The Montreux Jazz Festival wouldn’t be a party without John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra making an appearance every so often. The original line-up, with Jan Hammer on keyboards and Bill Cobham on drums, never made it to the festival. But McLaughlin managed to put together an expanded ensemble for an appearance in 1974. The group returned 10 years later, again with a revamped roster. Footage from both shows have made the cut for the Live At Montreux 1984/1974 double DVD set, giving fans the opportunity to watch McLaughlin and company recast their special brand of jazz fusion in an uplifting, dazzling light.
‘Wings Of Karma” and “Hymn To Him,”the first two tracks from 1974, provide a good 20 minutes or so of mind-tingling movements as McLaughlin’s fingers dance up and down the fretboard. Jean-Luc Ponty responds with a few hard-bitten bow-strokes on his violin, Michael Walden fires off a few rapid around-the-world rolls, the rest of the 11-piece band does their best to keep up, and we’re off to the races sports fans. For the most part, the roller coaster hisses right along, aside from a few minor technical distractions here and there. Then, just as the band starts to take flight, the picture gives out. The disc finishes off with four audio-only tracks from presumably the same show while a series of eye-catching moving eclipses keep the screen from burning in still images. You could just as well do a few chores around the house while tripping to the gentle sounds of “Vision Is A Naked Sword.”
Although Cobham rejoined McLaughlin for a vague Mahavishnu reunion in 1984, the drummer failed to turn up for the group’s triumphant return to Montreux. Which isn’t to say a seasoned veteran like Danny Gottieb, who tapped out the beat behind Pat Matheny for six years, wasn’t up to the task of filling the drummer’s chair. Quite the opposite as he does so brilliantly. The rest of the new Mahavishnu Orchestra for the 80s consists of Mitchell Forman on keyboards, Jonas Helborg on bass, and another graduate from the sidelines of Miles Davis, saxophonist Bill Evans. At this juncture, McLaughlin eagerly embraced the potential of technology by creating new sounds that aligned with the moodier, more atmospheric textures he was introducing. Already at the nexus of blending spirituality and virtuosity, McLaughlin simply wanted to extend the idea of Mahavishnu to a new generation. Unfortunately, it may have been too over-the-top, even with the homages to Stevie Wonder. The group was practically destined for a less than spectacular reception in the age of MTV.
Meanwhile, prime footage of the original Mahavishnu Orchestra remains rare and fragmented for loads of fusion fiends. The Live At Montreux 1984/1974 DVD will have to suffice. Though certainly not without its faults, we see how determined second and third versions of Mahavishnu tried to live up to the original. They take their lumps and get the job done, superseding all time and space for the betterment of the music.
~ Shawn Perry
