Reaction to Shakti & John McLaughlin 'Joy' Live Montreux 1976 - The Original Indian Classical Guitar

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[@stevo5584]

Wow! Great reactions to this utterly astounding playing. I love his acoustic playing, My Gosls Beyond introduced me to that, and the three original Shakti albums are just inredible. Brings back many memories!

[@birdboxbird]

Seeing them live, was one of the greatest musical experiances i've ever had.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

That's awesome thanks for sharing

[@docnelson2008]

I saw this band live back in 1977-I'll never forget what I heard -absolutely awesome and beautiful.

[@danalawrence4473]

As did I- simply amazing musicianship! And, sadly, Vikku RIP.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Thank you for sharing we love these memories

[@grahambird3257]

I saw this on a portable black and white TV when it was first broadcast. Changed my life. The next morning I spent the rent on the album. It became the soundtrack to that summer. I scalloped my Yamaha acoustic, to the confusion of my friends, and tried my best to emulate him. I soon got all of the other Shakti albums and then the CDs. My first exposure remains on e of the most profound and moving moments of my life. What need have I for this, what need have I for that. I am dancing at the feet of my Lord. All is bliss, all is bliss.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Thank you for watching it is always great to hear from another McLaughlin devotee ;)

[@cynthiamclaglen5687]

Wow! Thank you so much for this wonderful Indian Music. It is fabulous!! Cynthia Allen-McLaglen

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Yes it's unparalleled really

[@ThePsychedelicDrummer]

Im a drummer since 20 years.. i recently started to play Tabla again.. its fascinating what they created with their hands and hearts.. Indian music is really versatile and virtuous.. Its so amazing..🙏😏✌️

[@animalpensant8191]

Je suis un amoureux de la première heure de shakti, que j'ai vu plusieurs fois en concert à Paris. J'avais tous les disques de JMcL depuis Mahavishnu O. et Shakti a été une explosion de nouveauté, de joie, de fraicheur, d'intelligence musicale dans le paysage sonore occidental... Il ne faut pas oublier le contexte spirituel que préside à la musique classique indienne, qui enveloppe chaudement la musique de Shakti. Je suis vraiment heureux que des jeunes musiciens aujourd’hui soient sensibles à cette beauté.. Merci

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Thank you for watching

[@saxtant]

I spent 5 years listening to Shakti, John and Mahavishnu because of Shakti, blew me away and opened all the doors at the same time.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

@@saxtant yes many people have had their musical lives turned upside down by his bands in the 70s❤️🔮🔥🎸. Thank you for watching and your comment. 👍

[@quentenjones3626]

Thank you for the post, Mr Jennings, it is good that you introduce young musicians to the Shakti experience. The amount of musicians I have known through the years who have been influenced by the ensemble amazes me. From folk to blues to rock to country to classical, they are all mesmerized by this music. It is almost like this is beyond talent, but a gift. And with konikol they have no problem speaking the "language". JMcL is certainly one of the finest musicians to come along over the past century, and there are many others. I just believe with his innate goodness he has improved our lot.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Yes I fully agree my friend 👍🎸❤️✨️

[@ThePsychedelicDrummer]

The thing with John McLaughlin is that he is also a spiritual badass..😎👍☀️ That also reflects in his playing..that he is probably super intelligent..🙏😏

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Yes John is of a high level mind for sure

[@jwest2514]

Really interesting to see John McLaughlin playing this fast indian classical music. You introduced me to the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Birds of Fire is still one of the most epic tracks!

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Thank you Joe yes I remember teaching you guys Birds of Fire and you picked it up so quickly. Shakti is the other side of the John McLaughlin coin 🪙

[@sandeepjayaram9674]

Came in late on this one but that's the original Shakti line-up. Vikku Vinayakram, L Shankar, Zakir Hussain and J McLaughlin. Subsequently, U Srinivasan, on Mandolin, played at a few concerts. Pity, the dude passed away. You might want to check his speed on the Mandolin.

[@RicardoMarlowFlamenco]

They are using a variant of the western Harmonic minor, such that the equivalent 6th degree (C natural) is omitted deliberately. It gives a Phrygian dominant sound, or E7 dominant with flat 9th (drone sound is also E rooted). I am pretty sure this is Shankar’s hybrid of east meets west, however this scale is super fun and guitaristic. If anybody listens to Yngwie Malmsteen he has made a career out of this exact scale and phrasing. (I’ll see the light, disciples of hell, trilogy suite etc., all use this exact pattern in worked out parts and in solos it pops up all over the place ). Ironic that in the East this might be an expression of “joy” (perhaps the fast tempo is more the reason), but in the west this scale and mode are “scary” sounding….exploited by lots of Metal music for its dark color.

[@johnwilliams575]

Great to come across this reaction. Saw Shakti in London in 1976 when they were "supporting" Weather Report, along with the Billy Cobham / George Duke Band. Has to be the best concert I've ever attended (and I say that as a massive Santana fan, who has seen them many times). The musicianship here is just off the scale, as you say, the chemistry between the musicians is amazing, even when the soloist appears to be simply doing his own thing.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

My god you are really there when they had those crazy lineups in one concert. Amazing stories thanks so much for sharing. Glad you enjoyed the video 👍🎸

[@shirleymental4189]

I guess in the editing suite the producer was saying 'the guitarist is taking a solo, let's concentrate on the drummers'.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

I think it was a bit of a free for all, 1970 style......

