This Moment by Shakti (John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, V.Selvaganesh, Ganesh Rajagopalan)<\/a><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n\nIt was also interesting to note throughout the concert how often McLaughlin worked downhome Delta blues phrases into the fabric of this East-meets-West m\u00e9lange, as he did on this opening number which alluded to the riff from Muddy Waters\u2019 \u201cRollin\u2019 and Tumblin\u2019\u201d at times throughout \u201c5 in the Morning, 6 in the Afternoon.\u201d McLaughlin kicked off the buoyant \u201cZakir\u201d (from 1999\u2019s Remember Shakti) with some stunning solo guitar that highlighted his beautiful chordal melody playing. He was soon joined by lyrical violinist Rajagopalan, a new addition to the Shakti lineup, replacing the late mandolin master U. Srinivas, who died eight days after having a liver transplant in 2014. Rajagopalan\u2019s singular solo flights were not only astounding, but his tight chemistry with McLaughlin also brought back memories of the group\u2019s original violinist L. Shankar. Following that gentle piece, the band tackled \u201cAnn\u201d (from The Believer), a more aggressive number that incorporated Mahavishnu-esque unisons between guitar and violin, underscored by the stunning rhythm tandem of Hussain and Selvaganesh. Violin and tabla then engaged in some rapid-fire call-and-response statements that were staggering in their sheer speed, crisp articulation, and intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\nShakti at Victoria Memorial, Kolkata<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nVocalist Mahadevan, a regal presence with a Pavarotti-sized authority on the bandstand, was brought on stage as \u201cthe fifth member of Shakti\u201d for a beautiful rendition of the traditional South Indian Kriti, \u201cGiriraj Sudha,\u201d a calming number from the new album that developed into a whirlwind Carnatic jam midway through that was brimming alternately with impossibly tights unisons and exhilarating call-and-response lines between violin and voice. These exhilarating exchanges were once again spurred on by the churning pulse of Hussain\u2019s remarkable tabla work locked in an indelible hookup with Selvaganesh\u2019s kanjira (South Indian frame drum).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShrini\u2019s Dream,\u201d a tribute to the late mandolin maestro that also appears on This Moment, was a showcase of some sizzling speed licks by McLaughlin and dazzling unisons between Mahavedan and Rajagopalan. Next up was the beguiling \u201cSakhi,\u201d a glorious number from McLaughlin\u2019s orchestral pandemic album, Is That So?<\/em> that showcased Mahadevan\u2019s transcendent vocal powers. Midway through this majestic tune, the band broke into a double-time flurry, unleashing more Mahavishnu-esque fusillades. Their gentle rendering of the plaintive melody \u201cLotus Feet\u201d (from Shakti\u2019s 1976 debut album) was met with knowing applause by this Capitol Theatre crowd. They followed with the buoyant \u201cBending the Rules\u201d (from This Moment), involving more intricate unisons between voice and violin at a breakneck pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Author Bill Milkowski with John McLaughlin<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cFinding the Way\u201d (from The Believer) was laced with blue notes from the guitarist, including a funky\/catchy chordal riff that sounded borrowed from Lee Morgan\u2019s boogaloo hit, \u201cThe Sidewinder.\u201d McLaughlin even snuck in a little taste from the Mahavishnu Orchestra song \u201cYou Know You Know\u201d (from 1971\u2019s The Inner Mounting Flame) at the :50 mark of the video below before unleashing on a flurry of mind-boggling unison lines that were strictly in an Indian mode. They closed with a rousing rendition \u201cLa Danse du Bonheur\u201d (from 1977\u2019s Handful of Beauty) that included an explosive display of konnokol (the art of performing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian Carnatic music, or a kind of Indian scat singing if you will) by the incomparable battery of Hussain and Selvaganesh. And they encored with the hauntingly beautiful \u201cBridge of Sighs\u201d (a tune from 1977\u2019s Natural Elements), reminiscent in tone of McLaughlin\u2019s classic ballad \u201cFollow Your Heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Between the new album and Shakti’s triumphant 50th Anniversary Tour, this pioneering force in world music is still vital after all these years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The American tour featured four amazing genre-defying musicians, performing solo sets of their own music – Bela Fleck, John Scofield, Bill Frisell and Jerry Douglas.