Tag Archives: John McLaughlin

The Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame

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On November 3, 1971, “Columbia” label released “The Inner Mounting Flame”, the debut Mahavishnu Orchestra studio album. It was recorded in August 1971, at “CBS Studios” in New York City, and was produced by John McLaughlin.

Personnel:

  • John McLaughlin – guitar
  • Jan Hammer – keyboards, organ
  • Rick Laird – bass
  • Billy Cobham – drums, percussion
  • Jerry Goodman – violin
  • Don Puluse – engineer
  • Ron Coro – design
  • Anthony Hixon – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by John McLaughlin.

  1. Meeting of the Spirits
  2. Dawn
  3. The Noonward Race
  4. A Lotus on Irish Streams
  5. Vital Transformation
  6. The Dance of Maya
  7. You Know You Know
  8. Awakening

Danny Thompson

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On September 23, 2025, Daniel Henry Edward Thompson aka Danny Thompson died aged 86. He was musician (upright bass, tea chest bass), songwriter and record producer, member of Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, led a trio that included John McLaughlin, but was best known as member of Pentangle and long – time collaborator with John Martyn. During his long musical career he recorded and played with a large variety of other musicians, including Richard Thompson, Kate Bush, Tim Buckley, ABC, Skin, Ayuo, Richard Barbieri, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Sam Brown, Graham Coxon, Donovan, Christine Collister, Barbara Dickson, Bick Drake, Everything but the Girl, Marianne Faithfull, Peter Gabriel, Davey Graham, Mara!, Linda Lewis, Mike Landup, Magna Carta, The Chris McGregor Septet, Loreena McKennitt, Ralph McTell, Alison Moyet, Cliff Richard, Dizrhythmia, David Sylvian, Duffy Power, Deva Premal, Andrew Ridgeley, Talk Talk, Loudon Wainwright III, Se. E. Rogie, Darell Scott, Songhai, Vivian Stanshall, Eric Bibb & North Country Far, Hunter Muskett, Mary Hopkin, John Stevens, Alan Holdsworth, Bert Jansch, David Wharnsby, Boo Hewerdine, Tasmin Archer, The Incredible String Band, T. Rex and Rod Stewart. As leader Thompson released seven albums.

John McLaughlin: Liberation Time

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On July 16, 2021, “Abstract Logix” label released “Liberation Time”, the 20th John McLaughlin album. It was recorded 2020 – 2021, in Monaco, Paris, London, Los Angeles and Cairo, and was produced by John McLaughlin.

Personnel:

  1. John McLaughlin – guitar, piano
  2. Julian Siegel – tenor saxophone
  3. Gary Husband – keyboards, drums
  4. Oz Ezzeldin – piano
  5. Roger Rossignol – piano
  6. Sam Burgess – bass
  7. Etienne Mbappe – bass
  8. Jérôme Regard – bass
  9. Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
  10. Jean-Michel Aublette – drums, bass
  11. Ranjit Barot – drums, Konokol vocals
  12. Nicolas Viccaro – drums

Track listing:

  1. As the Spirit Sings – Sam Burgess, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Husband, John McLaughlin
  2. Singing Our Secrets – Jean Michel Aublette, John McLaughlin, Roger Rossignol
  3. Lockdown Blues – Ranjit Barot, Gary Husband, Etienne Mbappe, John McLaughlin
  4. Mila repa – John McLaughlin
  5. Right Here, Right Now, Right On – Osam Exeldin, John McLaughlin, Jerome Regard, Julian Siegal, Nicolas Viccaro
  6. Shade of Blue – John McLaughlin
  7. Liberation Time – Sam Burgess, Gary Husband, John McLaughlin

Zakir Hussain

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On December 15, 2024, Ustad Zakir Hussain died aged 73. He was musician (tabla, percussion), composer, music producer and film actor, considered as one of the greatest tabla players of all time.Hussain recorded and performed with number of famous musicians, among the others with John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, Mickey Hart, Ravi Shankar, Bill Laswell, Shankar Lakshminarayana, Pat Martino, Shakti, John Handy, Pharaoh Sanders, Ali Akbar Khan and Charles Lloyd. For his work he was awarded the “Govt of India’s Sangeet Natak Akademi Award “, “Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship”, “Ratna Sadsya”, and the “United States National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship”. Hussain won four “Grammy Awards”.

