John McLaughlin Music

This is just a brilliant collection. The point here is not to be necessarily true to the original intention of each piece, but to present these amazing women at their most charming and seductive. They most certainly succeed! Remember: each of these arias or songs should be appreciated in their original habitat, if at all possible. I give a brief run-down of the individual tracks:

01. Joseph Haydn: "On mighty wings" [Dawn Upshaw]

Haydn's best-loved choral work celebrates the joy of nature, and man's place in it. This song describes the beauty of birds and flight. Dawn Upshaw delights in singing this in English. Miss Upshaw has one of the most sensuous and seductive voices of our time, and this recording catches her at her ecstatic best

02. Sergei Rachmaninov: Vocalise [Sylvia McNair]

I just plunked down 99c. for the mp3 of this, forgetting that I owned this CD. Sylvia McNair does a fabulous job with this original unchained melody. You have not felt the agony of frustrated love unless you've heard it set to music by Rachy.

03. Faure: Pie Jesu [Judith Blegen]

This solo from Faure's requiem is a favorite. It would be beautiful sung by anybody, and Ms Blegen is wonderful.

04. Berlioz: Absence [Elly Ameling]

I had never heard this aria before. Elly Ameling is a famous Dutch soprano, well known for her performance of Lieder as well as folk songs and the Baroque repertoire, especially Bach. But she blew me away in this one. Berlioz out-Mahlers Mahler.

05. Brahms: Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit (Ein deutsches Requiem) [Arleen Auger]

This is a eerily fascinating movement from the German Requiem. The biblical words of comfort attributed to god (or at least Jesus; I should look it up) are given to a soprano. What an incredibly creative move! Ms Auger is accompanied by the Atlanta Symphony and Chorus. Listen to the tortured harmony of Brahms. This was written soon after the death of both Brahms's mother and Robert Schumann.

06. Carl Orff: In trutina (Carmina Burana) [Judith Blegen]

Interesting, and very lovely

07. Antonio Vivaldi: Laudamus Te (Gloria) [Dawn Upshaw, Penelope Jensen]

One of the few things by Antonio Vivaldi that I can stand to listen to. Sorry I can't do better.

08. Geo. Frederick Handel: Rejoice greatly (Messiah) [Silvia McNair]

One of the jewels of the Baroque soprano repertoire. Though emotionally it does not have great range, it is one of those coloratura arias that are very satisfying to sing and to listen to. Don't let the ornamentation get to you: it is almost the raison etre of the piece, and Silvia McNair sings it well enough to bring Handel up from his grave, singing hallelujah. Her limpidly beautiful version of the slow middle section is to die for; with many performers one wishes that they did something or another differently, but not here.

09. Richard Strauss: Im Abendrot [Arleen Auger]

R. Strauss, the composer of the wonderful trumpet fanfare that has become a symbol of 2001 a Space Odyssey was a cousin of the Strauss Waltz Kings. This slow, lush movement is almost frightening in its intensity. Richard Strauss was one of the greatest masters of the Wagnerian Lied.

10. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "Ach, ich fühl's" {Barbara Hendricks]

This lovely aria from The Magic Flute makes clear why Mozart was considered one of the greatest vocal writers of his generation. Ms Hendricks sings like an angel, in a beautifully understated performance. It's hard to remember that it turns out that this character is the villain of the piece. It was typical of Mozart to give both the villains and the heroes beautiful arias to sing. Listen to the incredible leaps, sung so effortlessly; she is truly a great soprano.

11. Alfredo Catalani: "Ebben?" (La Wally) [Diana Soviero]

I'm unfamiliar with this aria, but it is performed beautifully and convincingly by Ms Soviero.

12. Richard Rogers: "My Favorite Things" (Sound of Music) [Frederica von Stade]

One may wonder whether there isn't a better representative of Ms Stade's performance opus, but I think the answer is that she must have asked for this piece to be the one to be included. This most beloved and admired performer graces this collection with her presence, regardless of what she sings.