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nBela Fleck<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBanjoist-composer, leader of The Flecktones, collaborator with Chick Corea, Edgar Meyer, Jean-Luc Monty, Stanley Clarke, Abigail Washburn, Zakir Hussain, Toumani Diabat\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI opened 10 of the shows for Shakti in Newark, Philadelphia, D.C., Atlanta, Cary, NC, Columbus, OH, Chicago, Ann Arbor and Austin. I loved the chance to hear John play on the same pieces every night, because it helped me to better understand his current unique language. His technique is so unusual, it seemed to me that he wasn\u2019t a big pinky finger guy, which surprised me. The speed seemed to come from mostly using the index, middle and ring, and he seemed to have evolved towards note choices that those fingers enabled. It helped me understand why certain chromatic notes were in his phrases and not other ones. The way his hands work are particular to him. I guess we all do the same things, build language out of things that are idiomatic to us as players. But nobody does what he does. <\/p>\n\n\n
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Bela Fleck with John McLaughlin during Soundcheck in Austin on Sep 16, 2023. Photo: Jamie Soja<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHis enthusiasm is another important component. John plays and attacks the whole experience not as a job that he needs to get through, but as a passionate living experience. Even near the end of the tour, the band found things to work on and improve, and I found that inspiring and familiar as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My own earliest memories of hearing John on record were in the Mahavishnu Orchestra. My big brother had the LPs and would play them. John was one of the more intimidating musicians to hear as a developing player in that with some great players you could imagine doing something like that, but with him, it was off the table. Impossible. When I joined New Grass Revival in 1981, Shakti was always an inspiration, Sam Bush being a huge fan. And we listened to the first record many times on tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John and Zakir have had a profound and famous old friendship. If you can still be playing with someone 50 years later, you are definitely someone who can get along with folks! Zakir is someone I am fortunate to know well and have collaborated with (their 2023 album As We Speak<\/em> also features bassist Edgar Meyer and bansuri player Rakesh Chaurasia), so I understand where he is coming from. Being around them together, I could see places where Zakir had learned things from John and vice versa. I believe they both feel incredibly lucky to have found each other, and I\u2019d say we all are! Playing with Zakir is one of the great, albeit unlikely, things that has happened to me in my musical journey. I love that he and John are at the top of there game in their 70s and 80s and no-one can do what they can do, even now. In fact, no-one ever could.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBill Frisell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nGuitarist-composer-bandleader, collaborator with Paul Motian, Charles Lloyd, John Zorn, Jan Garbarek, Tim Berne, Elvis Costello, <\/strong>Vernon Reid, Gary Peacock, Ron Miles, Andrew Cyrille, Mary Halvorson, Jakob Bro, Marc Johnson, Eberhard Weber, Julian Lage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was invited to open for Shakti at the Mondavi Center for the Arts in Davis, California. September 8, 2023. I played a short solo set before their concert. It\u2019s difficult to find the words; to say this was an honor would be an understatement. I almost can not believe it actually happened. Seems more like a dream. Dreams do come true. It was a joy to hear them. The band is incredible. John is playing better than ever. Full force. They blew my mind. Again. Below are a couple things I wrote prior to that concert: <\/p>\n\n\n
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Photo: Gary Husband<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nJohn McLaughlin (Part 1) \u2014 Brooklyn, May 21, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI love music. I cannot believe it\u2019s been more than 50 years now, but I remember so clearly the moment. I had just graduated high school. Dreaming about possibilities. The excitement and anticipation bringing home the new Miles Davis album. What was going to happen next? In a Silent Way<\/em>. Here were the very first notes I heard John McLaughlin play and where my love for his music began and continues to this day. Stunning. Life-changing. The mystery. The beauty. The SOUND. I\u2019ve been chasing it ever since. The challenge. I\u2019ll never get there, but I\u2019m going to keep trying. What a gift! Lifetime. It\u2019s still happening. Just beginning. So much joy and inspiration. I love John McLaughlin. I love music. Thank you John. <\/p>\n\n\n\nJohn McLaughlin (Part 2) \u2014 Riverhead, July 27, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe first time I heard Shakti. It must have been early 1975. I had on my tuxedo, sitting in the dressing room of this Las Vegas style supper club in Denver. I was playing in a