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Filed under: Jazz

A letter from John McLaughlin

Guitarist John McLaughlin - that amazing guitarist, founder of Mahavishnu & Shakti - recently turned 70. A little Facebook page was set up, called "Happy Birthday John McLaughlin". I took the time to write him a note. So did a lot of other folks... And he wrote back to all of us. I feel this is worth sharing, because it peaks about the porwer of Love, Music, and our connections with eachother. 

Namaste'.

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM JOHN:

Dearest friends. Today I wish to write to all of you who have written to me, or written on Facebook to celebrate my 70th birthday. By the time one gets to be 70 years old, you are supposed to have learned something about life, and today, I'd like to write a few words on the arrival of my 70th birthday which I celebrated in Mumbai India.

My life is a continuous miracle: That I am. There is another miracle, that the Infinite Universe also, is.There is yet another miracle: That we are given the most marvelous gift of love: That we have this capacity to love and be loved. Sometimes I am in awe of love, for it seems to me that love is Infinite and Cosmic in origin, and since love can only be experienced here and now, to love, is to live in the infinite here and now. This is what all the sages of old have recommended as a cure for everything!

And then there is music: what we all love, there's that word again, and in reality this is what brings all of us together. I am humbled and thrilled at the same time, by the numerous messages from you to celebrate my birthday, and without doubt, it is the work of music. 

This has to be yet another kind of miracle: That we can make bumps and scrapes, booms, bangs, oohs and aahs, twangs and grinds, and out comes beauty........ And we all love this improbable beauty that comes out of all of these sounds, and that it can be so surprising, so different, and at the same time, so right. Music has this power to speak directly to the depths of our souls, and reminds us that this is where we all belong, and that in music as in love, we truly are one.

With Love and Blessings to all,
john

 

track: "Power Of Love" from the album "Apocolypse" by the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

The Mahavishnu Project — Show Review in Metroland

Bearsville Theater, June 10

Rating: +3 (from 3 votes)

The Mahavishnu Project’s whole shtick is that they re-create albums by the Mahavishnu Orchestra in their entirety. They do this with the blessing of the members of the original group, including guitarist John McLaughlin, who has said that they re-create the tunes in “an unbelievable way.” At the Bearsville Theater, the fare for the night included the entire album Visions of the Emerald Beyond, and also a few selections from Birds of Fire and Inner Mounting Flame.

The drummer and bandleader, Gregg Bendian, announced that they would be playing the entire album from start to finish with no breaks in between. This direct-flight approach made the evening seem something like a guided meditation.

Some of the pieces built to fiendish intensity within odd, deeply grooving time signatures like 10/8, 9/8 or 14/8, exploding and collapsing into subdued interludes, like an elegant string quartet with screaming classical violin over pulsing, legato cello and viola.

The orchestration of the tunes was incredibly complex and just as stable as any of Beethoven’s epic symphonies. To access the full sonic spectrum, the instruments would often trade roles. Sometimes the keyboard would be comping and sometimes it would be leading. The same was true for the electric violin and guitar. On certain tunes, the instruments would use their “natural sounds” and, on others, the soloists seemed to emulate the sound of the electric guitar. This was especially noticeable from Neil Alexander on the keytar. When he was soloing, he would frequently use one hand to play fiendish single-note lines and the other to facilitate bends and expressive touches that emulated the sound of the guitar.

Another aspect of the orchestration was a musical gestalt in which new sounds were created beyond the mere sum of the parts creating them. Examples of this were the combination of soprano sax and electric violin, or vocals and keytar. This effect made it not immediately apparent what was causing certain sounds at times. Bendian or Alexander would conduct the inner layers to produce lush pads of ambiguous sound.

In addition to the music, there were projected graphics that seemed to fade in and out and assume different colors and brightness in relation to the music. One especially memorable graphic happened on “Pastoral,” which featured the string section, acoustic guitar, and Bendian on dumbek, an Eastern hand drum. This was an almost Renaissance-sounding piece, and the graphic on-screen faded in with the word “Greece” and an outline evocative of the curly hair on a Greek statue. Bendian grooved along on dumbek while Chern Hwei played a sitar-like melody on electric violin and Glenn Alexander strummed along on acoustic guitar.

The music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra incorporates many styles, from American jazz and bluegrass to European and Indian classical styles. The Project did not just re-create the music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, but they made it their own, while upholding the standards of excellence that were set by the likes of John McLaughlin, Jan Hammer, and the rest of the original crew.