13. Arthur Sullivan: "The sun, whose rays are all ablaze" (The Mikado)[Marie McLaughlin]

This song is a perfect example of a very British style in which Sir Arthur was able to write (made possible by the complex meter of William Gilbert's verse). Though ostensibly set in Japan, the operetta is a depiction of Victorian London society and politics. Marie McLaughlin has the perfect voice for it.

14. Gustav Mahler: Excerpt from Movt 5 [Maureen Forrester, Kathleen Battle]

Gorgeous. A fitting end to an amazing compilation. This cut is impressive more for its choral and orchestral elements than its solos, though the solos are indeed wonderful.

NOTE: the "performers" listed are completely erroneous; they are probably soloists in the complete works from which these cuts have been taken.

This is a very good CD, but a better value for only $10. The weakest singers are definitely mezzo Frederica von Stade (showtune) and Barbara Hendricks (beyond light lyric). Battle's aria from Mahler's 2nd is exceptionally out of place. The CD opens brightly with Dawn Upshaw's version of "On mighty wings" from Haydn's 'The Creation.' It's a strong, colorful piece that takes a bit of a beating from her nasality. Sylvia McNair is stupendous, possibly even surpassing Anna Moffo (the authoritative Rachmaninof Vocalise). Elly Ameling is in her usual good form with this Faure art song. McNair shines even more on "Rejoice Greatly" from Haendel's "Messiah." This may be the best version I've ever heard and possibly surpass Kathleen Battle's, considered one of the better of all time. The Laudamus Te is the crown jewel of the entire CD, it's from Vivaldi's Magnificat. This is truly well-sung by Dawn Upshaw and Judith Blegen, this is the reason you should buy the CD and go out and purchase the Shaw CD in its entirety. Marie McLaughlin sounds a bit weak on her aria from "The Mikado." To be honest, albeit she's English, she's a much better lyric soprano for Mozart, Haydn, Strauss not English through-composed and Operetta.

The vocal talents of Kathleen Battle and Barbara Handricks were far superior to any of the others on this collection. Kathleen Battle's clarity of note and the depth of tonal resonnance of Barbara Hendricks clearly outshone all of the other ladies. Ms. McNair and Ms. Upshaw, listen and take note.

My scariest nightmare is that of some one breaking into my house and stealing this CD while I am at work.

The selection of excerpts is absolutely pleasing.

Of course I am carried away saying this is the most beautiful thing I know. If you belong to those who don't let anything carry them away, don't buy this CD.

This album contains a lot of beautiful music. And a lot of boring music, too. But since not all of the singers are the same quality, let me briefly give an overview of some of their performances. I've never thought Dawn Upshaw was a very good classical singer. Her voice gets a little whiny sometimes and her vowels are abominably American. Sylvia McNair has a lovely voice, and the Rachmaninov is good, but I've heard better (Renee Fleming and Anna Moffo come to mind), and she makes the piece even longer than usual by taking the two repeats. The second of her pieces has none of the joy that it should have and is very dull, if technically good. Judith Blegen, Elly Ameling, and Arleen Auger are average sopranos giving pretty but emotionless readings of their songs and arias. Barbara Hendricks RACES through "Ach ich fuhls" like it was Lakme's Bell Song, and sounds HORRIBLE. Kathleen Battle is good but Mahler seems out of place here, but not as out of place as Gilbert and Sullivan or Rogers and Hammerstein. In fact, what is Frederica Von Stade doing on this album of divine "sopranos" anyway? She has a lovely mezzo-soprano voice. Diana Soviero seems a bit out of place too, with her not-too-pretty but more powerful and interesting voice.

All in all, if you can get past the blandness of the performances, the album is pretty. But I like my sopranos to be made of much sterner stuff than these.

This is a high quality set, well worth the money. It is an investment in beautiful music for a lifetime.

This is the most extensive collection of Mozart that you can buy all in one set. Over 48 hours of nothing but Mozart! Need I say more? Its a little pricey, but well worth the cash.

