jimmy herring john mclaughlin tour

Meeting of the Spirits: John McLaughlin Discusses His Farewell U.S. Tour

“Last year, I decided to do a ‘farewell’ tour of the States and thought, what to do? The music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra has always been so special to me, and, right from the very start of Mahavishnu back in 1971, the American audiences accepted and embraced this music so enthusiastically. To me, there is no better way to say thank you to America than to celebrate the music of Mahavishnu on this tour.”

British guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin is discussing his Meeting of the Spirits Tour , which began November 1 in Buffalo, New York, and wraps up December 9 in Los Angeles, California.

This is the 75-year-old guitarist’s first tour of the States in seven years, and is his first extended live presentation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra material from seminal albums such as The Inner Mounting Flame , Birds of Fire , Between Nothingness and Eternity and Visions of the Emerald Beyond .

McLaughlin will be joined on this tour by guitarist Jimmy Herring , who, as a member of Aquarium Rescue Unit, the Allman Brothers Band, the Dead and Widespread Panic, has been at the forefront of the jam band movement for 25 years. Separate sets by Jimmy and his band, the Invisible Whip, and McLaughlin and his band, the 4th Dimension, will be followed by the two bands joining forces for an expansive closing set built from classic Mahavishnu Orchestra material.

McLaughlin spoke to Guitar World from his home in Monaco on the eve of the American tour to discuss the reasons for this new presentation of the revolutionary music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and exactly why this is a farewell tour.

So why are you calling this a farewell tour? Because I want to avoid being in a position where I will betray myself and betray everybody else by going out there and not performing up to a level that I feel is necessary. That would be something that I would regret to my dying day. You can fight everything except old age. I have been having some issues with arthritis in my hands, but I do have my hands worked on regularly and, right now, I feel great. I will, of course, continue to record and put out new music, and I am not ruling out playing shows into next year and beyond.

This tour has been in the works for over a year and will feature Jimmy Herring, whom I love dearly. The two bands will each play a set and then for the third set, both bands will be onstage—two drummers, two bass players, two or three keyboard players and two guitar players—nine musicians. We will play only the music of Mahavishnu, from Birds of Fire , The Inner Mounting Flame , Visions of the Emerald Beyond , Between Nothingness and Eternity , The Lost Trident Sessions and Apocalypse .

To bring this music back is pure joy for me. The way it was received in 1971 was incredible. I had no idea that there would be this kind of reaction and…not success, but that the music would be taken to heart by the majority of these audiences. I had no idea what was going to happen with that band. You don’t form a band with the knowledge that it will be a success, certainly not with instrumental music. You never know what is going to work and what isn’t. Because of the unbelievable reaction, and the undying interest in this music throughout the years, I have always wanted to revisit it in a tour of the U.S.

Why do you think the music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra resonated so much with American audiences? I can’t tell you for sure, but what I can say is that American music has had a very powerful impact on me, going back to when I was 12 years old. It shaped my musical and my personal life.

What I hear people call jazz today, people chat over it. That’s not jazz music! Jazz is supposed to take you to a different world, into the world of the players, with the intensity and the passion of it. That’s how I grew up, and that’s what is real to me. Not smooth jazz or funky jazz that’s played in a bistro and people drink cappuccino over it! That doesn’t work for me.

On your new album, Live at Ronnie Scott’s, there are four tunes from the Mahavishnu canon: “Meeting of the Spirits,” “Miles Beyond,” “Sanctuary” and “Vital Transformation.” What is it about these specific tunes that make them the perfect representation of the sound of the Mahavishnu Orchestra? There is something iconic about the song “Meeting of the Spirits” and about the title. In a way, every meeting is a meeting of the spirits, isn’t it? If it’s a meeting, it means there is more than one. The wonderful game of life, the whole fantastic theater of life, is that we meet each other—we meet the other—and this is fascinating to me.

The “meeting of the spirits” is when you feel something that is akin to you; you feel, in that other person, that you have known them before somehow, mysteriously. There is something invisible but you can feel the connection. And these are the great meetings. It doesn’t happen with everybody and it’s not supposed to happen with everybody. It depends on the degree of each person’s perception. I have found that people with a deeply developed sense of perception—or alternative views of the world, the universe, whatever you want to call it—I can have a “meeting,” a meeting of the minds and of the spirits.

