John McLaughlin & 4th Dimension: Now Here This (2012)

For anyone who's paid attention to John McLaughlin's recorded output since the turn of the century, it's obvious that he's been on a creative streak unequaled since his days as a Miles Davis sideman and his early Mahavishnu Orchestra recordings. Whether it's his two Remember Shakti sets, or the guitar-and-strings offering that was Thieves and Poets, the Indian carnatic intensity of his Floating Point band, or his forays into fiery, improvisational jazz-rock terrain on Industrial Zen, the evidence is clear. With his latest band, the 4th Dimension, McLaughlin has been on a tear. The band's first offering, To the One, is a direct jazz-rock investigation of John Coltrane's influence on McLaughlin's musical thinking. Now Here This is a knottier jazz-rock fusion offering -- with all the positive connotations of that word and none of the negative. Keyboardist Gary Husband and Cameroonian über-bassist Etienne M'Bappé are holdovers from To the One, while drummer Mark Mondesir has been replaced by Ranjit Barot, who helmed the kit on Floating Point. McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension marry propulsive prog rock to Indian modalities to serious grooves (thanks in no small part to M'Bappé's wildly funky, virtuosic bass playing and Barot's triple-timed breaks and fills). Check opener "Trancefusion" for evidence of kinetic, infectious stop-and-start fusion that keeps rock and jazz in dynamic tension. "Riff Raff" careens with funky bass and keyboard interplay and massive guitar and drum kit grooves. "Echoes from Then" showcases McLaughlin's frenetically rhythmic rock soloing on an extended bass and keyboard vamp, while "Call and Answer" allows Husband to show off his post-bop chops in fluid right-hand flourishes. For balance, there are a couple of mellower cut such as "Wonderfall" (with lovely, languid bass work from M'Bappé) and "Not Here, Not There," a more R&B-oriented, midtempo, jazz-funk vamp that features lyric, emotive playing from McLaughlin. "Guitar Love" is a more rock-based jam, while closer "Take It or Leave It" mines Indian harmony, complex syncopation, and spacey funk with intuitive guitar and keyboard exchanges. Now Here This not only continues the excellent run of albums McLaughlin's amassed in the 21st century, it also displays the 4th Dimension not as a group of sidemen, but as an exciting working band which possesses depth, breadth, and imagination.

Tracklist:
1. Trancefusion 7:16
2. Riff Raff 7:02
3. Echos From Then 6:07
4. Wonderfall 6:27
5. Call and Answer 5:53
6. Not Here Not There 6:17
7. Guitar Love 7:08
8. Take it or Leave it 3:46
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Danny Gottlieb: Aquamarine (1987)

For a while there in the late 1980s there was a short-lived fusion comeback. The Chick Corea Electrik Band was having some success. The new Mahavishnu band was attracting attention. Musicians such as saxophonist Bill Evans, drummer Dennis Chambers, keyboardist Clifford Carter, bassist Mark Egan and others began to develop a following. Guitarist Allan Holdsworth was making a mark. Soon, however, the record companies clamped down on any creativity coming from this branch of jazz in favor of the now burgeoning "smooth jazz" movement. (Pardon me; I need a moment to gag.) Recording contracts and promotional funds evaporated faster than a bubble on a gas burner.

Danny Gottlieb was among those shortchanged by this corporate attitude. Gottlieb had been part of the very popular Pat Metheny Group and later the reformed Mahavishnu. Along with his musical partner, the wonderful bassist Mark Egan, he had formed the very impressive band Elements. Unfortunately, Aquamarine became one of his few bites of the apple. It is nonetheless a delicious bite.

An infectious semi-Caribbean percussive riff opens the title cut, which is a pleasing ballad powered by the sailing guitar synthesizer of John Abercrombie, Doug Hall's keyboards and Gottlieb's backbeat. Its beautiful melody even makes "Aquamarine" a potential smooth jazz vehicle. (Pardon me; I need another moment to gag.) Luckily, thanks to the players' advanced improvising, that terrible fate does not befall this memorable melody, and in time the ingratiating opening riff returns to keep everything afloat. This isn't deep-sea diving. But a little scuba in the coral reef can make for an exciting outing. The rest of the album ain't chum either.

Tracklist:
1. Aquamarine 
2. Monterey 
3. The Aviary 
4. Alaska 
5. Waterfall 
6. Being 
7. Duet 
8. Upon A Time. 
9. Peace Of Mind 

Personnel: Danny Gottlieb (drums), Doug Hall (keyboards, rhythm guitar), John Abercrombie (guitar synthesizer), Cafe (percussion), John McLaughlin, Steve Khan, Joe Satriani, Jeff Mironov (guitars), Mark Egan (bass), Mitchel Forman (keyboards), Bill Evans (sax), Dave Samuels (vibraphone)

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Fuse One: The Complete Recordings (1989)

Fuse One were a group of Jazz musicians who collaborated for two albums released on CTI Records.