I'm fascinated with this collection; the selection of performances is superb and you always an authoritative interpretation for each piece. The selection of material is very well balanced. This collection is all the Mozart I'll need for the next decade. It is a good buy if you have only two or three Mozart albums in your CD collection and are intending to deepen your knowledge of this greatest of composers.

A couple of drawbacks in the collection are its lack of decent accompaining literature (you only get the CD's succint liner notes in four languages) and an occasional selection with poor sound quality or hiss from an old recording. The average quality of the remasterizations, though, is very good. You should probably get a nice book on Mozart to read while listening.

Importers beware! this product could produce massive import duties. Check before ordering.

I have many editions in the Philips Complete Mozart Edition ("one-stop shopping" is my middle name) and I recommend them thoroughly and emphatically. Life is too short not to listen to Mozart each and every day of your life. Thanks to those at Philips who put this monster together; we really appreciate it. So does Wolfie. Essential.

If you don't want to go through the painstaking process of collecting all 45 volumes of the older Philips Complete Mozart Edition, which could end up costing close to $2,000 by the time you have the entire collection, you should eye this condensed set. Granted, it doesn't have ALL the works of Mozart (hence, its title!) so, for the Mozart completist or fanatic, this boxed set will only leave one salivating for more. I am fortunate enough to own both the whole collection and the 'Best of' set and sometimes this 'Best of' set satifies me for a quick fix. The performers of the Philips Complete Mozart Edition are first class and, many would consider, THE world's most acclaimed Mozartian conductors and performers. To me, there is no one who can capture the spirit of Mozart's pieces as well as Sir Neville Marriner and the ASMF. Perhaps with today's technology, some pieces could be better digitally remastered but, quite frankly, I do not hear any hissing sound from these recordings (some from the 1980's), even after being downloaded into my iPod. Don't waste your time and money chasing other Mozart collections because, to date, I have not come across any others that quite compare to the Philips Complete Mozart Edition. Even the 'Best of' set merits more than 5 stars!

I love this recording. It is fresh, colorful, and often poignant. Especially nice is the Perambulator piece, but the symphonies also make this one of my favorite purchases.

John Alden Carpenter has long been one of the most misunderstood of American composers, one who is damned for being neither one thing nor the other. As the works on this recording demonstrate, he is an American original whose music does not fall into the neat categories of folksy Americana (Copland) or brash experimentalism (Ives) favored by music critics and historians for defining and limiting the spectrum of American art music.

Despite many moments of great emotional tenderness throughout his oeuvre, Carpenter is not one of those composers whose music seeks to probe emotionals depths as much as it seeks to engage in the play of the mind. For example, the First Symphony's entire musical material is drawn from the very opening theme which is then subjected to continual variation, leading to the final peroration, said theme all the while retaining just enough of its contours to remain recognizable to those listening closely. The result is a compact, close-knit work with a sense of great unity and nearly a surfeit of event in its 20 minute duration.

The Second Symphony is more original. The first movement boasts a new found spareness, harmonies based on 4ths and a swiftly shifting, kaleidescopic emotional canvas ranging from epic portent and ambiguity to beguiling playfulness. The second movement is very nervous and ambiguous of feeling, with a constant heartbeat of a pulse. The third movement is apparently based upon a theme the composer heard while vacationing in Egypt, and it shows throughout. It begins with a trundling rhythm suggesting the movement of a caravan, the theme is passed through the entire orchestra a most colorful manner until a cyclic recollection of material from the second movement brings a swift, crushing coda. For me, this work is the highlight of the disc.

In all this music Carpenter shows himself to be one of the great orchestrators as well as a most skilled manipulator of orchestral material. While Adventures in a Perambulator is delightful, it clearly shows his root influences, all of which are absorbed into a subtle, personal style by the time of the symphonies. Carpenter grew far beyond the simple (yet affecting) romanticism of Adventures and the concert hall jazz of his ballet Skyscrapers, and I hope these artists will bring us much more of the mature Carpenter, such as his Patterns and the Carmel Concerto.