Some people are interested in more superficial interactions, but that is fine too. Don’t get me wrong—this is not a criticism of anyone. Throughout the whole of life, the mysterious way that we meet people remains fascinating. Like, how did I end up in America, which had been an unthinkable dream for me? To end up playing with Miles Davis…it was the impossible dream coming true. Meeting people with whom you end up having a deep connection is one of the greatest pleasures of life.

One of the most powerful things that I remember about seeing the Mahavishnu Orchestra back in 1972 was the duet between you and Billy Cobham on “Noonward Race,” which has its origins in the song “Right Off,” from the Miles Davis album A Tribute to Jack Johnson . The Jack Johnson session is where I first met Billy. The album is mainly just a jam, and it’s the one album that Miles didn’t direct. He didn’t have any music prepared for this session. After 20 minutes of waiting to begin recording, I just started playing something I’d been thinking of that eventually became part of a Mahavishnu tune, as you so rightly pointed out. I just started playing some R&B, which is the first thing you hear on “Right Off,” the opening tune. Billy kicked in, and bassist Michael Henderson kicked in, and we hit a groove and Miles ran into the studio, with the red [ recording ] light already on, and we went on to play the most amazing stuff I’d ever heard him play for the next 15 minutes. Jack Johnson is unique in that sense.

You were both perfectly suited to one another, in terms of the intensity with which you played and the sound, and “Noonward Race” is a good example. Another perfect example is one of the tracks you include on Ronnie Scott’s, “Vital Transformation.” Yes, true. The thing is, by the time the other guys came in—Jerry [ Goodman ], Jan [ Hammer ] and Rick [ Laird ], all they had to do was to bounce off me and Billy. By then, we’d done some serious playing together, just the two of us. Our first gigs were in July of ’71 at [ New York City’s ] Gaslight and the Café au Go Go opposite John Lee Hooker, which was a trip! Billy and I would do a lot of duets on the gigs; the other guys would say, “Go ahead!”

One of the primary things that made Mahavishnu connect with so many people was the sound of your guitar—you were playing through Marshall stacks with distortion and with an intensity that had, at the time, been so closely associated with Jimi Hendrix, but the music itself had other elements in it, such as jazz harmony, polytonality and unusual time signatures. It was challenging music in so many ways. Yes, challenging to the listener! [ laughs ] And, mysteriously, it did appeal to so many listeners across the globe. You mentioned Jimi, and I have to say that the very first guitar players I fell in love with were Mississippi blues players like Muddy Waters, Bill Broonzy, Lead Belly, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Robert Johnson. I had been playing classical piano at the time, but when the guitar arrived in my hands, I stopped everything else. I fell in love with it, and I am still in love with it today. American music, starting with Mississippi Delta blues, just killed me, and I began playing it on the guitar.

From that, I moved into jazz, but what always bothered me was that Miles didn’t have a guitar player! Why?! Coltrane didn’t have a guitar player. Why not—where are they? There were great guitar players at the time, and I have great respect for all of them, but they had kind of a “cool” tone, almost like a nylon string guitar. I wanted intensity—I wanted blood on the floor!

When I heard Eric Clapton for the first time, the sound and intensity was in line with what I was thinking about. I got to know Eric in ’62, ’63, and after that when he was playing with John Mayall. I loved the way he was playing. He had the sound . I was playing with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, and after I left, Mitch Mitchell played drums with Georgie till he left to join Hendrix. I left Georgie Fame in ’63 to play in the Graham Bond Organization, which included Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker of Cream.

The music of the Graham Bond Organization was pretty twisted, with lots of unusual influences. That’s true, but Alexis Korner, who I also played with at that time, was even more twisted! He was the godfather of bringing jazz and blues players together in London. Everybody ended up in Alexis’ band, including me, Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, Graham Bond, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Cyril Davies and many others. I initially met Mitch through the Georgie Fame connection, and by the time I was playing with Tony Williams in 1969, Mitch was with Jimi, and he loved Tony. Mitch loved Elvin too, and when he joined the Experience, he really brought the jazz element, the “Elvin” thing, into the band.

