John McLaughlin - The Heart Of Things (1997)

Many great musicians experience peaks and valleys throughout their careers. Legendary guitarist John McLaughlin, however, always seems to be perched firmly at the top of his game. Whether with former Mahavishnu bandmates, trios with Paco DeLucia and Al Dimeola, or with contemporary jazz/fusion monsters like Kai Eckhardt and Trilok Gurtu , McLaughlin continues to remain the master of all he surveys. With THE HEART OF THINGS, the guitarist once again unleashes his dynamic sense of color and texture, as well as those unbelievable chops.

Sounding at times like a slightly controlled hurricane, the band McLaughlin has assembled for this project is astounding. All-too-unrecognized saxophonist Gary Thomas, keyboard guru Jim Beard, drum god Dennis Chambers and meticulous bassist Matthew Garrison burst though the music and grab the listener on most every track. A prime example is the standout "Mr. D. C." (presumably for Chambers) as a torrent of drums and percussion do battle with McLaughlin's flying guitar. Later, a nice deep breath is taken with the mysterious "Fallen Angels" and, finally, the live acoustic solo of "When Love Is Far Away" makes for a transcendental ending to a powerful journey.



Tracks:

01. Acid Jazz 8:19
02. Seven Sisters 10:17
03. Mr. D. C. 7:07
04. Fallen Angels 9:29
05. Healing Hands 7:36
06. When Love Is Far Away 4:34

Personnel:

John McLaughlin - electric, acoustic and MIDI guitars
Gary Thomas - tenor and soprano sax, flute
Jim Beard - synthesizers, acoustic piano
Matthew Garrison - bass guitar, fretless bass guitar
Dennis Chambers - drums
Victor Williams - percussion
Jean-Paul Celea - acoustic bass on "Acid Jazz"