First, I have to introduce myself (I'm a new user in this list):
Francesco, 41, from Italy -not a musician, (I have a piano in my house,
sometimes I abuse it - but I can read music). Sorry for my bad english.

 
I'm very happy to say something about Live at Royal Festival Hall. In
"one word": beautiful. There aren't long and flaming solos, there's a
more "global" approach, there is a research on sound. LaRFH is a further
demonstration of what a many-sided musician JML is: sometimes it sounds
like an Egberto Gismonti concert (and this is a big compliment).
In my opinion, the finest tune is "Mother tongues", not only for the long
"percussion & devices" solo by Trilok Gurtu -and inside this solo, not
only for Gurtu's performance: I think the simple two-chords accompaniment
is a demonstration of deep musical taste. I don't know if Trilok Gurtu is
a "genius", I only know that he did something ingenious in this tune,
playing with water, voice, assorted percussions and...silence. I think
only great musicians (like Webern or Varèse, for instance) are able to
incorporate silence in music. About JML: it's hardly a "guitar solo" -it
reminds me his work in "Jack Johnson", same taste (great taste, I love
this sound).
Please, listen to the bass-and-guitar chord at the end of the tune: what
a perfect conclusion! Only silence could follow...
It seems to me that the harmonic sequence of the tune is similar to
"Electric dreams - electric sighs" (what do you think?).

 
Among the other tunes, "Florianopolis" and "Blue in green" are less deep,
but lovely pieces. It's some kind of "art-easy listening". You can listen
to it seriously -you will find something musically serious- or you can
listen while doing something else, it will be delightful just the same.
What a pity this trio made only one recording

 
Thanks to everybody for the posts.        Francesco 
----- Original Message -----
From: Walter Kolosky
To: one-word JM mail list
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2002 4:22 PM
Subject: [OW] JMMP # 3 Walter reaches into the hat....

....and chooses....
 
 
John McLaughlin Trio LIVE AT ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL
 
Dig it out, buy it, borrow it...listen to it...talk about it.
 
Regards,
 
Walter
 
 



From alexoneword@hotmail.com Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 17:29:23 +0000
From: Alex B
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
Subject: Re: R: [OW] JMMP # 3 Walter reaches into the hat....


John McLaughlin Trio LIVE AT ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL

During the first 20 years of his world-celebrated career, JM had issued a
surprisingly small number of live albums. His first live recording was
"Between Nothingness And Eternity" (1973), followed by his second one
("Shakti", 1975). After that, we had to wait for 14 long years to hear him
lead a group in a live setting (I'm skipping "Friday Night In San Francisco"
because it wasn't really JM's live album, as he was sharing the centerstage
with Al and Paco).

As a representative of what JM can do in a live setting, this album is good.
It gets to be very satisfying to hear JM really stretch in a prolonged
soloing, because that's his specialty. Never a master of understatement, JM
always needed ample space to stretch out and to flounder his acrobatics. On
this recording, he is in a superb mechanical form; all the joints are
obviously well oiled and lubed, and he is playing like a hot damn. Also,
sparks do fly, but not as often as one would expect from such a master
technician.

It is the choice of the musical material that disappoints here. The overly
new agey, easy listening soft jazz, mixed with watered-down shades of world
beat, makes for a bland listening experience. JM's solos are great, but the
backdrop sucks. I can almost hear the possibility of transplanting those
fiery solos into a more appropriate context, and then all hell may break
loose. But as it stands now, the recording is quite unengaging.

The only exception to that is "Pasha's Love". That tune kicks every
available ass. I remember how, for the longest time, I thought that the
information that this piece was Trilok's composition must have surely been a
misprint. I was convinced that it was JM's own composition, and that Trilok
got somehow miscredited for it. That is, until I've realized what a killer
composer Gurtu really is (by discovering his fabulous solo albums -- highly
recommended).

The opening of the album is entirely forgettable. The hotel lounge version
of "Blue In Green" is absolutely scandalous, and if I were JM I would seek
legal action to destroy that compromising piece of evidence. Quite possibly
one of the worst things JM ever did. The next track, "Jozy", isn't any
better. Lose that cheesy synth, Johnny!