Be adventurous with Carpenter and you will not be disappointed.

My first experience of the music of John Alden Carpenter was at a concert by Antal Dorati and the National Symphony in the 1970's. Since then, I've been looking around for his music and naturally acquired this CD. The real gem here is Adventures in a Perambulator. It is exquisitely conceived, with just the right amounts of fantasy and narrative. The orchestration is sparkling. The two symphonies are of their time, the 1940's. They are not overstuffed, unlike so many Romantic scores of this period, and never overstay their welcome. One can attribute the neglect of all this music not only to the serialist onslaught but also to the fact that the music is immensely civilized, not prone to angst or despair. The conductor clearly loves these scores, lavishing great attention even to the smallest details in Perambulator, including the cute little quotes of popular song. Orchestral playing and sound engineering are first class.

John Alden Carpenter's music is not well known to the general public today (nonetheless musicians), but thanks to the Naxos American Classics series, Carpenter's symphonic works are now on record. While I am only familiar with a vocal song cycle of his, Carpenter's music has always seemed to have an innate innocence and tunefulness, with interesting harmonies, all of which are exemplified in these symphonic works: Symphonies 1 & 2 and Adventures in a Perambulator.

Carpenter's 20 minute, one movement, First Symphony features utterly Romantic, tonal, American youthfulness and optimism, not to mention bushel-baskets full of charm. Lonely laments by solo woodwinds show the great melodic qualities of his music, sprite and bouncy sections with chattering woodwinds, bells, and percussion show his natural, colorful orchestrations, often with whimsy, and drama is shown in sweeping string lines and noble brass chorales of great breadth. While nothing is particularly memorable in his First Symphony, it is the moods he convincingly creates that last well past the first hearing. His Second Symphony, also under 20 minutes, is in three movements, each lasting just over 6 minutes. Featuring a large role for piano, the first movement balances itself between two moods, a menacing one at the start with brass and percussion, and a mood that is more a graceful dance with a slight lilting feel. String centered at the beginning, the second movement also alternates between a more complex harmonic forcefulness, and the simplicity of a light and calm melody with a sunny nature. The vivacious and cheery final movement, with its incessant rhythmical qualities, decides the works' ending mood of Romantic joyousness.

The popular Adventures in a Perambulator was an early outing in Carpenter's career. The program is the happenings of a baby and his/her nurse taking a morning stroll with the baby's pram. The interesting part is that the description of the day's events are taken from the perspective of the baby. A suite in six movements, the 26-minutes include titled movements (All Aboard, The Policeman, The Hurdy-Gurdy, The Lake, Dogs, and Dreams). Each are an almost impressionistic portrait utilizing harps and bells in addition to the orchestra. The Policeman and The Hurdy-Gurdy are more vivid, while the contrasting movements have a dreamy aura about them. Highly entertaining, the turn of the century work has charm oozing from all of its pores.

The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine under John McLaughlin Williams doesn't seem suited for the music at first mention, but they are right at home. There is no dark brooding or heaviness marked in the score, nor do we get it from the performers; far from it. This is a better outing by the Ukrainian ensemble than other Naxos offerings and at budget price, is worth investigating. The only issue that I could possibly scrounge up is that it is all pretty light and fluffy, with no real meat and potatoes type of works. I find the shimmering, light musical quality of a neglected American composer, however, rather entertaining.

John Alden Carpenter, born near Chicago, was born into a prominent family and married women prominent in social circles and the arts community of Chicago. He had the great advantage of studying at Harvard with John Knowles Paine, the most distinguished of 19th-century American symphonist, and briefly with Elgar. Quickly, Carpenter won critical acclaim for works such as "Adventures in a Perambulator," a suite portraying a baby's adventure as his nurse pushes him around town in his carriage. A weird and clever idea--the music quickly betrays the composer's Gallic sympathies. It has elements of French impressionism together with an American cheekiness, along with the use of American popular song, including Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band." This inclusion of the American popular idiom in his music stayed with Carpenter, as evidenced by the two symphonies on this disc.

