LIFETIME AND THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA

Miles Davis not only gave fusion a major boost in its early days, but his alumni were key members of the most important fusion groups of the 1970s. When drummer Tony Williams left Davis’ quintet in early 1969, it was to form Lifetime. The explosive trio, featuring the British guitarist John McLaughlin and the innovative Larry Young stretched out on rock structures, but with the sophistication of jazz. Young was notable for being one of the few organists to escape the dominant influence of Jimmy Smith. McLaughlin moved the jazz guitar way beyond the influence of Charlie Christian, with an original sound and approach that mixed aspects of rock guitar innovator Jimi Hendrix’s electronic explorations with jazz. Lifetime recorded enough material in 1969 to fill two LPs called Emergency . These are full of youthful energy and virtuosity, only disappointing in the surprisingly distorted recording quality. McLaughlin stayed with Lifetime through 1970, recording Turn It Over with the rock group Cream’s bassist Jack Bruce making the band a quartet, before going out on his own. Williams continued leading Lifetime through two additional phases, with Ted Dunbar on guitar in 1971 and a 1975 and 1976 version with the adventurous rock guitarist Allan Holdsworth.

Tony Williams, who was still only thirty at the end of 1975, broke up Lifetime in 1976 and spent years freelancing and studying music. In 1986 he formed an all-star hard bop quintet with trumpeter Wallace Roney, saxophonist Billy Pierce, pianist Mulgrew Miller, and bassist Charnett Moffett, who was eventually replaced by Ira Coleman, that lasted until his premature death in 1997.

John McLaughlin had already had extensive experience playing in his native England when he was offered a job in 1969 with Lifetime. At the same time Miles Davis also noticed the highly original guitarist and utilized him on several of his recordings, including In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew , and Jack Johnson . A more extroverted guitarist than Larry Coryell, McLaughlin could play with the ferocious power of the most radical rock players, yet his ideas were light years ahead of them. His 1970 album, My Goals Beyond , has strong hints of two of his future directions. McLaughlin is heard on eight unaccompanied acoustic guitar solos, mostly modern jazz originals, and also investigating Indian rhythms with a group comprising both American and Indian musicians.

First John McLaughlin explored a completely different style of music. During 1971 and 1972 his Mahavishnu Orchestra was the definitive rock-oriented fusion band. The quintet, including violinist Jerry Goodman, keyboardist Jan Hammer, bassist Rick Laird, and drummer Billy Cobham, was the most powerful of the fusion groups. It could compete with any rock band in volume and intensity, yet was on its own level in creativity and musicianship. Considered at the time to be a rock group, but now thought of as a leader in fusion, the Mahavishnu Orchestra filled stadiums and drew many rock fans into jazz. During its brief period of existence, the Orchestra recorded four albums, one of which was not released until 1999, and set the standard for fusion.

After the Mahavishnu Orchestra broke up, McLaughlin had a new version of the band with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and singer-keyboardist Gayle Moran, but it made less of an impression. In 1975 McLaughlin switched directions completely, specializing on the acoustic guitar and forming Shakti, a quintet with violinist L. Shankar, Ramnad Raghaven on mridangam, T. S. Vinayakaram on ghatan, and tabla master Zakir Hussain. With this unit that lasted three years, McLaughlin helped pioneer what could be called world fusion, mixing Indian classical music with the improvising of jazz.

Since then, McLaughlin has been involved in many different projects, switching between electric and acoustic guitar, leading a short-lived third version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, playing with orchestras, and leading a Shakti reunion group called Remembering Shakti. He remains one of the giants of the guitar.