Remember Shakti

English jazz guitar great John McLaughlin had some cogent advice for San Diego concertgoers who may have been torn between attending a recent Escondido, Calif., concert by his Indian music group, Shakti, or Regina Carter`s concurrent show at the University of California, San Diego.

"Forget Regina Carter - come see us!" McLaughlin said, his voice dancing with mischief.

In fact, McLaughlin and Carter both record for the same label, Verve, which is promoting their ongoing tours. And, while Carter has never met McLaughlin, she`d probably find him to be on the same aesthetic wavelength.

"The singular thing we musicians have to share is our dedication," McLaughlin said from a tour stop in Bordeaux, France.

"My life has been dedicated to music and to the people I`ve played with. And this is what we have in common: a fundamental love of music and a sense of purpose in life ... I thank God every day I`m a musician. The kind of communication that happens in music goes through a much deeper level, and this is really satisfying."

A heightened level of communication has been a trait of McLaughlin`s music since he rose to fame in the late-1960s as the guitarist on Miles Davis` epic "Bitches Brew" album.

In 1971, the English guitar wizard formed Mahavishnu Orchestra. The often copied protofusion band combined jazz virtuosity, the high-voltage power of rock and complex song structures derived from McLaughlin`s love of Indian classical music.

But, few fans knew that the group`s ascent occurred almost simultaneously with the unpublicized evolution of Shakti, the all-acoustic, Indian music group McLaughlin co-founded with percussionist Zakir Hussain.

"We started to do small concerts in parallel to Mahavishnu," McLaughlin said. "But by mid-1975, I was becoming a little disenchanted with the form (of jazz-rock fusion) that I`d been exploring, which began when I was with (Tony Williams`) Lifetime (in 1969).

"And, I was having so much fun with Shakti that I said: `Why don`t we try to do some more concerts, and work more with the music?` Of course, this didn`t sit too well with my record company or manager or agent. They thought I was loony, which I probably was. But, I was ready to assume the consequences. Shakti was a wonderful forum for me to learn."

Shakti recorded three albums, disbanded in 1978, then regrouped briefly for a tour of India in 1985. Back together with varying lineups since 1997, Remember Shakti now features McLaughlin and Hussain with electric mandolin virtuoso U. Shrinivas and percussionist V. Selvaganesh (the son of Shakti alum "Vikku" Vinayakram).

"There is a state of grace that can happen on stage, and it`s the real thing, in which your failings disappear. And this is really wonderful," McLaughlin said of his improvisation-happy group. "It`s rare, but it`s probably best like that. It`s kind of a magical state to be in, because you can play anything."

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Author: George Varga