Mahavishnu Orchestra - Meeting Of The Spirits

[@chadkelham5034]

Billy Cobham = beast mode activated

[@fords_nothere_100]

What a gem of a performance. So powerful. There's a great interview with Ruth Underwood, Zappa's brilliant percussionist, where she describes seeing Mahavishnu when they were Frank's opening act. Billy, John and the band were so powerful and overwhelming, espec Billy, Ruth says, Frank quickly replaced his drummer, hired Jean Luc Ponty, etc. She suggests Mahavishnu weren't just loud - they were - but they also released vast amounts of energy, and notes. As a percussionist she said she'd never seen anyone like Cobham. Great upload!

[@JohnSmith-lg2ie]

Saw them in 74 in Providence. By then Zappa was the opener. What an amazing night!

[@grokeffer6226]

@@JohnSmith-lg2ie I think they alternated from night to night. First one would open, then the other.

[@M3Besh]

Violent drummer. Totally brilliant.

[@cburns3256]

You had to be mentally and spiritually ready to hear this band !

[@DAGDRUM53]

At 11:02 watch Cobham's stick explode in his left hand and see how he recovers---brilliant.

[@markrobinson6129]

Yeah! Never noticed that before. Listening to it you'd never notice.

[@srb-ef3zs]

this made my day!

[@jdmresearch]

It almost seems on purpose.

[@jeffbogue3718]

Face melting of the spirits

[@michaelmarino3013]

Ambidextrous BILLY.I SEEN THIS BAND 15X no bullshit. They just toured hard and for those 2 or 3 years they were everywhere. Then came solo Cobham SHAKTI ANOTHER REVAMPED MAHAVISHNU.SEEN THEM ALL.50 YEARS AGO.and here they are on the mighty KZbin.

[@minneolamatt1]

Way to go whoever captured this on video! NOTHING visually takes away from the music!

[@evertvanderhik5774]

Wish there was a HQ version of this

[@flstudiopresents]

Cobham breaks a stick it looks like at 10:56 , love the recovery

[@5hinobiGaijin]

This is some furious stuff!! It was a mutual effort, but damn John's solo here produced enough energy to power an entire city!!!

[@doogal1234]

Mr. Explosive, Billy Cobham. Absolutely amazing. Saw him live in the Main Point in Philly, about 4 feet away, he was absolutely stunning - .

[@domokunbogle]

its a shame that times like that have passed, where jazz could (and did) connect with so many people that it became somewhat mainstream (and i don't use that word at all in a negative way).. and i'm not one of those "everything was better then" people, seeing as my musical taste is quite varied.

[@anantsundaram452]

John McLaughlin is just pure art here.

[@RobK-ls7lp]

Thanks Sirs for Scottsdale '83--still in the Imaginarium of it. Wish U were here Oz central.--before I go (stadium)!

[@petermaxwell2965]

Billy is tripping on those drums..

[@srb99100]

So Cobhams’s stick vaporizes at 11:02 and courtesy of a fellow commenter this made my absolute day ✌️

[@fearlessstudios1]

These guys made absolute magic together 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@moltonrocka1784]

Cobham = Beast

[@CarlosGonzalez-yv1tg]

What a challenge for any drummer to follow such a complex and changing composition

[@keith7754]

this is the greatest video of all time

[@DouglasMBrockie]

THE OUTER LIMITS AUM ONE STEP BEYOND!

[@QuantumHoghead]

thank god for real musicians and real music

[@cameron_fairchild]

and thank god that i love it. i could have been someone with no taste for this.

[@tevevid]

Another extremely good version of this song. Can fusion be better ? No

[@silverfir7471]

just great...brilliant Cobham...

[@fintanwardell]

Beyond compare.

[@billyjackoff]

Nobody plays quite like Cobham.

[@jamesmicucci7028]

BC is The GoAT 🥁

[@brunovallesmunoz4757]

Absolute power!!

[@dale_cooperr]

Superb magicians

[@DrummerDanVa]

Strange seeing Cobham with Mahavishnu and not behind his clear Fibes kit. But he kicked butt with a single bass drum kit. Got to see them live in 1972 or 1973. It was an eye opening experience.

[@markrobinson6129]

Where was this? What do you remember?

[@DrummerDanVa]

Saw them live in Pittsburgh at I believe the Syria Mosque in 1972 or 1973. I was more into big band (Buddy Rich, etc) at the time but I remember Cobham behind the big clear Fibes kit. I remember the raw energy and the volume. I had never really seen anyone play the way Cobham did up until that point in my life. He was one of a few drummers I saw in a couple of years period playing Fibes drums so bought a 5 piece (black acrylic) in 1975. Great drums but the bd spurs and tom mount sucked. I found info about that concert (May 6, 1973 which sounds about right) that said they shared the bill with Frank Zappa but I think I would have remembered that so I think that "fact" is bogus. Also saw Return to Forever a few times a few years later and thought they were cleaner and more song oriented if that makes any sense.