Following that, the band shows some signs of being warmed up.
"Florianapolis" features some of the JM's best guitar work in the eighties.
Parts of it (especially fragments at the beginning) are actually quite
phenomenal. So much musicality, so much verve (pun is definitely not
intended here). Why can't he always play like that?

Flip to the B side, and get ready to be steamrollered by "Pasha's Love".
Man, what a composition! Damn!

A prolonged jam that "Mother Tongues" turned out to be, leaves me in an
undetermined state. The opening is just fabulous. But then everything falls
apart. Slowly and tentatively, the pieces get sewn back together, and Gurtu
gives a very tasteful, prolonged meditation on assorted percussion. The vibe
is deep, this certainly isn't easy listening anymore.

I've never actually heard "Blues For LW" live (cause I never bothered to
spend extra bucks on a CD, having quite a low opinion of this album). Is it
any good?

Overall, a satisfying album if you don't mind the soft jazz/world beat phony
vibe (but I do). There are gold nuggets for us to dig in there. But, skip
first two tracks -- they are an abomination to music.

Rating: **1/2 ("Pasha's Love" and JM's soloing being the saving grace;
otherwise, barely *1/2)

Reviewed on audio cassette (the sound is quite lousy, possibly due to the
limitations of the carrier)

Alex



From elmetti@libero.it Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 22:31:04 +0200
From: Francesco Mataloni
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
Subject: R: R: [OW] JMMP # 3 Walter reaches into the hat....



Alex B wrote:


> (about "Live at RFHall")
.
>
> It is the choice of the musical material that disappoints here. The overly
> new agey, easy listening soft jazz, mixed with watered-down shades of
world
> beat, makes for a bland listening experience
>
> The opening of the album is entirely forgettable. The hotel lounge version
> of "Blue In Green" is absolutely scandalous, and if I were JM I would seek
> legal action to destroy that compromising piece of evidence. Quite
possibly
> one of the worst things JM ever did. The next track, "Jozy", isn't any
> better. Lose that cheesy synth, Johnny!
> >
> Overall, a satisfying album if you don't mind the soft jazz/world beat
phony
> vibe (but I do). There are gold nuggets for us to dig in there. But, skip
> first two tracks -- they are an abomination to music.
>
> Rating: **1/2 ("Pasha's Love" and JM's soloing being the saving grace;
> otherwise, barely *1/2)

What can I say? "De gustibus non est disputandum"

Francesco





From munrostuart@hotmail.com Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 09:07:45 -0700
From: Stuart Munro
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP # 3 - Live at Royal Festival Hall


Damn..but I'm glad the subject of Joe Pass came up the other day. All the
personal anecdotes have been such a treat to read.

>What can I say? "De gustibus non est disputandum," Francesco.

Your English is improving all the time Francesco. ;-)

Live at the Festival Hall. I love this record.

Blue in Green...having still never heard the big band original by Miles, I
was immediately taken with the light chord cluster that JM plays for the
theme. The opening sequence, the cyclic chord cluster of the theme, the
ascending run that starts the solo, and the solo itself..all gorgeous. That
ascending run is a wonderful way to begin a solo, and JM proceeds to take us
on yet another spectacular journey. The Nylon string guitar surely found
some new horizons in the hands of JM.

Jozy...I still melt when I hear this tribute track.

Florianapolis...there is such an exuberance and joy running throughout this
album. I find it very inspirational. It's a soft sounding record, perhaps
influenced in some way by Brazilian jazz. It draws the listener into the
subtleties that these players created. It seems that they were after a
natural sounding result and they got it down very well. I love the room
sound...one can almost feel the atmosphere in the room when the music
switches to a quiet passage.

will get to (the B side) maybe later.....

stuart.

ps: as Nick has already stated...Band in a Box is a great learning tool. It
don't talk back, it's always available, it's free, and it delivers any
amount of music lessons in many styles. www.wholenote.com is also an
interesting place for on-line study. Click on lessons, click Jazz, and off
ya go.



