Mahavishnu Orchestra - I Love Contemporary Jazz (1986) + Bonus Track

(U.S 1971–1976, 1984–1987)

If the seventies fell flat by its middle years, it was at least ushered in with dynamic promise as evidenced by the music of John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. They were a fire which was sparked by Miles Davis and kindled by the Tony Williams Lifetime.

By the time guitarist John McLaughlin emigrated from England to the United States, he had already become accomplished in the areas of r&b, blues, and rock and roll. He had worked with Georgie Fame and the late Graham Bond in his ground-breaking blues-rock organization. He explored avant-garde jazz with bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist John Surman, and he played rock and roll with Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton.

John McLaughlin

When, in 1969, drummer Tony Williams sent for John Mclaughlin, it was to realize his vision for a musical unit that fused rock and jazz. With McLaughlin and organist Larry Young, The Tony Williams Lifetime created and defined what came to be known as fusion. While exploring jazz-rock with The Lifetime, McLaughlin was also probing a more spatial, rhythmic kind of fusion with Miles Davis on his albums, 'In A Silent Way' and 'Bitches Brew'.

By 1971, McLaughlin, like any creative artist, was ready to shape his own ensemble and through his guru, Sri Chinmay, he took on the name of Mahavishnu and sought the best musicians to carry out his mission of creating a group that would mold all the elements fom his musical past and give birth to a new form of expression - The Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Band Members 1971 - 1973

He hired Rick Laird, a soft, spatial jazz-oriented bassist from Ireland and Jan Hammer, an evolving keyboardist from Czechoslovakia. Jerry Goodman, the young violinist from Chicago, was already incorporating jazz into his rock-based group, 'The Flock', and drummer Billy Cobham - through his work with Horace Silver, his own group 'Dreams', and recording with Miles - had the funkiness, the jazziness and the power. 

Albums 1971 - 1975

As evidenced by this collection which includes selections from their three albums, 'The Inner Mounting Flame', 'Birds af Fire' and 'Between Nothingness and Eternity', The Mahavishnu Orchestra created a sound that went inside your gut and turned it around. Despite your religious convictions or lack thereof, the music, McLaughlin's double barrel guitar, Hammer's overwhelming creations on the synthesizer and Cobham's driving and soul-gripping solos were spiritual and represented musical evalution on the highest order.

Band Members 1975

The closeness and intensity of a group of this kind carried naturally from their music to their personal relationships, and, after two years, the five original members went off in different directions to pursue their individual modes af expression. Under the leadership of McLaughlin, 'Apocalypse' and 'Visions of the Emerald Beyond' were recorded with considerably larger groups, and both are represented on this compilation. With this incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, McLaughlin was able to paint a wider pallet of textures and create a greater array of sounds. Noted violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and his bassist Ralphe Armstrong emerged from the Orchestra to begin their own form af Jazz- rock.

Jean-Luc Ponty

McLaughlin disbanded the Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1975. Like any evolutionary, he continues to explore a variety of musical paths. He formed the more acoustic Eastern-influenced 'Shakti', the more rhythmic one 'Truth Band', and recently performed in a variety af all-star settings including the 'Trio of Doom' with Jaco Pastorius and Tony Williams, and a guitar extravaganza with Paco DeLucia and Larry Coryell.

The collection on this record represents a high-energized powerful time in music, and its repercussions are still being felt and will be felt for a long time to come. Enjoy its timelessness. (Album Liner Notes - Lois Gilbert, NY)

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my pristine vinyl and includes full album artwork for both CD and vinyl media, along with label scans. It should be noted that this album was also released in 1980 under the title 'The Best Of The Mahavishnu Orchestra' (cover is shown below).

To sweeten the deal, I have also decided to include "Cosmic Strut" from their Visions of the Emerald Beyond LP as a bonus track, a personal favourite of mine.

Track List

01 Birds Of Fire 5:42

02 Open Country Joy 3:54

03 Wings Of Karma 6:10

04 Sister Andrea 8:45

05 The Dance Of The Maya 7:15

06 Meeting Of The Spirits 6:49

07 Lila's Dance 5:35

08 Be Happy 3:40

09 Cosmic Strut (Bonus Track)   3:29

Mahavishnu Orchestra members:

John McLaughlin, Vocals (guitar, sitar)

Rick Laird, Ralphe Armstrong (bass)

Bill Cobham, Narada Michael Walden (percussion)

Jan Hammer, Gayle Moran (keyboards)

Gerry Goodman, Jean-Luc Ponty (violin)

Mahavishnu Orchestra Link (305Mb) Updated Link