John McLaughlin

在爵士樂大師Miles Davis周圍，曾經(jīng)有許多的音樂精英與之合作并受其影響，F(xiàn)usion吉他大師John McLaughlin就是其中之一，他可以算是一位將Fusion樂發(fā)揚光大的音樂者。很多音樂人都愛用Fusion這個詞來標榜自己，但John McLaughlin卻從不喜歡這樣。&我是一個Fusion音樂人，這只是因為找不到一個更好的詞來形容我自己。&他曾經(jīng)說過，&我敬慕爵士樂，我所作的就是將我喜歡的其它音樂形式與之結(jié)合。Fusion從何而來，又去向何處？誰是正宗的，誰又不是？其實全是胡說八道。&
 
McLaughlin從11歲時開始學(xué)習(xí)吉他，最初他從一些布魯斯和Swing吉他手那獲得了不少啟發(fā)。60年代，他曾與Alexis Korner, Graham Bond, Ginger Baker（奶油樂隊的鼓手）和其他樂手合作過，與Gunter Hampel一起玩了半年的自由爵士。1969年，McLaughlin移居紐約，結(jié)識了Miles Davis，參與錄制了Miles的經(jīng)典專集&Bitches Brew&和&In A Silent Way&。1971年，他組建了Mahavishnu大樂隊，音樂風(fēng)格偏于搖滾，尤其融入了當(dāng)時英國流行的以貝司和鼓為主調(diào)的Jungle風(fēng)格，卻帶有大量非常成熟的爵士即興，成為最具爆炸性的爵士搖滾樂隊。為在發(fā)行了三張很有影響力的專輯之后（&The Inner Mounting Flame&，&Birds of Fire&和&Between Nothingness and Eternity&），樂隊于1973年解散。1975年，McLaughlin又組建了一只以印度音樂為核心的樂隊-Shakti，開始彈奏原聲吉他，他在音樂風(fēng)格上的這種出人意料的迅速轉(zhuǎn)變讓音樂界感到驚訝。Shakti樂隊維持了三年，那時，世界音樂這個概念還剛處于幼年階段，Shakti的音樂就已經(jīng)在這個領(lǐng)域造成了有力的沖擊。從那時起，McLaughlin便徘徊在電吉他和原聲吉他的演奏風(fēng)格之間，他組建了另一只樂隊One Truth Band，又與另兩位原聲吉他大師Al DiMeola和Paco De Lucia組成三重奏，演奏西班牙風(fēng)格的音樂。80年代中期，又參與了Miles Davis的專輯的錄制，并與著名的鋼琴演奏家Bill Evans重新組合了Mahavishnu大樂隊。McLaughlin始終保持著Miles Davis的激情，在爵士樂風(fēng)格和音色的調(diào)色板上不斷調(diào)和出新的色彩。
 
對于未來的發(fā)展，McLaughlin保持著很開放的態(tài)度，就象30年前的Miles Davis一樣。&Miles并不知道他將去往何處，我對自己也同樣不清楚，我只是向前走。&他說，&當(dāng)人憑著本能和想象向前走時，會不可避免的和其他人交織到一起。難道人的道路不是這樣的嗎？我不知道還有其他的路可走。&
 
A household name since the early 70s, John McLaughlin was an innovative fusion guitarist when he led the Mahavishnu Orchestra and continued living up to his reputation as a phenomenal and consistently inquisitive player through the years. He started on guitar when he was 11 and was initially inspired by blues and swing players. McLaughlin worked with Alexis Korner, Graham Bond, Ginger Baker, and others in the 1960s and played free jazz with Gunter Hampel for six months. His first album was a classic (1969s Extrapolation) and was followed by an obscurity for the Dawns label with John Surman, a quintet set with Larry Young (Devotion), and My Goals Beyond in 1970 which was half acoustic solos and half jams involving Indian musicians.
 
In 1969, McLaughlin moved to New York to play with Tony Williams Lifetime and he appeared on two classic Miles Davis records: In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. In 1971, McLaughlin formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra, a very powerful group often thought of as rock but having the sophisticated improvisations of jazz. After three influential albums (The Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire, and Between Nothingness and Eternity), the group disbanded in 1973. McLaughlin, who recorded a powerful spiritual album with Carlos Santana that was influenced by John Coltrane, put together a new Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1974 that, despite the inclusion of Jean-Luc Ponty, failed to catch on and broke up by 1975. McLaughlin then surprised the music world by radically shifting directions, switching to acoustic guitar and playing Indian music with his group Shakti. They made a strong impact on the world music scene (which was in its infancy) during their three years. McLaughlin then went back and forth between electric and acoustic guitars; leading the One Truth Band; playing in trios with Al DiMeola and Paco De Lucia; popping up on some mid-80s Miles Davis records; forming a short-lived third version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra (with saxophonist Bill Evans); recording an introspective tribute to pianist Bill Evans; and, in 1993, touring with a rollicking jazz trio featuring Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Dennis Chambers. Throughout his productive career John McLaughlin has recorded as a leader for Marmalade, Dawns, Douglas International, Columbia, Warner Bros., and Verve.