>...changing the header for clarity...





From smsi@attbi.com Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 11:54:40 -0400
From: Walter Kolosky
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: one-word JM mail list
Subject: [OW] JMMP#3 - Live at Royal Festival Hall


Scene set:
 
    There had been no real John McLaughlin record for 5 years.  RFH was
released by JMT at the same time Columbia released The Concerto.  If my
memory serves me correctly, RFH was the first recording of John's since
he had nearly severed his finger.  (The Concerto had been actually been
recorded prior to the injury).  (Please someone correct me if I am
wrong).  I liked DiPiazza on bass better than Ekhardt.  (Not that I
disliked Kai).
 
    RFH is an interesting and pleasurable listen.  Although I surely
enjoy the opening cut, Blue n'Green, it does seem out of place somewhat
among the other compositions.  I also am not a great fan of Jozy played
at the slow tempo as featured on RFH.  However, from there, the vibe
takes off and I even find myself reacting favorably to Blues for L.W.
which IMHO, John has played to death too many times in concert.  (I
especially love the finale with the guitar synth switched to Hammond
Organ mode) !
 
    There is truly some intricate playing on RFH and the interplay
between JM and Gurtu is phenomenal.  I know that one particular list
member, Anant, has no use for Gurtu at all.  But, I don't view him as an
Indian percussionist as does Anant.  Rather I view him as a jazz
percussionist who has many bags.  I absolutely love the guy's playing. 
Eckhardt carries much of the melody work with his fretless bass.  This
gives the album a bit of the taste of the Belo Horizonte European sound
which is pleasing.  From time to time however, it wears, and you long for
some strong guitar attacks.  There are plenty of those on RFH, but they
do tend to be more of a rhythmic nature as opposed to the follow-up Que
Allegria.  Was this because of the finger?  I don't know.
 
    The fact that both RFH and the Concerto came out at the same time,
reaffirmed JM's stature as one of the greatest and most diverse of our
artists.  You could not find two albums so different.  This listener was
very pleased to see John had a new recording contract, even if it was
with some record company I had never heard of!
 
 
    The bottom-line is that RFH was a comeback album for John and gave
indications of where he was going to go.  It was great to hear the man
again and I was excited about his future output.
 
Asides:
 
I saw the Trio with Jonas, Kai and Dominique.  The shows with Jonas and
Kai were enjoyable.  I saw a short set at the Playboy Jazz Festival with
Dominique which was ruined by crowd indifference.  The next night I saw
the Trio again and it ranks in my top 3 all-time JM concerts.  It was
absolutely thrilling.  I would have seen this band, w/Dominique,  a third
time, except the show got canceled due to the Rodney King Los Angeles
riots!  (I lived in CA at that time).  What a bummer that was!


From munrostuart@hotmail.com Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 10:41:18 -0700
From: Stuart Munro
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP # 3 - Live at Royal Festival Hall


side B. re Live at the Royal Festival Hall....it's not like it ALL hasn't
been already said. I bought L@RFH after seeing The Trio w/DiPiazza. The set
JM played on that occasion was pretty much what went into Que Alegria. It
had been 15 years since I had seen JM play live. The theatre was almost full
with a very a attentive audience. Front row center...the best place to be in
the entire Western Hemisphere! So I caught the Trio quite near to the
conclusion of its development. I knew that he'd had a narrow escape from
tragedy (the finger slicing accident). I'd read JMs edited account of the
episode in Jazz Times, and I was fucking horrified. The list will excuse my
usage just this once. It's interesting that such accidents seem to leave the
victim with increased resolve, even physical improvement! In JM's case, both
hands displayed the usual whirlwind of activity.

