Cincinnati Babyhead

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John Mclaughlin Live! – Stratus

Treat city today. We are catching arguably one of the best guitarists I have had the pleasure of listening to for a long time. John Mclauglin. Way back when musicians were messing around with some new sounds they came up with what you’re about to hear. John was at the forefront with Tony Williams, Larry Young, Jack Bruce and a bunch of others that wanted to mix their rock leanings with their jazz calling. Mac stretched out with The Mahvishnu Orchestra to come up with some of my favorite music.

The cut we are going to hear was written by his friend and fellow music traveller Billy Cobham, it has stood the test of time. Hard driving rhythm with Mclaughlin laying down his hard rock searing, mind blowing licks. Jeff Beck said he was the best (This performance was taken from Beck’s tribute) I’m not going to argue. Listen and watch some great playing by Mac.

We have front row seats and we are going to catch John working out with a couple young gals who get a once in a life time chance to play and make music with a legend. Remember, some of the best musicians out there have shared the stage with McLaughlin. Avika Nilles on drums and Rhonda Smith on some funky bass step up to the plate and deliver. Don’t forget the keyboards, he didn’t make it on camera. Catch the look on J M’s face. Digging every second. It doesn’t take long for the music to take off. So cool! Beck would have been groovin to this one and soaking it up like we are.

This is pretty special folks. If you’ve never experienced John Mac you are in for something special. This cooks and we are going to be at the table. The bus is on it’s way, Lisa is behind the wheel so hang on. Oh yeah Mac is 80 something years young. Crazy. CB still has a few years to keep cranking it up.

42 comments on “John Mclaughlin Live! – Stratus”

  1. greenpete58
    April 25, 2025
    greenpete58's avatar

    (Keep cranking, CB.) McLaughlin is a phenomenal guitarist, often overlooked by the rock crowd, even though I think he had his start in blues or R&B. A deejay friend in San Francisco had the good fortune to interview him, and he’s extremely forthcoming and humble. Will visit this vid you posted. For me, Mac was one of the highlights of the 2007 Clapton “Crossroads” festival.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • cincinnatibabyhead
      April 25, 2025
      cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

      I wouldn’t expect anything different from that interview. I would think he would be a highlight where ever he played. I think you’ll enjoy the clip. You’re right on the “blues’ thing.

      Like

      Reply
  2. Yeah, Another Blogger
    April 25, 2025
    Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar

    He’s great. I especially like the Mahavishnu Orchestra. That band was unreal.

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    • cincinnatibabyhead
      April 25, 2025
      cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

      Listening to Inner Mountain this morning. How timeless is this stuff./Cobham is catching my ear bigtime. I know you’ve caught JM before and are a fan. Thanks Neil. PS Not bad for and old guy on the clip.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. valenciartist
    April 25, 2025
    valenciartist's avatar

    Phenomenal guitarist!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Badfinger (Max)
    April 25, 2025
    Badfinger (Max)'s avatar

    Excellent dude…but I also noticed that bass player. She impressed me so much I had to look up more playing by her…Rhonda Smith. Damn she is good. Sorry I had to go sideways a little bit first.

    Mclaughlin is great of course. I put it on full screen and watched it 3 times in a row. That is perfection with an edge…which is not easy to do. Guys as great as he is…it’s hard to keep that edge being as good as they are but he does. Don’t know if that makes sense…but when you get that good…it’s easy just to play by numbers…he doesn’t.

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    • cincinnatibabyhead
      April 25, 2025
      cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

      That’s not sideways that’s commenting on what’s at hand. She was digging it making music with John.
      “Full screen” “3 times” Ha, I’m still ahead of you. Great stuff. So right about not going through the motions. Not one boring piece in his solo. He starts to cook a minute in. Man is he good. Thing is it totally captures my music ear. Your comment makes sense to me. His “edge” is what grabbed me way back. Here I go again, That guitar is one nice lookig piece. Any idea?

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      • Badfinger (Max)
        April 25, 2025
        Badfinger (Max)'s avatar

        CB I’ve heard of John but never really heard him. When Jeff Beck calls you the best guitarist alive…you are on top of it. I had no idea he played with Miles Davis and Stanley Clarke…that alone would put him up there.

        You have talked about The Mahavishnu Orchestra. This weekend I’m going to listen to them more thoroughly. George Martin said one of their albums (Apocalypse) was one of the best things he ever produced.