[@markrobinson6129]

Wow - must have been something to witness. Hope you're still knocking the paint off your drums! I've heard some RTF from around 1976 and I know what you mean about songs - they were a good band too, though I'm far too young to have seen either of them live. They were different to Mahavishnu though I very much like what they did.

[@DrummerDanVa]

Mark Robinson Check out videos from RTF from a few years ago when they reunited. They still played their asses off. Also saw Chase and Maynard Ferguson with Peter Erskine in that same period. The 70s were a great time for music. Bands playing sophisticated stuff could tour and make a living. You would have loved it.

[@markrobinson6129]

I will be sure and look for those vids wish I'd been there! btw there's some good stuff at jazzfusion.tv including Maynard and RTF off you like that kinda thinas well as MO. Oh and sugarmegs too. g

[@rattlecage666]

thank you for posting.....jaw dropping good

[@Azihayya]

You can't hold a candle to that.

[@JonesyTheCat]

God bless Mahavishnu

[@jerryblades]

So badass powerful

[@beheshte8178]

👍

[@erianersitetras7172]

So this means that... John McLaughlin was the first of the shredders?

[@makeperceive]

Must be one of the best Mahavishnu line-ups

[@mnbv990]

absolutely.

[@mrJimCharles]

Not "one of the", just plain "the"

[@darrylbrown634]

I saw them,1972,open for ELP @ Winterland. Also,the last lineup W/Ponty & Gail Moran /big one,W/worst ever sound @ RIT.Awesome original group!!!!!!!!!!ROCK ON JM!!!!!!!!!?

[@kurtcochran]

Badass...Thanks

[@Bakunin53]

amazing Mahavishnu!

[@delfinastral]

incredible!

[@cameron_fairchild]

excellent live version. even with b.c. on that limited kit (for him), he still sounds like himself.

[@DAGDRUM53]

It's kinda tough to see but he's got three floor toms in a triangle configuration. About twenty seconds into the vid you can make it out if you look over the right side of the snare rim.

[@kyleiveglia6284]

11:04 that was so perfect oh my god lol

[@martinnelson8382]

Did the people going past in the background ( you know, walking the dog, on their way home with the shopping, that kind of thing) realise they were witnessing one of the greatest performances by any group of musicians in history. One wonders if bach or beethoven had to put up with the same sort of indifference.

[@srb99100]

Not sure the people ambling around in the background off camera have atoned for their sins ignoring Billy C’s monstrous fills 😜

[@markrobinson8410]

Sounds good, someone should remaster the picture though.

[@mjm5081]

❤

[@gerardonoriega1309]

Esta versión de meeting of the spirits es grandiosa . Gracias compañeros .

[@spicyMcHAGGIS9green]

How I feel: Your name isn't John McLaughlin? Please tell me how progressive your band is.

[@alexstephen5695]

I want to give it 2 👍

[@oldunion]

This makes 1972 Grateful Dead look like Katy Perry.

[@RocketKirchner]

mahavishnu burned a hole in the sun live !

[@mrJimCharles]

So you can imagine how the Dead felt when these guys opened for them

[@wadysawukaszewicz7529]

Stare majstry.Młodzi uczyć się do roboty

[@RocketKirchner]

white hot and laying the law down .

[@Gianni-f7i]

Pippi Calzelunghe!!!!!😂🎉😢😮😅

[@guthrie_1]

Certain genre’s shouldn’t be blended 😂

[@HWYHELL2]

I'm sorry..but Jan Hammer is a worst keyboard player ever...I can imagine Rick Wakeman or Keith Emerson player this stuff..wow......kkkkkkkk

[@kalelvigil1510]

Nope, Rick Wakeman is not in improvisational shape for this music. This requires more than classical music quotes, blues scales, and rock improvisation.

[@FreeCorps1984]

And Elton John also. Possibly McCoy Tyner and Oscar Peterson as well....maybe

[@Joshualbm]

What a dumb and ignorant comment.

[@cameron_fairchild]

He can compose but he's not a good soloist.

[@Joshualbm]

@@cameron_fairchild You and RUY are truly dopes. It's hysterical how people who know little about this music, what it takes to play at this level try to dumb it down with stupefyingly inept comments. Jan is not only a prodigy with eastern classical training, his early career saw him touring with Sara Vaughn, Elvin Jones, Jermey Stieg and his own trio,. His abilities were world-class, hip and virtuosic to get those gigs. What he pioneered on various electric keyboards with MO, John Abercrombie, Jeff Beck et al is among the greatest jazz and jazz-rock keyboard work ever recorded. You absolutely cannot make a useful comparison of Jan to any rock keyboardist. Jan's abilities took him to the top of much more technically and musically challenging music than what the likes of anyone in the pop, prog rock scene. Elton John? Jesus H. Get a clue.