George Harrison, through his love for Indian music, by interjecting it into his work as a solo artist and as a member of The Beatles, and by virtue of his relationship with Ravi Shankar, was instrumental in exposing the music to the non-Western world. Another artist who has been a champion of Indian music and explored the style in his own works is John McLaughlin. Through his work with Shakti, he perhaps hasn’t been as well-known for exposing the music as for touring and recording with various configurations of Shakti. His efforts to share his enthusiasm for the music should not be diminished or underestimated. What follows are reviews of a recent reissue of a Ravi Shankar album and a brand-new Shakti album.
Ravi Shankar had been recording for nearly 20 years by the time he was part of the Shankar Family and Friends album which was released in 1974. This is the second time this century that it has been reissued. Previously, it was part of the George Harrison Collaborations CD box set in 2010. The album was produced by George Harrison and was released on his Dark Horse record label. Of course, Harrison was close friends with Shankar, studied Indian music under his tutelage, and worked on several live albums with Shankar, two of which were also film soundtracks: The Concert for Bangladesh and Ragas. This reissue is part of the new Dark Horse reissue program. It is available on limited edition orchid vinyl, was remastered by Paul Hicks and comes with a four-page insert.
Along with Harrison, who plays electric and acoustic guitars and autoharp on the release and who arranged “I Am Missing You,” other non-Indian musicians who worked on the album include Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Keltner, David Bromberg, Tom Scott, Ed Shaughnessy and many others. Owing to the eclecticism of this album, including the mixing of styles and experiments with various instruments, Paul Beaver, Vini Poncia, and Robert Margouleff play Moog synthesizer. Nearly 50 musicians contributed to this album.
“I Am Missing You,” “Supané Mé Āyé Preetam Sainyā” and “I Am Missing You (Reprise)” benefit the most from the contribution from the non-Indian musicians in creating a sound more accessible to Western pop fans, but thankfully it in no way waters down the organic musicality of the Indian style. Side two is comprised of “Dream, Nightmare & Dawn (Music for a Ballet).” The music is quite varied, incorporating what sounds like African rhythms along with the latest cutting-edge synthesizer sounds.
Shakti only released three albums when the group first formed, two in 1976 and one in 1977. At the time, John McLaughlin was coming off his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. After Shakti, he resumed his solo career while simultaneously rejoining Miles Davis and his new projects. In 1997 two members toured under the Remember Shakti moniker and in 1999 they reformed, recording several albums. After the initial lineups of the group performed their last concerts in 1979, the group played on July 14, 2022 in France. McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain have been the two musicians who have comprised the core of all of the albums and concerts.
Shakti is yet another example of the stylistic dexterity of McLaughlin. It also reflects his continued exploration of challenging musical sounds, with no regard for fame or huge sales. From his early days on the British blues scene, McLaughlin has always pushed himself to be a master musician and to play with like-minded artists. There’s no question that if he had chosen a career rooted in rock, his name would be added to the list of famed British rock gods such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck.
The vinyl release is a double-album gatefold, with purple vinyl as well as polyvinyl inner sleeves, and is limited to 3,000 copies. This lineup includes McLaughlin, Hussain and Shankar Mahadevan, Ganesh Rajagopalan, and Selvaganesh Vinayakram.
This is an expansive, uplifting album that draws from traditional Indian music, but through McLaughlin’s playing, particularly his guitar synth, sounds fresh and modern, but not watered down. The indescribable, inspired, rhythmic scat-singing of Mahadevan may be the highlight of the album and what makes it so unique. The music here is respectful of the ancient and organic simplicity of Indian music, while being exploratory and embracing new sounds, textures and technologies, to make it music for the 21st Century.
While this is indeed a group effort, McLaughlin has long had a knack for tapping into the primal and classical elements of various musical styles, while merging them with new ideas and approaches. He could have long ago chosen the path of being one of the British rock gods but has instead followed his own path, mostly playing jazz, but also Indian and other styles. He has done this in both acoustic and electric settings, and it seems like there is still plenty of new music and ideas for him to explore.