Mitch idolized Tony—every time he was in town with Jimi, he’d come and see us play. In ’69, we were playing a club in the East Village called Slugs, the kind of place where you paid your dues. Four one-hour sets a night. We alternated between Slugs and the Vanguard, often on the bill with Herbie Hancock’s Octet. Miles would come down and listen to us there. Mitch came to see us everywhere. One of those nights at the Vanguard, Mitch said, “We are recording at the Record Plant; let’s go over there and I’ll introduce you to Jimi.” And that’s where I met Jimi for the first time.

Was Hendrix an influence for you as a guitar player? Absolutely. Jimi really turned the world upside down with his playing; he turned the guitar world on its ear, as we all know. He had the sound and the intensity, and, to me, he was trying to do what Coltrane was doing. If you never hear anything else, listen to Jimi’s version of “The Star Spangled Banner,” because what Jimi did is a work of art. It’s just stupendous, it’s phenomenal. Jimi was a phenomenon. I had been mostly influenced by saxophone players, such as Miles, Trane, Cannonball Adderley, Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp. Then I heard Eric and Jimi, and they were blazing new, exciting trails. Jimi, in particular, really got to me. Jimi impacted on every guitar player—the electric guitar would not be what it is today without Jimi.

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John McLaughlin

Official website of john mclaughlin, the meeting of the spirits tour nov-dec 2017.

Posted on Oct 4, 2016 in home , News , On Tour | 32 comments

GUITARIST JOHN MCLAUGHLIN REVISITS THE LEGACY OF HIS LEGENDARY MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA ON UPCOMING AMERICAN TOUR WITH CO-HEADLINER VIRTUOSO GUITARIST JIMMY HERRING.

In a career that spans more than five decades, John McLaughlin has honed a personal vision that transcends all boundaries, becoming one of improvised music’s most influential guitarists, composers, and bandleaders. McLaughlin will be joined by the remarkable Jimmy Herring, who has been in the creative forefront of the thriving American rock-jam band movement for 25 years, for what has been dubbed The Meeting of the Spirits tour. Highlighting this musical adventure, will be John McLaughlin revisiting the pioneering music he introduced with his deeply influential, genre-defying Mahavishnu Orchestra.  McLaughlin will be backed by his current band, the 4th Dimension – Ranjit Barot (drums), Gary Husband (keyboards, drums), and Etienne M’Bappé (bass) – each an established composer and recording artist in his own right.

Jimmy Herring, best known for his inspired contributions to the Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, The Dead, and others, will be co-headlining each show with his own band. “Herring possesses the heart and soul of a rocker, the chops and harmonic awareness of a jazz artist, and the simpatico personality of a jam-band player,” according to Guitar Player magazine.  2017 also marks the return of Jimmy Herring as a bandleader since touring after his widely acclaimed “Lifeboat” (2008) and “Subject to Change without Notice” (2012). On The Meeting of the Spirits tour, separate sets by Herring and McLaughlin will be followed by the two joining forces for an expansive closing jam based on classic Mahavishnu Orchestra material. The tour will feature the first extended collaborations between two of world’s foremost improvising guitarists. Expect special surprise guests to be added when available.

“The music of Mahavishnu is part of my personal and musical history, and as such it is inseparable from me,” McLaughlin reflects. “To return to these pieces with the experience I’ve had for the past 45 years, since the majority of those pieces were played all those years ago, is very exciting.”

Herring adds, “John’s influence on me is far-reaching. When first hearing him, I was struck by the raw emotion and technical prowess he has. If you listen to John long enough, the layers of all the things that make him unique will reveal themselves… Inner Mounting Flame changed my life and the way I heard music. By the time I heard it in 1980, John had long since moved on and recreated himself, as he has done many times throughout his career. It is an honor and a privilege to do this tour with John and the 4th Dimension.”

McLaughlin’s first extensive U.S. tour in seven years, The Meeting of the Spirits also marks his first extended exploration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra material from seminal albums such as Inner Mounting Flame , Birds of Fire , Between Nothingness and Eternity , Visions of the Emerald Beyond and more since the band’s original heyday in the 1970s.