band backing up Frank Gorshin. Does anyone remember him? He was an actor, comedian, impressionist who you\u2019d see often on all of those talk shows in the ’60s. He played the part of The Riddler in the original Batman<\/em> TV series. I was alone back there waiting for the gig to start. There was a small black and white tv tuned to the local PBS station broadcasting a performance from Wesleyan University. This was where I first heard Shakti. Their first album hadn\u2019t come out yet. What was this?! I could not believe what I was seeing-hearing. It was like on Star Trek<\/em> where you\u2019d be instantly teleported to another planet. Another universe. Molecules taken apart and put back together. You find yourself in another world. A whole new world. <\/p>\n\n\n\nJohn McLaughlin had already done this to me a few times before with Tony Williams Lifetime, Miles, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Now this! Everything changes. A couple years later I heard Shakti live for the first time at a concert in Boston. It was so overwhelming. There was a moment then where I thought I should stop playing. This was too much. Impossible. There\u2019s no way. This is too big! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But then, I thought\u2026No. Wait. I love music so much. Music is beautiful. Whatever I can do with whatever it is I\u2019ve got, I\u2019m going to try as best I can to make something out of it. Maybe I can\u2019t do what they are doing, but I\u2019m going to find a way to do something. Music is big enough for everyone. Infinite. We all find our own way. Our own voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Scofield<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nGuitarist-composer-bandleader, worked with Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Chet Baker & Gerry Mulligan, Billy Cobham, Joe Henderson, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Medeski Martin & Wood, Larry Goldings, Dr. John, Gov\u2019t Mule, Franco Ambrosetti, Jack DeJohnette, Chris Potter, Gary Burton, Phil Lesh & Friends<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI opened three shows for Shakti \u2014 Boston, Port Chester and Nashville \u2014 playing solo with my looping pedal. And it was so great getting to watch those guys play each night. John was so generous with the other musicians, and interactive as well. I was so impressed with the band, the way they worked together with the addition of that singer (Shankar Mahadevan). It was phenomenal.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Photo: Jamie Soja<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nJohn remains such an exceptional guitarist. He sort of set the bar for technique in the late \u201860s and it\u2019s still there. What he did at the time that he came on the scene changed guitar for everybody. I mean, I never heard anybody play the guitar like that, technically. That right hand\u2026.man! Just amazing. But also, his whole presence and style of music is so unique. And he managed to keep that together and grow it through the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first time that I saw John McLaughlin play live was when I took the train from Wilton, Connecticut to Manhattan to see him with Tony Williams Lifetime at Slug\u2019s in the East Village. It was the first set and nobody was there, but the music was incredible! And then I heard them again at the Capitol Theatre in 1974 when they had Jack Bruce in the band. I also heard an interesting gig that John played before Shakti. This was probably \u201972-\u201973. It was John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell playing acoustic guitars at a macrobiotic restaurant in Westport, Connecticut with their wives \u2014 Julie Coryell and Eve McLaughlin \u2014 playing these accordion-like drone instruments (shruti boxes). It was the beginning of John going in that direction that he would later pursue with Shakti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I finally met John in 1975 when I was in Billy Cobham\u2019s band. We did a lot of gigs opposite Shakti in \u201975 and \u201976, and he was so nice to me. I was just a rookie and John went out of his way to be very supportive and encouraging to me. It\u2019s a really special memory that I have of John.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jerry Douglas<\/strong>Dobroist-composer, producer, collaborator with Ray Charles, Earl Scruggs, Charlie Hayden, Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Alison Krauss.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nShakti with Jerry Douglas, Madison Thorn Photography <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI became aware of John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Shakti right after the record \u201cFriday Night In San Francisco\u201d. At the time I was playing a lot with another great guitar player, Tony Rice. Tony said, \u201cYou have to listen to this cat John McLaughlin, he\u2019ll blow your mind.