Tagged as: Birds of Fire, fusion, Inner Mounting Flame, jazz-rock, John McLaughlin, keytar, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Visions of the Emerald Beyond

via metroland.net

Thanks Jeff!

Mahavishnu project at the Bearsville Theater

Last night was one of those gigs - one for the memory banks. Super fun! The sound wasn't great - either on stage or in the house - but we definitely blew the roof off the place. A lotta history there; Todd Rundgren's studio Utopia, Albert Grossman (who built the Bearsville Complex), etc. Great vibes, great hang. Opening set with Jesse Gress (Todd Rundgren's guitarist) was some of the most pure fun I've had onstage in a while. :)

NAIL: A 400 year Musical Journey

As a part of the area's "Hudson/Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration" I was extremely thrilled to be able to present this concert at one of my fav spots, the Newburgh Free Library. We streamed the show and everything. A gentleman I recently met by the name of Paul Lockwood, who owns a local home for seniors called the New Windsor Country Inn, told me he was at the show (!) and had pictures (double!!). Here they are. :) Thanks Paul!

 

And in case you missed it, here's a video. The whole show is up there, some on Youtube and some on Vimeo...

 

Tomorrow Never Knows from Neil Alexander on Vimeo.

Neil Alexander & NAIL performing Tomorrow Never Knows as part of the "400 Year Musical Journey" Concert, Sept 13th 2009. With: Neil A. (keys), Dan Asher (Bass), Nadav Zelniker (drums), Premik Russel Tubbs (EWI) and Zach Brock (violin/loops). This video is TOO LONG for YouTube. Damn them anyway. :)

 

And here's one more:

How to make a fake "virtual" virtual synth

OK, so here's the situation:

I have a Sequential Circuits Pro One Analog synth. I got it a long time ago.... and actually, if you must know, it was a gift. So I've been very attached to it; I kept it in good shape, hardly ever using it on gigs etc. (except for the firat 2 years with the Machine). It's a really good sounding instrument.

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Anyway, When I joined the Mahavishnu Project, it became a necessity. It also became obvious fairly quickly that these instruments were not built to withstand the rigours of playing hard core fusion - screaming solos, fast sound changes, etc. And that the keyboard was simply too short. It started to suffer...

And then, the inevitable happened: It "failed" - but in an unusual way. Starting with the A above the low F, every 6th note was out. This was nothing less then bizarre. I brought the instrument to my tech. I explained to him what happened, and asked him what he thought it would take to repair it. His response was "I have no idea - I've never heard of this problem".

Lovely. 

Well it's obvious now as well that I'll need to get my grubby keyboardist paws on a REAL performance synth - a Minimoog Voyager. Current economic trends, however, are forcing me to put this purchase off for an indefinite period of time. Damn. (If you'd like to help me acquire this instrument, go to the Nailblog and put something in the tipjar, here. I will come to your house and give you a free concert on it for you and your friends, and let you play with it for as long as you like. I could also lay down synth tracks on your next CD. Or chase away local wildlife. What would you want me to do?)

Meanwhile, I've got gigs to play. (No, they don't pay enough for me to buy the Moog). And I'll need to use something....

Here's my temporary solution:

Virtual Analog rack synth (novation A-Station) + Controller Keyboard (MAudio Key49) + small block of wood + velcro = ANALOG STYLE SYNTH. 


1) The M-Audio Controller, with velcro installed:

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2) A Novation A-Station virtual Analog synth module. It'll have to do.

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I specially cut piece of wood. Basically, a 12" long piece of 2x4 cut diagonally across it's center...

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The assmebly: First, attach the wood to the keyboard, thus:

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Then attach the module, and viola!!! Instant synth. Just add electricity.  The wood holds the module at the perfect angle for operating the knobs.

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So this is what I'll be using in place of a real good ol' analog synth for what looks to be an indefinite amount of time. It oughta fool 'em for a few minutes, anyway.

See you on the road. :)

Mahavishnu Project mentioned in Jazz Times - just not our names

Every so often, something interesting happens...to me. (I mean , LOTS of interersting things are happening all the time, right?) This time it seems like something extraordinary - my picture, along with the Mahavishnu Project, in JazzTImes magazine!

But, as usually happens, it's not all roses & glory. There are no NAMES listed with the picture. That this has happned to me multiple times means I've gone from excitement, to frustration, to resignation. But it's still pretty damn cool, so I'm posting a scan pf the page here. The musicians in the picture are, rom left to right:

Zach Brock (Violin); Neil Alexander (me); Gregg Bendian (drums, leader); Chad MCLoughlin (Guitar); Jim Cammack (bass).