They have the quirky, syncopated rhythms of jazz, and a melodic contour that just sounds American, despite Gallic overtones. The first symphony, a 1940 reworking of a piece that first saw life in 1916-17, is a work whose sound world isn't very distant from that of "Adventures," even though Carpenter overhauled the earlier work pretty drastically. It's a kaleidoscopic piece that might well on some hearings sound like a suite and at other times sound like a genuine symphony. That's because the piece is in one movement though five distinct sections that examine different moods in the manner of character pieces or brief tone poems. But then the two "slow" movements of the work frame on that clearly corresponds to a symphonic scherzo, and the largo finale also clearly builds to an effective peroration that is very symphonic. All these sections are marked either moderato or largo, but there are so many tempo variations that the work has none of the statis of, say, a late Shoshtakovich string quartet in which the tempos seem all to be slow and slower yet. Carpenter's orchestration is colorful and highly skillful with lots of high percussion such as celesta and glockenspiel, as it is in "Adventures," though it also seems a bit too populist for its own good and might remind some of movie music. Still, this is an enjoyable work that deserves an airing in the concert hall.

Even more distinguished is the Second Symphony of 1947, again a reworking of an earlier piece. This symphony is built more along traditional symphonic lines, with a first movement that starts in very dramatic style and then develops into a cheerful, balletic affair that balances rumbustiousness with episodes of seductive langor. The second movement has is a blend of drama and longing in the manner of Samuel Barber, while the last movement, based on an Algerian melody that Carpenter heard on vacation, is a strong, driven piece, jazzy and with a sort of tongue-in-cheek martial air about it.

This ripely colorful music might not appeal to all, but it is certainly skillfully put together by a true musical craftsman. The performances by John M. Williams and the Ukrainian orchestra are fine indeed, matching the many moods of the music. And Naxos has supplied one of the finer recordings in its American Classics series: big, bright, yet airy. Give this one a try.

There is some amazing guitar on this cd, shredding and melodic just like what you'd expect from John and excellent sax playing as well. But the songs and the sound of the drums and the awful twinkly and machine-like synths exemplify all that was wrong with eighties fusion and pop for that matter. The drums are gated to such a degree that they don't sound like drums but like large unsympathetic cannons. Which may be fine for eighties dance pop but absolutely inappropriate for creative jazz or fusion. There's no sensitivity or musicallity to the sound, I mean it might as well have been a drum machine and it just screams '80s. Likewise the keyboards are shrill, twinkly sounding synths. The playing is great but sonically the keyboards are a disaster. Cheesy would be a compliment, they don't sound human rather they sound like mechnical devices and really grate on my nerves after a very short while. Not until song number 3 named Florianapolis played on acoustic guitar do we get something approaching a listenable and not so dated sound. It's somewhat flamenco influenced and has some excellent and human feel to it. The rest? They range from pedestrian late period Miles funk workouts to fairly good fusion workouts, the playing is often fantastic but the sound ruins the experience for me. You can skip this one and not miss a thing.

Anyone that thinks this album is less than 5 stars should be put in a sanitarium, and quit writing reviews. The music and musicians on this album are incredible. If you don't like good music, stay away!

The title aptly describes the music on this CD. More often than not, in the world of jazz, these two adjectives are rather like two poles. This is a great jazz/fusion album, with all the chopsy soloing, complex compositions and arrangements you would expect from a top fusion recording by a major artist in the genre. Some people are offended by the dated technology on this recording, firmly placing it in the 80s, but I think that one needs to look beyond appearances into the heart of the music itself - this is without doubt music with heart. Its lightness and joyousness should not be mistaken for shallowness - though nothing like the probing, hungry, searching music of Mahavishnu Orchestra of the '70s, it's as if the searching is over, and whatever John was looking for has been found. I like to think of this album as fusion brought up to date with the current developments in technology and musical ideas, and whose course has been slightly corrected away from rock and toward jazz.