Re Pasha's Love and Mother Tongues: I listened to these two cuts three times
in succession. What a start to the day! I enjoy the progression through
Spanish, funk, fusion, and back again. Pasha's Love never settles into any
particular mode for much more than a passing glance. Instead, it's a
wonderful fast track tour of these various influences. Over the years, my
memories of that Trio concert have merged with the L@RFH recording, a
snapshot of the evolving band. In Trilok, JM had once again found a virtuoso
player who was equipped to create a multi-facetted backdrop of sounds, and
switch playing modes seamlessly. He brought yet another artful dimension to
JMs musical journey. Trilok's obvious humor was much appreciated by myself.
JM incorporated the synth in such a beautiful way. To my ears, the
incredibly responsive Wechter instrument lent itself well to tone
generation, arpegiation, and the layering process.

someone? wrote:
>This is something I've wanted to ask this group for some time now. What do
>you think of using a pick on a nylon string guitar? I must admit I'm a
>little conflicted. On the one hand, it certainly >works for most of
> >JMcL's recordings and given his talent he can still >fly around the
>fretboard even >with the constraints of a wider neck >and deeper frets.
>The effects change the >sound somewhat also. But >the purest in me thinks
>that only fingers should touch >a nylon >string.

This subject is ages old. To me, re JM's right hand, his playing says it
all. There are no rules that say a nylon strung guitar must he played with
only the fingers. Pure Flamenco playing of course has an entirely different
set of disciplines. I love the album "Calima," by Gerardo Nunez.

I played nylon only for five years, using a nylon pick that I would
sometimes palm. I never learned Flamenco. In general, I figure that nylon
produces a different language from the guitar: the same passages played on
nylon as opposed to steel can produce an entirely different effect. JM stuck
with nylon for around 16 years I think, more than enough time for him to
brilliantly express an incredible array of ideas.

stuart.

ps - once when in a hurry to finish a carpentry job I hit my left index
finger (instead of the nail) with a hammer. I was booked to play that night.
I put a wooden splint on the finger, taped it solid, and played with three
fingers. It hurt like all hell, but it produced some interesting chord
voicings ;-) just gotta keep playing...


From mstaskau@qualcomm.com Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 10:04:09 -0700
From: Mark Staskauskas
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP # 3 - Live at Royal Festival Hall


When I think of this record, Florianopolis is the one tune that stands
out. I love the wonderfully joyous intro and the first few chords of the
melody, and the reprise of these opening chords later in the tune, around
the 7-minute mark. As others have noted, John's playing here reminds me a
lot of the Belo Horizonte/Music Spoken Here period (Belo Horizonte and
Florianopolis are both cities in Brazil--as a huge Brazilian music fan,
I've often wondered what John's Brazilian travels/influences might be).

With all the live-vs-studio discussion surrounding the Lost Trident
Sessions, it's interesting to compare the tunes on RFH to their studio
versions on other JM records. The RFH rendition of Blue in Green is
pleasant enough, but somehow doesn't really fit the mood of the piece
(while the version on My Goal's Beyond captures it perfectly). Similarly,
Blues for L.W. oddly juxtaposes a melancholy opening section with a more
playful and upbeat conclusion. Maybe the latter was John's way of
celebrating the release of Lech Walesa from captivity, but musically these
two parts are strange bedfellows.

Hearing John do the band introductions on RFH reminded me of how much
his persona has changed over the years. I remember during the MO1 days how
soft-spoken and mild-mannered he seemed, which I always found such a
strange contrast to the music itself, at times so loud and angry. But it's
a very different John you hear speaking on RFH, with his curiously
hard-to-place accent and his voice ringing out with confidence.

I remember listening to RFH while driving the bleak terrain between
Austin, TX and Phoenix, AZ on my way to a summer job. I was also playing
Joni Mitchell's Hejira a lot--the perfect road trip album.

All in all, this is probably my favorite JM record of the 90's.

Stas



From rasibley@concentric.net Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 14:49:04 +0900
From: Rod Sibley
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
Subject: [OW] JMMP #3 - "LRFH"


Hey Gang.

