MAHAVISHNU PROJECT

The Mahavishnu Project is a fascinating venture into musically creative hero-worship. It's also unique as a "ghost band" devoted to an early-'70s jazz-rock fusion phenomenon. Most such outfits are devotees of big-band ensembles such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Glenn Miller, and the musicians whose work they're devoted to have usually passed on, often long ago. John McLaughlin and his Mahavishnu Orchestra associates are still around, but all of them approve of what The Mahavishnu Project is doing. And it is unique for good reason -- apart from the 21st Century Schizoid Band (which is comprised, in all but one case, of actual former members of King Crimson), it's difficult to think of any other group devoted to the performing of music out of this movement and this particular era, or of any others that would be worthy. Why would anyone seek to emulate the David Clayton-Thomas version of read more...