Mahavishnu Orchestra: Between Nothingness & Eternity

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On November 16, 1973, “Columbia” label released “Between Nothingness & Eternity”, the first Mahavishnu Orchestra live album. It was recorded in August 1973, at the “Schaefer Music Festival” in Central Park, New York, and was produced by Murray Krugman and John McLaughlin.

Personnel:

  • John McLaughlin – guitar
  • Jan Hammer – keyboards
  • Jerry Goodman – violin
  • Rick Laird – bass
  • Billy Cobham – percussion

Track listing:

  1. Trilogy: Sunlit Path/La Mere de la Mer/Tomorrow’s Story Not the Same – John McLauglin
  2. Sister Andrea – Jam Hammer
  3. Dream – John McLaughlin

Miles Davis: Aura

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On September 12, 1989, “Columbia” label released “Aura”, album by Miles Davis. It was recorded January – February 1985, at “Easy Sound Studio” in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was produced by Palle Mikkelborg. This was Miles Davis’s final album released in his lifetime.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis – trumpet
  • Bent Jædig, Flemming Madsen, Jesper Thilo, Per Carsten, Uffe Karskov – saxophones, woodwinds
  • Benny Rosenfeld, Idrees Sulieman, Jens Winther, Palle Bolvig, Perry Knudsen, Palle Mikkelborg – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Jens Engel, Ture Larsen, Vincent Nilsson – trombone
  • Ole Kurt Jensen – bass trombone
  • Axel Windfeld – bass trombone, tuba
  • Niels Eje – oboe, English horn
  • Bjarne Roupé, John McLaughlin – guitar
  • Kenneth Knudsen, Ole Kock Hansen, Thomas Clausen – keyboards
  • Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen – bass
  • Bo Stief – Fender bass, fretless bass
  • Lennart Gruvstedt – drums
  • Vincent Wilburn Jr. – electronic drums
  • Ethan Weisgaard, Marilyn Mazur – percussion
  • Lillian Thornquist – harp
  • Eva Hess-Thaysen – vocals
  • Palle Mikkelborg – arrangements
  • Henrik Lund, Niels Erik Land – engineer
  • Stacy Drummond – art direction
  • Gilles Larrain – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Palle Mikkelborg

  1. Intro
  2. White
  3. Yellow
  4. Orange
  5. Red
  6. Green
  7. Blue
  8. Electric Red
  9. Indigo
  10. Violet

Don Sebeski: Giant Box

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In July 1973, “CTI” label released “Giant Box”, the third Don Sebeski album. It was recorded April – May 1973, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Don Sebesky – electric piano, organ, clavinet, accordion, arrangements, conductor
  • Jackie Cain, Roy Kral – vocals
  • Lani Groves, Carl Caldwell, Tasha Thomas – vocals
  • Hubert Laws – soprano saxophone, flute
  • Joe Farrell – soprano saxophone
  • Romeo Penque – soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn
  • Grover Washington, Jr. – alto saxophone
  • Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
  • Phil Bodner – soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute, piccolo
  • George Marge – soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe, English horn
  • Walt Levinsky – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Randy Brecker, Alan Rubin, Joe Shepley – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Garnett Brown – trombone
  • Wayne Andre, Warren Covington – trombone, baritone horn
  • Paul Faulise, Alan Raph – bass trombone, baritone horn
  • Jim Buffington, Earl Chapin – French horn
  • Tony Price – tuba
  • Dave Friedman, Phil Kraus, Ralph MacDonald, Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Alfred Brown, Harry Cykman, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Elliot Rosoff, Irving Spice – violin
  • Seymour Barab, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Alan Shulman – cello
  • Margaret Ross – harp
  • George Benson – electric guitar
  • Bob James – organ
  • Ron Carter – bass, electric bass, piccolo bass
  • Homer Mensch – bass
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Jack DeJohnette – drums
  • Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Rubens Bassini – conga
  • Milt Jackson – vibraphone
  • Bob Ciano – design

Track listing:

 All tracks, by Don Sebesky, except where noted.