What's even funnier (or not so funny, depending n your point of view) is that Jim is no longer with us, being replaced by Peter Brendler almost a year ago. Ah, the joy of press. :)

 

 

Here ya go:

 

Mahaprojazztimes146

For You: Solo House Concerts by Me. :)

So here we are: 2010. It's been a wacky ride, especially the last few weeks! I've been so busy with gigs now (thanks heavens!) that I can't see straight. My "Year end wrap up" post never actually materialized, but at some point I will touch on the things that started last year and are starting to flower and bear fruit this year. Things like "The Mahavishnu Project" - which is picking up steam in a subtle and most interesting way. But I digress - and I'll come back to this with pix, video, and a story to tell. Promise.

This post is about looking forward - to possibilities, and to the future of Live Music. It's about bringing music right to you, the listener. That's right, I'm taking about House Concerts. Starting this year, I will be embarking on a new path: Solo House Concerts.

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Concerts in Your Home. :) 

I'm sure most (if not all) of you have heard of this delightful phenomenon. Basically what it means is that A performer, one who's music you're interested in, comes to your house and does an intimate semi-private performance for you and your friends. People can bring food (ranging from snacks to a pot-luck dinner); it can be a cover charge or suggested donation. (I have to cover costs, and these will vary by location.) The important thing is everyone gets to have a meaningful musical experience - up close and personal, both for the fans and the artist. Basically, everyone wins! Some great info about the House Concert ideology and how it works can be found Here:

Steve Lawson's Excellent Page: http://www.stevelawson.net/2009/03/house-concert-hosting-a-beginners-guide/

Gaia Consort: http://gaiaconsort.com/house.html

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_concert

At this time, I've yet to do a solo performance (in someone's house, that is - I've done tons of solo gigs at traditional venues), so I've no video to post at the moment. I am setting up a local performance for recording so you can see exactly what I'm offering, from setup stills and live video. But till then, here's a brief description of what I do, especially for those coming to my music for the first time: I am a jazz pianist and electronica artist. What I've done is combine these 2 styles into something unique; something that blends jazz, rock, electronics, funk and ambient music into a seamless blend. My music is both composed & improvised; I perform a combination of familiar jazz standards with a twist; gentle ambient electronica improvisations, and a variety of combinations of all the aforementioned styles. I will bring  an ever-so-small electronic setup to your house. If you have a piano (and it's a reasonably good instrument and in tune), I can use it along with the electronics - or keep it straight up acoustic if you prefer. I have my own style at the piano (somewhat along the lines of Keith Jarret and Bill Evans, with a modern classical vibe thrown in). In addition to standards and improvisations I also do select classical works - Gershwin, Bartok, Mozart etc. Stuff I'm SURE you and your friends will enjoy. :) I will have some video to post soon, of both my electronic, acoustic, and "electro-acoustic" material. Meanwhile, I have a whole bunch of stuff that you can look at to get a better idea of what I'm about, at my YOUTUBE page. I will be in the Los Angeles Area at the end of July and currently have an open date on July 23rd. Hit me up on twitter (@nailmusic) if you'd like to set something up! Also wanted to mention that my group NAIL - in either acoustic or electric form - is also available for House Concerts, although we'd need a bit more room (and a bit more money...). Here's my group NAIL performing at our first house concert in May 2009:

 

So - stay tuned for an actual House Concert Page to be posted on this site with vids, booking info, contact form, etc. Thanks for looking. I agree with the current sentiment that House Concerts are indeed the way forward. Peace!

The Mahavishnu Project at the Keswick Theater, 6/20/10

Holy smokes! Here are some pix from my recent show with the Mahavishnu Project, one of the most fun bands I've ever been in. The lineup for this show was Greg Bendian (drums), Peter Brendler (bass), Glenn Alexander (guitar), Zach Brock (violin) and myself (Neil Alexander) on keys. We really turned up the heat and blew the room away, receiving 2 standing ovations during the course of the set. For me, it doesn't get much better than this. As an added bonus, we were opneing for "3 Friends", playing the music of Gentle Giant (with 2 original members) An excellent evening all around. :)

I have audio as well, and will post that at a later date. All pix courtesy Vincent Mineo (a.k.a. Vinnie The video Guy), who does an excellent job as archivist, capturing all kinds of great local shows (local being NY City area). We're lucky to have him in our corner. 

 

 

P.S. - if you think I've posted too many pix for the reader (that's you) to assimilate, let me know. I'll post fewer pictures next time. :)

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