Both albums were produced by Creed Taylor. The first album was arranged by Jeremy Wall of Spyro Gyra and the second by Leon "Ndugu" Chancler of Weather Report.

Membership was not concrete, but included Tony Williams, Joe Farrell, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Lenny White, Paulinho Da Costa, Ronnie Foster, Stanley Clarke, George Benson, Todd Cochran, Jorge Dalto and Eric Gale.

The liner notes to their debut album thus described the group: "Fuse One is conceived as a forum in which major contemporary musicians perform according to their own musical disciplines and without the constraints that accompany leader responsibilities. Each player brings in new compositions and ideas".

Tracklist:

01 - Ronnie Foster - Gran Prix
02 - Wall, Jermey - Waterside
03 - Stanley Clarke - Sunshine Lady
04 - John McLaughlin - To Whom All Things Concern
05 - Jeremy Wall - Double Steal
06 - John McLaughlin - Friendship
07 - Stanley Clarke - Taxi Blues
08 - Ndugu - Silk
09 - Stanley Clarke - In Celebration of the Human Spirit
10 - Ndugu - Hot Fire
11 - Ronnie Foster - Sunwalk

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Human Element: ST (2011)

In the tradition of Weather Report and the Joe Zawinul Syndicate, two powerhouse pan-global bands that have greatly influenced generations of musicians around the world, Human Element is staking out a new corner of the musical map on its self-titled debut. Comprised of keyboardist Scott Kinsey (Tribal Tech), electric bassist Matthew Garrison (Zawinul Syndicate, John McLaughlin's Heart of Things, Herbie Hancock), percussionist-vocalist Arto Tuncboyaciyan (Al Di Meola's World Sinfonia, Joe Zawinul, Marc Johnson's Right Brain Patrol) and drummer Gary Novak (Chick Corea's Elektric Band), Human Element incorporates elements of fusion, funk and Armenian folk tunes into a potent 21st century brew that defies easy categorization.

Personnel: Scott Kinsey (Keyboards, Vocals) Arto Tuncboyacian (Percussion, Vocals, Effects), Gary Novak (Drums, Cymbals), Matthew Garrison (Basses, Vocals, Effects), and Special Guest John McLaughlin (Guitar).

Recorded at Gary Novak' Kronos Studio in Burbank and mixed and mastered by Kinsey in his home studio, Human Element travels from intense offerings like the 5/8 title track and Bottom of the Mirror to the Gnawan music influenced groover Essouaria and funky jams like Crazy Girl and Shake It. Tuncboyaciyan's Hi Lao (featuring a cameo by guitar hero John McLaughlin) injects a Middle Eastern flavor into the proceedings while Garrison's two tracks, Izzy and Cut, showcase his remarkable facility on the bass. For a change of pace from the whirlwind intensity, Tuncboyaciyan offers transcendent vocals on the beautiful ballad See With Your Ear and the zen-like calm of Onno, a touching ode to his late brother. Arto's son Seto also contributes some thoughtful spoken word passages on the solemn lament Think About It, which tackles the grim topic of the Armenian genocide.
Rather than being a one-off studio project with an endless cast of characters, Human Element is the sound of a band in the process of establishing its identity.
''We decided that it should definitely be a band and that a record should be just the four of us,'' says Kinsey. ''There's something special about that. We all loved Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra and we wanted that real band approach. So the four of us camped out for a couple of days and recorded all the basic tracks for this record. Everybody contributed tunes and we all had some input on how the songs were going to end up sounding. It was never really one guy's vision, even if it was his tune we were recording. That's why I really think in the end it does sound like a band record.''

And while the Zawinul influence may be apparent at times, the four kindred spirits boldly stride into distinctly new territory on Human Element. ''Language-wise, we all got so much from Joe,'' says Kinsey, ''and yet we wanted it to be different and about us. And as we got into it, I think it started to really take on an identity of its own. It spans a big area of music and yet it still sounds like one thing.

Kinsey and company hope to establish Human Element as a major force on the international festival scene, bringing their unique and powerful message to fusion and world music fans everywhere. ''The plan is to really go for it with this band,'' says Kinsey. ''We all believe in it because there's really nothing else like this band out there. Since Joe passed, there's just no one making music that's really on that type of wavelength. So there must be a lot of people out there who would like to find music that speaks to them the way that Joe's music did.''

Human Element definitely fills that void. With the release of their self-titled debut on Abstract Logix, this powerful quartet takes its first step in its musical mission.

Tracklist:

1. Introduction
2. Izzy
3. The Human Element
4. Speak with Your Eye
5. Onno
6. Hi Lao
7. Cut
8. Listen with Your Mouth
9. Essaouira
10. Crazy GIrl
11. See with Your Ear
12. Shake It!
13. Bottom of the Mirror
14. Think About It

Human Element

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