneity didn't know any bounds. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-- TIME REMEMBERED McLaughlin had recorded ~VERY EARLY~ a Bill Evans piece on ~Belo Horizonte~, and returned to the American pianist's music with a tribute album. Evans' impact on McLaughlin, from the start, with or without Miles Davis, might well have been equally as deep as the trumpeter's or John Coltrane's . McLaughlin noted to Robert Fripp once, in Musician Magazine, about how Evans' trio had played one night in a New York club and totally floored McLaughlin, and friend Dave Leibman who were listening in absolute wonder. McLaughlin eschewed piano for ~TIME REMEMBERED~, employing his student to help arrange a guitar quartet background, and play bass guitar on this set of Evans tunes (and one McLaughlin piece, over which McLaughlin performed the melodies and soloed. The Aighetta Quartet served as the core of this cornucopia of nylon string textures. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= AFTER THE RAIN =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Promise Where one can count on McLaughlin's whims and friendships to intersect, now, is in any evident combination of compositional possibility. ~The Promise~ came in with a number of guitar and musical recipes. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- GUITAR TRIO A valiant attempt to round out the partnership with Al Di Meola and Paco De Lucia one more time yielded a fine album, but certain personality clashes on tour led to it's "fin" for any further purpose. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE HEART OF THINGS Re-calling Dennis Chambers to the fold for a whomp'em stomp'em electric band, McLaughlin called on Jim Beard too, the fierce Gary Thomas on sax and a percussionist Victor Williams, ably supplimented by the amazing Matthew Garrison, son of Coltrane's chief bassist Jimmy Garrison, on electric bass guitar. =-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= REMEMBER SHAKTI I'd only scratch the surface. Again; see for a wonderful history of the ~Shakti~ and ~Remember Shakti~ groups. http://www.remembershakti.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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