“To play the music of Mahavishnu is not for the faint-hearted,” says McLaughlin, who celebrates his 75th birthday in 2017. “In fact, among the only people I know who have succeeded in interpreting Mahavishnu music are my two all-time favorite guitarists: Jimmy Herring and Jeff Beck. Jimmy is simply a great guitar player, and since we see so eye to eye in music, I know we will have some extraordinary musical experiences touring together.” McLaughlin strongly feels that this will be his last American performances. He is hoping that all of his friends who have supported him over the years can come out to celebrate this tour with him. After all, it was in America that he met Miles Davis and Tony Williams and played on such trailblazing albums as In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew.   America was the true birthplace of the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Booking/Management Abstract Logix, e: [email protected] ph: +1(919)342-5700 www.abstractlogix.com/agency

Photo Credit : Photo Credit: Kim Allegrezza/Misty Grove Photography

32 Comments

This is a major cause for celebration and reflection, I’m sure these US dates will be a memorable experience for all & I hope to be in attendance for NYC area dates along with my wife who be witnessing Mr. McLaughlin for the very first time

When and where are the dates?

Will you be coming to Southern, California for the 2017 tour?

Please come back to Colorado…..

When and where can I get tickets! Loved the shows at C W Post in NY on Long Island, Schaefer Music Festival at Central Park NY and Delhi State College NY, Calderone Concert Hall in Hempstead Long Island, NY with Al & Paco. Now I can travel and would love to see John again!

….want to buy the tickets right now! Thanks in advance for keeping me posted! Best Gabriel

Je m’y intéresse!

Dear John, what a beautiful news about your american tour, great thing! By the way is there anything new about your project with SHANKAR MAHADEVAN? thank you maestro !

Lucia Otello

will the tour be coming tae Glasgow?

when will the dates be posted?for the us tour?

I was curious when you expect to have Meeting of the Spirits tour dates in the US. I am particularly interested in dates near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

I saw the Mahavishnu Orchestra in Berkeley and San Francisco way back when. James Gang opened in Berkeley and Captain Beefheart opened at Winterland in SF. Captain Beefheart’s bass player had a double neck bass. The Winterland concert was the best I ever beheld. The place was packed to the rafters and at the end of the encore there was stunned silence. Everyone blown away. Awesome!

I also saw the S.F. Japan Center show with Alice Coltrane, Reggie Workman, and Carlos Santana. A cherished memory.

Whatever form this upcoming tour takes may you rekindle those inner flames!

Please bring this to Chicago!

Where? When? Please post the dates of this tour with Jimmy Herring!

Hi, would you mind telling me when the tickets are on sale?

Please tell me asap , so I can planify to buy also my trip plane tickets !! (I live in Buenos Aires..,,,)

Thanks in advance!!!

When are the dates and where are the venues? (And when/how can we book?!)

Where in US. When?

Come back to Seattle! Where are the dates?

In the article it says that John feels that these will be his last American performances. John, are you planning to retire? If so, please come the Netherlands once again to play, or some place near (remember the school theatre in the little German town of Neuenhaus in 2008?)

Any Canadian dates?

I saw you play with the Orchestra, Santana and even, I believe, at a Buddhist temple in the Chicago area, back in the day. You totally changed my perception of what music could be. I can’t wait for an opportunity to see you live again. I doubt that you be in Reno NV. But I’ll drive or fly to the nearest show!

Please come to Minneapolis, Minnesota! You have a lot of Fans here. Thanks,

When and where will tickets be made available?

See you at The Warfield (with any luck)

Supposedly …

November 1 Buffalo, NY – University at Buffalo Center for the Arts November 2 Albany, NY – The Egg November 3 New York, NY – Town Hall November 4 Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre November 5 Cranston, RI – Park Theatre November 8 Boston, MA – The Wilbur Theatre November 9 Philadelphia, PA – Keswick Theatre November 10 Newark, NJ – Prudential Hall November 11 Washington DC, Lincoln Theatre November 12 Durham, NC, Duke Performances at DPAC November 15 Ann Arbor, MI – TBA November 17 Chicago, IL, Vic Theatre November 19 Indianapolis, IN, Clowes Memorial Hall November 21 Nashville, TN, Schermerhorn Symphony Center November 22 Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Symphony Hall November 24 Jacksonville, FL, Florida Theatre November 25 Clearwater, FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall November 27 New Orleans, LA, The Joy Theater November 30 Austin, TX, Paramount Theatre December 5 Seattle, WA, Moore Theatre December 6 Portland, OR, Revolution Hall December 8 San Francisco, CA, The Warfield December 9 Los Angeles, CA, Royce Hall-UCLA

Bought my tickets for the November 9, 2017 show in Glenside, PA north of Philly. Saw you play in the 90’s at the Valley Forge Music Fair with Trilok Gurtu and Jeff Berlin (opening for Miles Davis).