\u201d And he was right. I thought hearing this record was going to be the last time I would ever hear this level of guitar music. Then with a listening to each record these guys made as they came through my house, I reached the conclusion that the music was reachable, but only if Mr. McLaughlin and Mr. Hussain were playing it. Brushes with these pedestal artists came later when my friends Edgar Meyer and Bela Fleck began a project with Zakir and a little before that I had introduced myself to John at the First Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival. John was suffering from food poisoning but went on to play a beautiful set that afternoon, then I saw him at the next Crossroads Festival a couple years later while he was getting creamed by a bandmate of mine who John couldn\u2019t have known was a professional Fooseball player. A couple more brushes including some funny stories and suddenly I am opening for Shakti!<\/p>\n\n\n\nJerry Douglas and John McLaughlin Photo: Madison Thorn Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n It was a religious experience for me. I had the best possible seat in the house, roaming from side to side backstage watching these incredible musicians, the finest in the world, sculpt and hone air into music. At their high bar of performance eye contact and support abound. You can\u2019t listen to someone sitting next to you just play something so incredible and not react to them. This is what I saw them doing. They were actually touching a shoulder here, a smile in the right direction or a fist bump there in support, love and admiration for each other as they exchanged this soul altering instrumental language. These two legends McLaughlin, and Hussain along with vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, and percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakaram were I have to say the most interesting musical situation I have ever found myself in, and the inspiration was overwhelming. They were joyous personalities and contagious. The opportunity of a lifetime! They were my heroes and will remains so for all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some Additional Comments From Those Who Witnessed Shakti in Concert<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nJimmy Herring<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nGuitarist-composer with Widespread Panic, Aquarium Rescue Unit, <\/b>The Allman Brothers Band, The 5 of 7, The Invisible Whip<\/strong>, Jazz Is Dead, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Other Ones, Project Z, The Ringers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI saw Shakti in Nashville. And my biggest regret is that I didn\u2019t see more of them on that tour. I was really bummed because they played Atlanta, which is near where I live, but I had to work that night, so I had to miss that show. Their next gig was in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium, which is a historically great place. And I made that four-hour ride there because this was a once in a lifetime thing. <\/p>\n\n\n
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Photo: Souvik Dutta<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019m very familiar with Shakti, but this concert was different somehow. I mean, to see these masters just having fun. I mean, they were making it look so easy. And I have to say, I don\u2019t know how John could be playing any better. I mean, it was devastating! And the groove was just compelling. So many times during their set at Ryman, people would be on their feet in the middle of compositions, screaming. I mean, they got standing ovations multiple times, even in one song. It was just amazing. The title of the new Shakti album is This Moment<\/em>. That says it all because this music was so in the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat struck me about John\u2019s guitar tone was how warm yet penetrating it was. He was playing that new Paul Reed Smith signature model, with just a touch of distortion on it. It was one of the greatest sounds I\u2019ve heard him have in a long time. He seems to have really embraced the modern era of getting guitar sounds that sound loud but really aren\u2019t that loud at all. Hearing him sound that freaking good through a computer or whatever he was playing through, I was blown away. And it made me think, \u201cMan, I\u2019ve got to at least kind of change with the times a little bit, \u2018cause I’m still doing it the dinosaur\u2019s way. <\/p>\n\n\n