Some of the reviews I've read about this record typify why Jazz acceptance struggles in its national birthplace. I can't think of a single musical artist who doesn't experiment with their sound and direction. I read complaints about the "cheesy" drum sound as if those players who are placed so high on a pedestal don't have the right to see if a particular musical voice might have some validation in a direction they're pursuing. Respect the artist's courage to try something different rather than resting on their laurels. It's similar to a band that is gun-shy to play new material because the audience only wants to hear what they're comfortable with. Perhaps some of these people who denegrate this album would prefer to see Kenny G. dominating the musical landscape. Wise up folks. Celebrate the existence of Jazz instead of constantly nitpicking or we'll wind up with Rap or "American Idol" and its offshoots determining the course of music in America.

This CD is so diverse in its styles, sounds, dynamics, and themes that I find it very satisfying as a whole. My biggest complaint is the cheesy drum sounds so prevalent when electronic drums first burst onto the scene. I expected more from a John McLaughlin CD. Everyone else, however, is great, with bassist extraordinaire Jonas Hellborg leading the way (his brief, but incredible solo in Gotta Dance is a perfect example). And John's playing is as powerful as ever. From his thoughtful to blistering solo in The Wait (one of my all time favorite songs) to his just-plain-blistering playing in The Wall Will Fall, John does not disappoint. There are a couple of weak tracks on this CD, but the great ones (The Wait, The Wall Will Fall, Reincarnation, & 20th Century Ltd) elevate the overall quality of this CD to 4 1/2 stars!

Oh man. this ain't easy to write, given that I have been a Johnny Mac fan for years, but "Adventures In Radioland" is NOT a good place to start for the curious beginner, and best left where you found it for long-time listeners.

Same problems as the previous 80's Mahavishnu outing, mostly weak tunes, lots of high-tech gimmickry, painfully cheesy 80's sound quality (and those ABOMINABLE Simmons drums which sound like amplified pizza boxes) and precious little of the brilliance that Johnny Mac is typically known for.

"20th Century Limited" though is a notable exception and very welcome. "Florianaplois" suffers from a really cheesy sing-songy arrangement (not unlike something that would be played on a "Smooth Jazz" station) but oddly enough, it underwent a miraculous transformation with John's trio just a couple years later and came out a fire-breathing piece of great music! "Reincarnation" here with full snooze-inducing effect, was transformed by JM's trio into a breathtakingly beautiful meditative piece. "Just Ideas/Jozy" here suffers from high-tech clutter, later gets reworked by the Trio and regains it's plaintive funkiness. If only these original version were ANYWHERE near as good as the subsequent reworkings. The rest of the tunes are obviously calculated for radio-play at any cost, but just merely fall flat on their faces wallowing in gimmickrey and digital-synth overkill. The one thing different (though not enough to salvage the mess) is that JM wisely shelved that infernal Synclavier/Roland Digital Guitar Synth elephantine noisemaking miserable mechanism (read in Dr. Smith voice). Here he straps on a Les Paul Special for the most part, but unfortunately, his tone is so painfully tinny, metallic and lacking in warmth.

I will say this in its favor though, at least some of the tunes had good raw material that could be reworked into something substantial, otherwise, don't bother.

Yeh.. This is one of McLaughlin's best. But, there is a sound quality issue with this recording. It's kinda hard to pin down, but I'd love to hear it remixed. Having said that, it's still a gem. Every track is a winner. What a great set of tunes, My Favourite Things, Afro Blue and After the Rain, and Tones etc. and the synergy between these three is magic. If you havent' got it - well, I recommend it to you. If you're new to JM, check out Remember Shakti and for the straight up jazzer, try Extraopolation. Fantastic! Mind you, John did do a few duds... What's that Allegria Belaforte whatsamajig album.. with drum synth... what was he thinking! BUT, apologies Mr McLaughlin, he has enriched our lives with so many precious gems and THIS!! thankyou so much!

elvin and john are fab, but a band needs a bass player!