  1. Firebird/Birds of Fire – Igor Stravinsky, John McLaughlin
  2. Song to a Seagull – Joni Mitchell
  3. Free as a Bird
  4. Psalm 150 – Jimmy Webb
  5. Vocalise – Sergei Rachmaninoff
  6. Fly/Circles
  7. Semi-Tough

Miles Davis: Live-Evil

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On November 17, 1971, “Columbia” label released “Live-Evil”, album of live and studio recordings by Miles Davis. It was recorded February – June 1970, at “Columbia Studio B” in New York City, December 1970, at “The Cellar Door” in Washington, D.C., and was produced by Teo Macero.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis – trumpet, electric trumpet with wah-wah
  • Herbie Hancock – electric piano
  • Chick Corea – electric piano
  • Keith Jarrett – electric piano, organ
  • Joe Zawinul – electric piano
  • Khalil Balakrishna – electric sitar
  • Gary Bartz – soprano and alto saxophone
  • Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone
  • Steve Grossman – soprano saxophone
  • John McLaughlin – electric guitar
  • Dave Holland – acoustic and electric bass
  • Ron Carter – acoustic bass
  • Michael Henderson – electric bass
  • Hermeto Pascoal – vocals, voice, drums, electric piano, whistling 
  • Jack DeJohnette – drums
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Airto Moreira – percussion

Track listing:

  1. Sivad – Miles Davis
  2. Little Church – Hermeto Pascoal
  3. Medley: Gemini/Double Image – Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul
  4. What I Say – Miles Davis
  5. Nem Um Talvez – Hermeto Pascoal
  6. Selim – Hermeto Pascoal
  7. Funky Tonk – Miles Davis
  8. Inamorata and Narration by Conrad Roberts – Miles Davis

John Marshall

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On September 16, 2023, John Stanley Marshall died aged 82. He was musician (drums, percussion), member of Soft Machine, but was best known as founding member of Nucleus. He recorded and performed with various musician and bands including Arthur Brown, Allan Holdsworth, J.J. Jackson, Barney Kessel, Alexis Korner, Eberhard Weber, Arild Andersen, John Abercrombie, Charlie Mariano, John Surman, Graham Collier, Michael Gibbs, Keith Tippett, Centipede, Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin, Dick Morrissey, Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Vassilis Tsabropoulos, Michael Garrick, Neil Ardley, Mike Westbrook, Georgie Game, Indo-Jazz Fusions, Bill Fay, Mike d’Abo, Chris Spedding, Top Topham, Chitinous Ensemble, Linda Hoyle, Spontaneous Music Orchestra, Volker Kriege, John Williams, Pork Pie, Jasper van’t Hof, Alan Skidmore, Gil Evans, Uli Beckerhoff, Towering Inferno, Wolfgang Mirbach, Theo Travis and Rot Powell.

Miles Davis: Jack Johnson

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On February 24, 1971, “Columbia” label released “Jack Johnson”, the 39th Miles Davis album. It was recorded February – April 1970, at “30th Street” in New York City, and was produced by Teo Macero.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis – trumpet
  • Steve Grossman – soprano saxophone
  • Bennie Maupin – bass clarinet
  • John McLaughlin – electric guitar
  • Sonny Sharrock – electric guitar
  • Herbie Hancock – organ
  • Chick Corea – electric piano
  • Dave Holland – electric bass
  • Michael Henderson – electric bass
  • Jack DeJohnette – drums
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Brock Peters – narration
  • Teo Macero – conduction of “unknown orchestra”
  • Stan Tonkel – engineering

Track listing:

All tracks by Miles Davis.

  1. Right Off
  2. Yesternow