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Shakti at The Ryman<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBut John was playing so damn good throughout this concert at the Ryman. You can\u2019t play any better than that. I mean, you take his knowledge of those rhythms and his incredible knowledge, and you put them together in this language of music that only exists within his world, and it\u2019s magical. Because he\u2019s such a hybrid of all these things — jazz harmony, Indian rhythms, and then everything else that he brings to the table. Yeah, it was so great, and really inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything was working on all cylinders. And I saw only the one show in Nashville, but I\u2019ll bet they were all different from night to night. That\u2019s how \u2018in the moment\u2019 the music was. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To me, each one of those musicians in Shakti is so inspired and divinely inspired. It was like they levitated while they were playing. And we\u2019re not just talking about chops. I can\u2019t say enough about the spiritual connection that they have with each other and with that music. I mean, it\u2019s really hard to put into words. It\u2019s mind boggling, really. And yet, these musicians are the most humble people you\u2019ll ever meet. They walk up to you after the show, and they bow to you. And it\u2019s like, \u201cWait a minute! Let me get on my knees and kiss your feet!\u201d You know? That\u2019s how masterful they are. It\u2019s ridiculous man. And there\u2019s so much more than chops in the equation. I mean, that\u2019s the least important thing. It was all just absolutely devastating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dennis Chambers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nDrummer Extraordinaire, John McLaughlin, Santana, Parliament, Steely Dan<\/strong>, Mike Stern<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shakti with Bela Fleck, Dennis and Renee Chambers at Wolftrap Amp – Aug 23, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAugust 23, 2023. This was a night I witnessed Shakti take the stage at Wolf Trap Pavilion and blew our minds away with an incredible performance. Five master musicians on their instruments took us all on an incredible journey with greatly written compositions of melodies, harmony and rhythm. What a journey as I\u2019m sitting there, watching the group in the audience with the look on their faces was priceless. Like I said August 23rd 2023. A show I will never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Sipe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nDrummer for Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jimmy Herring, Phil Lesh<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I sat it the drenching rain for 4 hours listening to the super band Shakti in Cary North Carolina this past August 27th at Koka Booth Amphitheater. While also being soaked in the sublime music and mesmerizing rhythms of John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Selvaganesh Vinayakram, and Ganesh Rajagopalan, I only realized that it was raining during the time in between songs. The music was like a rapture, transporting me into the sound of heaven. My first Shakti show was at the Kennedy Center in 1977 (I was 18 years old) when they opened for Weather Report with 25 year old Jaco on bass. That is still a standout show in my lifetime. It helped define my musical path along with an amazing experience that I had the year before: <\/p>\n\n\n\nJeff Sipe and John McLaughlin, Backstage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n One day after high school I was meditating on the \u201cMother Love\u201d writings of Shri Chinmoy who wrote the liner notes on the album \u201cLove, Devotion & Surrender\u201d by John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana. After listening to the record I sat up on the side of the bed and experienced an instantaneous \u201cExplosion of Pure White Light\u201d from the center of my being outward. In that flash of time I felt as if I understood everything in the universe that matters. John\u2019s joyfully spiritual music helped me open my heart Chakra that day. His music has the power of love, intension & devotion that helps open the portal for the mortal. Shakti laid a path towards god. I\u2019ve been walking it with great inspiration. So thank you John for your kindness, thank you Shakti for lighting the way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joel Harrison<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nGuitarist-composer-bandleader and founder of the Alternative Guitar Summit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nLet\u2019s stop for a moment to consider with deep gratitude the music of John McLaughlin<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was dumbfounded and maybe permanently altered after seeing Shakti. I saw John at Town Hall some five some years ago in what was supposed to be a farewell tour. He publicly stated that his arthritis was too problematic to continue. And when I spoke to him about it after the show, he seemed resigned to never touring again. But for him to return so triumphantly, playing so incredibly again, some kind of voodoo had to have occurred. I read in interviews that he simply started saying \u201cI love you\u201d to his hands, and the pain disappeared. There must be more to the story. I\u2019ve tried telling my hands that I love them, and they\u2019ve spurned my advances. But then John\u2019s life is clearly unique. There are traits that defy common logic and the visible laws of the natural world.