[@fords_nothere_100]

Excellent. I've seen this clip a dozen times or more but never heard such clear explanations about what's actually going on. I thought I understood Indian classical but, for ex, I had no idea it was mostly vocal based (makes sense considering Remember Shakti, the reformed group from the late 90s, with Mahadevan singing.) BTW, the only analogous style of music I can think of is bluegrass. There you have families and/or tight knit players with years of interactions, who play fast and improvise, using similar instrumentation and vocalizations. Of course, the structures and underlying traditions are different, but fun to consider. Wonderful reaction and very informative - thanks gentlemen.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Brilliant to read your comment. Thanks very much. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. 😉

[@user-ly6lm4zf8g]

Well my observation in Indian, every musician be it vocal or instrumental when its an ensemble everyone included in the band gets to be in the limelight or gets hands on the steering, they are all riding a car and everyone is a driver despite of steering changing multiple hands, yet the driving is smooth and enjoyable for the listener.

[@user-ly6lm4zf8g]

Well Mandolin is another instrument that has been adopted to carnatic music aka south Indian classical music by Mandolin srinivas. He made little changes to create a sound that is native to carnatic music lovers.

[@grandwazoodebris1015]

Mclaughlin back then was very into the Vina, some old Indian instrument that had scalloped frets. He actually considered stopping guitar and concentrating on Vina (hard to imagine), Also, he said he spent lots of time trying to settle on the chord to tune the sympathetic strings for each song. Don't know how he dealt with it live, maybe this was a later album approach. I read in Guitar Player magazine, I have no personal knowledge of it. Your comments starting at 15:30 are so amazing, so knowledgeable, I don't want to say foolish things to someone more knowledgeable. I saw Shakti in Ann Arbor a few months ago, and they were so wonderful and amazing, but I have to admit their subtlety is lost on me compared to you. Zakir & John were great, and obviously super happy to playing together again. I quite prefer John playing acoustic on the early Shakti albums to now. Natural Elements was first thing I heard, and is still my favorite (Face to Face), but first Shakti an album was incredible blowing album. Natural Elements has very long complicated melodic lines, very nice. L Shankar was wonderful violinist. PS I started w/ your Jeff Beck Cause we've Ended as Lovers vid, so I in my world you've stared w/ my 2 favorite musician's so thank you for great insightful vid's.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Hello and thank you so much for your comment. I also love Face to Face from natural elements. That is my favorite track too. L Shankar and the original Shakti was just too good to believe.

[@saxtant]

Natural elements... Oh .. so good...

[@julianchristopher147]

McLaughlin also said he could bend chords by pressing into the scallops. Thanks.

[@lvbbbasdsjcjm]

Appreciate your reactions. For what it's worth, McLaughlin no longer plays the acoustic on stage because of arthritis, it's difficult and painful. He basically dealt with his severe arthritis through meditation and the final part of his theraputic fix was/is to play electric. His PRS guitars allow him to continue playing live (Note: on the last Emmy-winning Shakti Tour 2023 he played electric). The Shakti guitar was created/made by Abraham Wechter (of Gibson). As a side note, his Double Rainbow guitar -- of Mahavishnu fame (created and made by Rex Bogue) actually suffered a catastrophic demise when resting against a wall, somehow "decided" to just fall down.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

Yes I've heard these stories in that Mahavishnu book and interviews. However I'm not sure that playing electric was down to the arthritis, because even when Shakti was reformed around 2000 he was playing Electric and never used the acoustic with that group, as far as I've seen. I think John's tastes really changed and then he started preferring different kind of tones and also using midi to generate virtual instruments. But I think many people would have really loved to have heard him with an acoustic guitar at least some of the time in the remember shakti group.

[@lvbbbasdsjcjm]

You're correct about his use of the electric in Shakti before arthritis, however, I am merely reporting what he said about his choice of instrument in a recent interview. I choose not second guess his stated motivation for not playing acoustic onstage anymore. Yes, I too would have loved to see him play acoustic in Shakti! I've always felt that one of McLaughlin's amazing, endearing and honorable attributes was the equality of virtuosity in his electric and acoustic playing.

[@Ruvfua]

Vamos a ver….el discurso es aburrido…todo el rato las mismas ideas…lo siento…pero tiene un recorrido muy corto…lo que me sorprende es que podría incluir muchas más ideas y sin embargo no lo hace…eso es lo que me desconcierta y me hace desconfiar de su propuesta…

[@LuvHrtZ]

I love John, but the strings on this gtr are 10-46 on this acoustic. Also the patterns are very repetitious on these tracks.

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

It's true his playing in the 70s was more pattern based, but then it was also a lot more visceral.

[@peripheral1258]

You are cruel... You could have started the pooor guy off with "India" but Noo-oo right off the deep end sink or swim...

[@JackJenningsGuitarist]

@peripheral1258 it's OK he was my student for a long time so he's been tested on Mahavishnu Orchestra etc 🙌🎸👌🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@peripheral1258]

@@JackJenningsGuitarist One of my first albums; that. Saw Frank Zappa open for Mahavishnu '72 ? It still keeps me goin'. His Shakti Remembered concert suspended time. But my heart is with ZPZ. If you are able to see Dweeze; they are State of the Art ...and Own the songs they play.

[@voldebean6055]

Its noise