I was working on this before I took ill. It was about %90 done, and
that's the way I'm turning it in. I currently just don't have the energy to
complete it. But the main points are covered. Please excuse any here
grammar and speyling erors - ras


JMcL TRIO: LIVE AT THE ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL

Maaaan, I haven't heard this one in a looong time. And it's one of the few
JMcL's that I actually haven't committed to memory. I don't know why I
don't listen to this more often. This is an extremely underrated CD. It
really falls into the category of "lost classic". Hats off, again, to
Walter for the JMMP for allowing this one to be rediscovered.

The first thing that comes to my mind about this CD is the cover photo. I
had the great pleasure of going to London in Sept.'97 to see Remember
Shakti at the RFH in celebration of India's 50th year of Independence. This
was the tour that produced the first RS CD. I had the honor of meeting
OWer's Graham Crawford, Joe Nichols, Thorleif Hoff; and his Most Cool Dad
(my adopted Father) Dr. Thorleif Hoff. We got together for dinner after the
concert; and we crossed a bridge that had the same vantage point as the CD
photo. Thorleif said, "Gee, where have I seen this picture before?" The
photo doesn't do justice to the actual scene.

The second thing is I saw the JMcL Trio in Detroit before this CD was
released; afternoon and evening shows. Jonas Hellborg was on bass (who
replaced Jeff Berlin), and I was expecting him to be on the CD. I was
surprised to see Eckhardt's name. Although I'd seen Eckhardt play with
Billy Cobham and think that he is a solid player, I think he's a little too
"Jaco-ish". This CD competes with the memory of that concert.

'Blue In Green' - I know that I have a tendency to live in the past, but
doing this one at a slower tempo like the "MGB" version would have been
more to my liking. 'Blue In Green' just isn't an "up" type of song. But I
give John points for trying. I like John's chord work. And his lead work is
very expressive. The whole CD sounds like they caught him on a good night.
Trilok is a nice accompianist; he has great ears. If you didn't know, you'd
swear he was playing a kit instead of crouching amongst the percussion. I
wish John's solo was longer, but that's just a minor desire on my part.

I was a little curious about the song selection: 'Mother Tongues' is the
only new JMcL original. Four of them are from John's Synclavier period. I
wonder whether John was thinking that the tunes were never given their due
from that period? Did he want to play them because of the synth parts? Was
this the only material the Trio had to work with at that time?

'Just Ideas'- Starts out more serenely than the version on "AIR". I think
the acoustics of the RFH lends the tune a more "organic" type of silence
than a studio does. This of course segues into...

'Jozy' - Oddly enough, it seems as though the Photon guitar synth allows
John more freedom than the Synclavier. As if to say, "I don't have to worry
about my $100,000-plus toy blowing a hard drive while I'm doing my best to
not have it sound like a guitar. With this Photon-thingie, I can
concentrate more on playing rather than whether it's going to work, let's
make some noise!" Again, Trilok's snare and cymbal work really drive the
tune.

'Florianapolis' - Another tune from "AIR"; and I like this version better.
The trio format definitely gives John more room to explore and stretch out,
rather than having to compete with more instrumentation. And the extra
space is sort of a relief; you don't feel as though you're being bombarded.
This track wanders a little in the middle section, but it gets back on
track. Trilok eats up the funky section toward the end.

'Pasha's Love' - I like this one, but it is a little bit longer than it
needs to be. The good parts are spread out among too much noodling. It
could have been a little more compact.

'Mother Tongues'- I forget sometimes that this CD has the first recorded
version of this song. Again, the stripped down arrangement and the trio
format opens up the track. Eckhardt's solo, while adequate, doesn't do
anything for me; the memory of seeing Hellborg play this pushes it aside.
But on the plus side, the memory of the concert helps in recalling just how
Trilok creates all of those sounds that he makes.

'Blues For L.W.' - A track from the "Music Spoken Here" CD.