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDavis Hall, San Francisco Photo: Jamie Soja<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The most salient point I can make about John, at age 81, is this: He invented a new kind of music. How many people have done that? Furthermore, at this late stage the unique blueprint he made sounds better than ever. I have deeply considered the concept of fusing the music of multiple cultures my whole adult life. I\u2019ve made my own \u201chybrid\u201d records with my collaborator, sarodist Anupam Shobhakar. Unlike most everyone else, John has deeply studied both sides of the equation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I heard that John collaborated on the new compositions during the pandemic over Skype The depth of this union is profound. It is seamless. Having worked myself with Selvaganesh, I can hear the obvious Carnatic rhythmic imprint. However, there\u2019s never a feeling of anything being forced. It\u2019s a lesson in our common humanity, and a model for all composers. What makes it more so is that John’s playing is freer in a harmonic context than ever before. It\u2019s as if something in him let go, and he\u2019s experiencing some sort of ecstatic freedom. In the first Shakti records he stays fairly close to the ragas. With this record he advances into extended jazz harmony, and it\u2019s like a cascade of colors or spices. To me, his phrasing has never sounded so beautiful. It all seems absolutely effortless. But of course, it\u2019s not. I was told by insiders that during this tour John never put the guitar down. This degree of obsession and dedication is very moving to me. You have every right at age 80 to slow down. He\u2019s done just the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis Moment available on Vinyl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The addition of the singer to this group is brilliant. The vocals add an element of heart to the ensemble, elevate it into the universal sphere. Also, the compositions are deeply considered, all different from one another. There’s a lot of nuance and mediation in the structures. Who else composes like this? No one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for John\u2019s tone\u2014 having been effusive in praise, I will admit that over the past decades I have not been the biggest fan of his sound. I prefer the unhinged Mahavishnu tone to the sound of the PRS plugged into the board. However, I loved his sound on the show. I don\u2019t know if he did anything differently. It just worked. And by the way, I saw Mahavishnu in 1973. Hard to believe I had my life changed by this man twice over a span of five decades!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The delight with which these players interacted with each other was infectious. He and Zakir\u2014over 50 years! I suppose you could call this a supergroup. Everybody is the best at what they do. Sometimes supergroups disappoint us. The parts don\u2019t always add up to the whole. But obviously it\u2019s John\u2019s strong guidance, and his interest and investment in the brilliance of his collaborators, that makes this unit one of the great groups of our lifetime. There are none like him. And will never be again. The next few generations will be running as fast as they can to catch up. It\u2019ll be like chasing the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Oz Noy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIsraeli-born guitarist-composer who has collaborated with Dave Weckl, Will Lee, Vinnie Colaiuta, Eric Johnson, John Medeski, Dweezil Zappa, and has 12 albums as a leader, the latest being 2023\u2019s Triple Play <\/em>with bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Dennis Chambers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI went to see Shakti at The Capital Theatre in Port Chester, New York and what struck me about John\u2019s playing that night was that it looked pretty effortless. Also, the communication between band members was amazing! Everything gelled together and sounded like one big sound instead of a few guys playing as their own entities. The performance sounded so organic. Regarding John\u2019s tone on his Paul Reed Smith guitar, honestly, I wished he would use an amp the last few times I\u2019ve seen him. But on this particular night, the sound he got was so immediate and direct that it worked very well with this type of music; it didn\u2019t overpower the rest of the band for instance. I also thought his technique was great and his musical ideas flowed effortlessly; it was pretty amazing to see someone on such a high improvisational level at the age of 81…or at any age! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had never seen Shakti in concert before; I only knew the albums. So, for me, it was a spiritual experience to hear and see their music live. Deep and profound. I loved every minute of it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n