        On that guitar…you have me working on this one. I want to know…it’s not the usual Gibson or Fender… It’s a Godin Guitar with scalloped fingerboard. i’ve always wanted to play with a scalloped fingerboard. Each fret is dug out. It woudl probably help with the friction of the strings…I’ve never played one. Here is a link to show what it is.

        https://warmoth.com/guitar-neck-scalloping#:~:text=On%20a%20scalloped%20neck%20the,lead%20techniques%20quicker%20and%20easier.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        April 25, 2025
        cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

        Thanks Max I will look at that link for sure. All this music we listen to can take us down many paths. Birds Of Fire was an instant head turner for me. We both like Moon on drums, when I heard Birds for the first time the drummer caught my ear. Billy Cobham was something else. This song Stratus is off his first solo album. Tommy Bolin is on guitar. Again, a guy known for heavy metal shows his other side. I’m listening to ‘Inner Mounting Flame’ this morning and digging it. Thanks again for the guitar info. I like it.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Badfinger (Max)
        April 25, 2025
        Badfinger (Max)'s avatar

        I’ve heard Bolin some…when he joined The James Gang and a few others…yea he was great. Birds of Fire is where I’m going to begin…
        Yea I want to play a guitar that has a fretboard like that.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        April 25, 2025
        cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

        Birds is a pretty in your face listen but it’s the edge from all of them that grabbed me plus a lot of restrain and release, sort of like the Who. Goodman and McLaughlin strade licks and hard sometimes to differentiate between the two. Cobham is killer. Couple weeks ago Lisa was doing her woman in music thing. I had already did this take so I told her a few gals were coming up on a CB take.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Badfinger (Max)
        April 25, 2025
        Badfinger (Max)'s avatar

        I’m looking forward to Cobham…the Moon reference is all I needed.
        I will not forget Rhonda Smith now.
        John McLaughlin, Rory Gallagher, and Frank Marino I want to know more about. I’ve heard more of McLaughlin than those other two…but it’s going to be interesting.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        April 25, 2025
        cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

        Billy C is a force of nature. His music reached me. Not all great musicians do that.
        I know Rory well but not Frank. Great clip of Rory and Jack Bruce dong Politician floating around. Well worth a search. My collection is full of John in all sorts of combos and styles.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Badfinger (Max)
        April 25, 2025
        Badfinger (Max)'s avatar

        Yea I read about John being in different formations I want to check out.

        Like

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        April 25, 2025
        cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

        All with all that other music we converse about, this stuff is right up there. The combo of violin and heavy guitar was used in King Crimson also. It just blew my mind.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. glyn40wilton
    April 25, 2025
    glyn40wilton's avatar

    ‘Birds of Fire’ by The Mahavishnu Orchestra is the only album I have featuring John Mcloughlin

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Lisa or Li
    April 25, 2025
    Lisa or Li's avatar

    CB, DAYUM, that’s what I call a groovin tune! He makes it look easy. Gotta add Rhonda Smith and Avika Nilles to my WMM list. Like Glyn, I used to have the Birds of Fire album. JM def having a grand time showing the youngsters how it’s done. The bass player was grooving, but the drummer seemed a little anxious up until the very end.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • cincinnatibabyhead
      April 26, 2025
      cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

      A “grand time” is exactly what is happening. Making music with the next generation. Fantastic. You have a couple cocktails at the show I’ll drive the bus just get me a thermos of hot coffee. Maybe a sandwhich to go.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Lisa or Li
        April 26, 2025
        Lisa or Li's avatar

        :::sipping cosmos::: and have been listening to the concert since writing my first comment. On song 19 of 23 right now. :::passing you the thermos and a couple of Reubens:::

        Like

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        April 26, 2025
        cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

        Is the concert enjoyable?
        Rubens? Talk about on the same wavelength, I had one last night. I’ll mow down a reuben anytime. I have a big smile on the face.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Lisa or Li
        April 26, 2025
        Lisa or Li's avatar

        YES on the concert enjoyable. EC looking a lotta tired, but his sidekick Doyle Bramhall II picking up the slack. They pulled in some danged good guitarists and singers for the tribute.

        Reuben is a rare treat for me, but I guessed you would like them. I guess we are on the same wavelength. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        April 26, 2025
        cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

        I’ll have to check out some of that. I like Trucks a lot.
        “Rare treat” for me also. melt in the mouth good. How’s that’s for a commercial?

        Liked by 1 person

      • Lisa or Li
        April 26, 2025
        Lisa or Li's avatar

        Trucks is simply amazing with that slide. So danged crisp. Tedeschi ain’t no slouch neither! I added her also to my WMM list.

        Like

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        April 26, 2025
        cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

        PS And Susan T also.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Lisa or Li
        April 26, 2025
        Lisa or Li's avatar

        🙂

        Like

  7. Lisa or Li
    April 25, 2025
    Lisa or Li's avatar

    p.s. CB do you know any more about the Beck Tribute this was a part of? I bet it is one I want to see.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Lisa or Li
    April 26, 2025
    Lisa or Li's avatar

    CB, I just noticed I’m behind the wheel. Hope there’s some tread left on these tires by morning.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Jat Storey
    April 27, 2025
    Jat Storey's avatar

    How was it?

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    Reply
  10. the press music reviews
    April 29, 2025
    the press music reviews's avatar

    Awesome work. He’s definitely one of the greats. I saw him alongside Chick Corea about 15 years ago.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      April 29, 2025
      cincinnatibabyhead's avatar

      I caught him a couple times. Also Chick and RTF. Never together though. Cant lose.
      Thanks for dropping by. I peek in on you periodically. I’ll be over soon.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. Vinyl Connection
    May 27, 2025
    Vinyl Connection's avatar

    The opening track of side two of Billy’s first solo album. (My first jazz-rock LP.) Absolute scorcher of a performance! Loved it. Thanks CB.

    Liked by 1 person

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