As I've been typing this, I still can't figure out why I don't listen to
this disc more often. There really isn't anything not to like about this
CD. The sound and mix are great, the playing is solid. I think this CD just
gets lost in the shuffle of having other JMcL music to compete with. Like
you always want to drive the Ferrari first, rather than the Corvette. Don't
make the same mistake I've made.

atb,

r



From elmetti@libero.it Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 09:54:55 +0200
From: Francesco Mataloni
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
Subject: R: [OW] JMMP #3 - "LRFH"


Hi Rod,
I hope you'll be fine soon

Good review of yours, but I don't agree about "Pasha's Love"; seems to me
the length of the piece is proper, because the theme itself is long and
quite complex (it's rather made of 3 "themes"; actually it's a composition
s.l.). Maybe the introduction "theme" is too lengthy -too many repetitions.
As Stuart says << Pasha's Love never settles into any particular mode for
much more than a passing glance>>. Is that a quality or a defect? Depends on
"how" you make it. In "Pasha's" I think it works.
(Unfortunately, the following piece is "Mother Tongues", which, in my
opinion, obscures "Pasha's").

Alex, in his quiet and unbiassed style, said Jozy is "an abomination to
music". I don't agree. What do I like in this piece?
1) the slow transition from the elegiac "Just Ideas" to the following bluesy
mood
2) the intervals that form the melody

On the other hand, Gurtu's drumming is too "heavy".

best
Francesco.


From aiq@ureach.com Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2002 14:17:11 -0400
From: John McCook
To: oneword
Subject: [OW] #3


loaned my copy of this so i'll respond generically rather than
with a track by track critique. as i have mentioned (several
f****** times) i went through a long period, '86-'93, of
nothing but bluegrass and new acoustic (grisman, etc). was in
the record shop and came across JMT live. weirdly, i was kind
of surprised in the "mclaughlin's still around?" sort of way.
i loved the album and listened to it non-stop. found pages of
fire and got on this list after that. so RAH was my
second "first" JM recording. i began tracking down the
recordings i had missed and haven't missed any since.

RAH was true the the JM ethos, fusion. it reached out to jazz,
had world elements, and featured rock/blues motifs w/improv.
only thing missing was the les paul :^).

reminds me i gotta call andy and get my album back!!!


From Kenny.Haughan@vships.com Wed May 1 17:00:26 2002
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 17:08:00 +0100
From: "Haughan, Kenny"
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk
To: "'one-word@cs.cf.ac.uk'"
Subject: RE: [OW] JMMP # 3 - One day left- Royal Festival Hall


Howdy,

I saw RFH trio in Glasgow and the concert was an incredible experience.
Mainly due to the fact I had not seen JM for a few years and had huge
expectations. TG added his unique thing to the evening, and I know by the
audience reaction, that he had just won over a lot of future listeners. He
was mighty impressive and came over as an immense talent. I feel the visual
experience enhanced his performance and I am able to reflect on my visual
memory when listening to the music recording. My first reaction was that the
music was very rhythmic, funky, very tightly knit and rehearsed. The quality
of the solo playing by all three players was stunning.
Listening to the recording, I appreciate the amazing balance achieved on the
recoding of the instruments which puts the listener at ease to enjoy the
individual offerings.
Florianapolis has become one of my favourite JM tracks. So much music
crammed into one piece.
The structure of the music is both original and enthralling. JM is a magical
composer/arranger.
Much gypsy influence in the music and JM`s playing and I find totally
fulfilling. I don`t even notice his playing is fast, it`s just right.
As with other JM bands,I am astounded by the absolute certainty of the
musical structure,totally rehearsed and together, without stifling the
improvised passages.There`s absolutely no place to hide for the musicians in
this music, but it`s not required as the playing is absolute and free
spirited.
Sorry it`s a rush, I play this album loads. I do skip through the long
harmonic,atmospheric, timpani bit on the album, but time is of the essence
when you have three weans.

-----Original Message-----
From: Walter Kolosky [mailto:smsi@attbi.com]
Sent: 30 April 2002 16:01
To: one-word JM mail list
Subject: [OW] JMMP # 3 - One day left- Royal Festival Hall



There is one day left to discuss Live At Royal Festival Hall. If you have
not commented yet and want to, please do so now. Repeat posters also
welcome.

Regards,

Walter