Shakti & Remember Shakti

[Guy Berger]

I recently listened to Remember Shakti and The Believer -- those are really good albums! Very different stylistically.

I'm not crazy about John McLaughlin's guitar tone on them, though.

[Joe G]

The Wish, from Remember Shakti, is probably my favorite Mclaughlin performance on record. Some really nice compositions on The Believer, like Anna. I've seen this group twice and enjoyed both shows. Was too young to have seen the 70's incarnation.

[Guy Berger]

I would really love to hear a saxophone interacting in this type of group. Unfortunately I'm guessing that most saxophonists don't really have the training to do so.

I saw the quartet with Srinivas and Selvaganesh back in 2000, it was a good concert. Why didn't L Shankar participate in the reunion?

Guy

Edited June 14, 2006 by Guy

[Joe G]

Why didn't L Shankar participate in the reunion?

Guy

I read that they couldn't track him down!

[7/4]

Why didn't L Shankar participate in the reunion?

Guy

I read that they couldn't track him down!

That's what I heard, he didn't return phone messages. Strange...maybe he had a falling out with Mr. Mahavishnu.

[WD45]

I would really love to hear a saxophone interacting in this type of group. Unfortunately I'm guessing that most saxophonists don't really have the training to do so.

They could put Prasant Radakrishnan in that group quite comfortably. Dig this solo piece he does on alto.

As for Shakti, I much prefer McLaughlin's old acoustic guitar sound rather than the electric tone he has now. The acoustic seemed to cut through that ensemble sound very easily, whereas the electric seems to get lost a bit.

Zakir is the man. I saw him last month with his brothers, also percussionists, as well as a few other percussionists. One of the players also was on tabla, and the difference was night and day. Zakir is so fully formed in technique and application in a soulful way that it blows my mind.

I wish they would have had Shankar on those reunion albums, but U. Srinivas is no slouch replacement. And Debasish Bhattacharya is great too on the Saturday Night disc. He is coming to town this fall!

[7/4]

Oct 21: New York NY, Symphony Space

Oct 22-25: Workshop in NJ

I'll at least make the NYC show. I don't know if I can handle a work shop.

[Joe G]

As for Shakti, I much prefer McLaughlin's old acoustic guitar sound rather than the electric tone he has now. The acoustic seemed to cut through that ensemble sound very easily, whereas the electric seems to get lost a bit.

About those guitars, I read that he had given them to someone to hang onto while he wasn't using them. Picked the wrong guy apparently; when he went to retrieve them for the Remember Shakti project, he found them in such disrepair that they were essentially useless. I suppose he could have had Abe Wechter build him another (in Paw Paw, MI, coincidently), but he chose to go with electric. Doesn't really bother me either way.

[WD45]

As for Shakti, I much prefer McLaughlin's old acoustic guitar sound rather than the electric tone he has now. The acoustic seemed to cut through that ensemble sound very easily, whereas the electric seems to get lost a bit.

About those guitars, I read that he had given them to someone to hang onto while he wasn't using them. Picked the wrong guy apparently; when he went to retrieve them for the Remember Shakti project, he found them in such disrepair that they were essentially useless. I suppose he could have had Abe Wechter build him another (in Paw Paw, MI, coincidently), but he chose to go with electric. Doesn't really bother me either way.

I think I saw pictures of the thing after it was abused. What the hell was that guy thinking?

[king ubu]

I saw the band live once, Hussain is indeed *the* master - I've also seen him in classical indian performances, I think at least twice, once with Hariprasad Chaurasia, one of the other towering figures of indian music.

I generally liked that concert, but in the end the slower pieces got just a bit too close to kitsch, while the faster often ended up in the same little games and quick exchanges (with Shrinivas - that is the guy playing that small guitar, yes? - "apeing" what McLaughlin just played). Got a bit tiring after some time. But the musicianship in this band is astonishing.

[sidewinder]

I've seen this group twice now at a local venue and enjoyed it - they put on a good show. It's a very different McLaughlin to the guy heard on 'Silent Way' etc. but sometimes the sort of bluesy style he used on 'Extrapolation' creeps through. Also of note on their performances is the virtuoso Indian vocalist who usually comes in after 2 or 3 tunes.

Edited June 16, 2006 by sidewinder

[7/4]

(with Shrinivas - that is the guy playing that small guitar, yes? - "apeing" what McLaughlin just played).

It's a mandolin.

[WD45]

(with Shrinivas - that is the guy playing that small guitar, yes? - "apeing" what McLaughlin just played).

It's a mandolin.

A custom 5-string electric mandolin!

[king ubu]

(with Shrinivas - that is the guy playing that small guitar, yes? - "apeing" what McLaughlin just played).

It's a mandolin.

A custom 5-string electric mandolin!

Thanks for that info... he's quite astonishing, too, and makes a great sparring partner for McLaughlin... only after a while it can get a bit too much of the same for me.