Jazz fusion to the core
This album released on the 20th June of 2005 has more or less left me speechless. That is not because I actually think that is an amazing album or anything, but more to do with the fact that when it comes to progressive jazz and fusion guitar music, I really do not have a clue what I am talking about. So I shall offer you my very limited understanding of what I believe this CD is about.
From what I understand, this album is reputedly an all star/super group in the world of fusion guitar, and it serves as a tribute to a musician called John McLaughlin. McLaughlin was part of a ground breaking fusion group named the Mahavishnu Orchestra. This group led the way for others and established the format for this kind of music. Fans of McLaughlin admired his technical abilities on the guitar, his bold compositions and his talent to combine instruments including the guitar, keyboard and violin.
The CD is arranged and produced by a man named Jeff Richman, who was also responsible for putting the band members together. Richman himself plays guitar; the drums are played by Vinnie Colaiuta, bass by Kai Eckhardt, Mitch Foreman on keyboards and Jerry Goodman on the violin. These latter three band members actually performed in McLaughlin's band at some point during his career and the album brings these band members together with various other jazz/fusion guitarists. These guitarists include the likes of Warren Haynes, Steve Morse, Jimmy Herring, Mike Stern, John Abercrombie, Greg Howe, Dave Fiuczynski, Frank Gamble and Steve Lukather.
As for the music itself, I could not really tell if it was good or not, but it is certainly different. I would advise metallers to stay away however, as this is probably not your cup of tea, unless you are familiar with the genre. Some of you may think it is an interesting arrangement of guitar jazz; others of you may just think it would make good elevator music. It is not to my personal taste, but then again if we all liked the same type of music the world would not be a very exciting place. Apparently all these musicians do have a massive fan base so it is sure to please most followers of fusion guitar. Some of the components that make up this album include chordal harmonies, odd time signatures and a large number of guitar solos.
I apologise if I have offended any jazz-fusion fans with my limited knowledge and ignorance, but hopefully you won't be so furious as to chuck bricks through my window or knock me down in the street. Thanks.