This recording is John McLaughlin's homage to Coltrane. If you enjoy both artists, then you should love this. McLaughlin's musical sensibility, his consummate, exquisite guitar playing, and the often-subtle interplay between the musicians are a pleasure to hear from beginning to end. This is not a recording where McLaughlin displays the diverse range of musical styles and cultures that he does in some of his other work. This one is more cohesive in terms of style and sound. The greatness of this recording is that it flawlessly evokes the beauty of Coltrane's music. This is as creative and satisfying as McLaughlin's best.

This is one of John McLaughlin's best recordings. It's nice to hear him playing in a straight-ahead context. Some people on this page have complained about the sound of his guitar. It sounds very much like the guitar he plays on "Johnny McLaughlin Electric Guitarist". I believe it is a hollow-body electric with a scalloped fretboard, which gives the guitar a very unusual solo voice - very beautiful in fact. A strong recording from a great musician!

I always enjoy this record. There's great empathy among the players. I think Elvin Jones, the master, is the real hero of this music. He keeps McLaughlin and Joey DeFranceso, two incredibly gifted musicians from getting too technical or flashy. Rather, it sounds like they all Heard (with a big "H") each other - there's a nice spirit to this record.

By the way, they all play great . . . but you knew that.

Yeh.. This is one of McLaughlin's best. But, there is a sound quality issue with this recording. It's kinda hard to pin down, but I'd love to hear it remixed. Having said that, it's still a gem. Every track is a winner. What a great set of tunes, My Favourite Things, Afro Blue and After the Rain, and Tones etc. and the synergy between these three is magic. If you havent' got it - well, I recommend it to you. If you're new to JM, check out Remember Shakti and for the straight up jazzer, try Extraopolation. Fantastic! Mind you, John did do a few duds... What's that Allegria Belaforte whatsamajig album.. with drum synth... what was he thinking! BUT, apologies Mr McLaughlin, he has enriched our lives with so many precious gems and THIS!! thankyou so much!

elvin and john are fab, but a band needs a bass player!

This recording is John McLaughlin's homage to Coltrane. If you enjoy both artists, then you should love this. McLaughlin's musical sensibility, his consummate, exquisite guitar playing, and the often-subtle interplay between the musicians are a pleasure to hear from beginning to end. This is not a recording where McLaughlin displays the diverse range of musical styles and cultures that he does in some of his other work. This one is more cohesive in terms of style and sound. The greatness of this recording is that it flawlessly evokes the beauty of Coltrane's music. This is as creative and satisfying as McLaughlin's best.

This is one of John McLaughlin's best recordings. It's nice to hear him playing in a straight-ahead context. Some people on this page have complained about the sound of his guitar. It sounds very much like the guitar he plays on "Johnny McLaughlin Electric Guitarist". I believe it is a hollow-body electric with a scalloped fretboard, which gives the guitar a very unusual solo voice - very beautiful in fact. A strong recording from a great musician!

I always enjoy this record. There's great empathy among the players. I think Elvin Jones, the master, is the real hero of this music. He keeps McLaughlin and Joey DeFranceso, two incredibly gifted musicians from getting too technical or flashy. Rather, it sounds like they all Heard (with a big "H") each other - there's a nice spirit to this record.

By the way, they all play great . . . but you knew that.

What a lush and lovely collection, featuring one magical and exquisite presentation after another! As I said, if you adore opera then you will treasure these CDs. The 2 CD album states: Long drives, Lazy afternoons, Romantic dinners. My favorite however is to put it on when I lie down to sleep. Currently it resides in the CD player by my bed so that I can access it with ease. These scrumptious performances carry me to a lovely cloud and allow dreamy relaxation.. I recently acquired RAPTURE which I also heartily endorse.