Really looking forward to this!

Got my tickets this AM inviting all my friends to see the greatest of the greats

How do I get tickets for DPAC in Durham, NC on November 12th? We grew up with Jimmy and would love to see him perform.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing John a few times. First was in 1971 with the original Mahavishnu Orchestra. Cobham, Laird,Goodman,Hammer and John doing « The Inner Mounting Flame ». Again with Shakti in San Juan, PR. Twice again with the « Apocalypse » and « Visions of the Emerald Beyond » band. Jean Luc Ponty and Ralph Armstrong, Gayle Moran, Carol Shive, Narmada Michael Walden…….awesome. I am excited to be able to see him one more time in Austin, TX on Nov 30, 2017. Truly THE GREATEST GUITARIST of ALL TIME!

John please considers adding Montreal QC Canada in the farewell tour, we miss you in Montreal

I’ve waited 44 years to see John Mclaughlin perform The Inner Mounting Flame. Although I’ve seen him perform 10 times since, I never witnessed the original Mahavishnu Orchestra, and he’s never performed the material since; except at Chick Corea’s 75 birthday at The Blue Note in Dec 2016. I had a ticket to see the Dec 30, 1973 show at the Masonic Temple Detroit, their final performance. But I was invited to the Bahamas, missed the show and regretted it ever since. Although I went on to become an MD, I think no other artist has inspired me more toward creative enlightenment than Mahavishnu John Mclaughlin.

Shows I have seen include: April 1974 Detroit / Leo Kotke opening July 1974 Pine Knob, Mi April 1975 Detroit / with Jeff Beck Group October 1976 Ann Arbor (Inner Worlds) September 1977 Detroit (Shakti) March 1979 Ann Arbor (One Truth Band)/ Larry Coryell opening January 1983 Philadelphia / with Paco and Steve Morse June 1985 New York (The New Mahavishnu Band) September 1989 Philadelphia(duet Jonas Helborg)/ +Miles Davis

With some good fortune, all things come to those who wait. I’ve got 2nd row tickets for Philadelphia 11/6

This will be my first opportunity to see John(ji), I’m 53 and excited like a young boy. Decades in the waiting. See you in Philadelphia. I too shall be in the 2nd row. Sadhu-Orange shirt. I’d love to ask him about parenthood, especially with his youngest since I will be in a similar situation.

In follow up to my post above. I finally met John and spoke with him, thanking him for the inspiration his artistry has given to us all these many years. I told him that after my wife’s passing not long ago, I was determined not to miss a chance to see what turned out to be his farewell tour in America. Some years ago, she had tried to arrange a meeting between, even calling his management at one point to no avail. She had always understood how much his music meant to me, and by extension to her. To you John, thank you again for standing in that cold rain after the Keswick Theatre Philadelphia show to share that time. Your name was the only one on my bucket list to meet and I’ll never forget and always be grateful.

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John Mclaughlin Revisits The Legacy Of His Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra

The meeting of the spirits tour nov-dec 2017.

In a career that spans more than five decades, John McLaughlin has honed a personal vision that transcends all boundaries, becoming one of improvised music’s most influential guitarists, composers, and bandleaders. McLaughlin will be joined by the remarkable Jimmy Herring, who has been in the creative forefront of the thriving American rock-jam band movement for 25 years, for what has been dubbed The Meeting of the Spirits tour. Highlighting this musical adventure, will be John McLaughlin revisiting the pioneering music he introduced with his deeply influential, genre-defying Mahavishnu Orchestra. McLaughlin will be backed by his current band, the 4th Dimension – Ranjit Barot (drums), Gary Husband (keyboards, drums), and Etienne M’Bappé (bass) – each an established composer and recording artist in his own right.

Jimmy Herring, best known for his inspired contributions to the Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, The Dead, and others, will be co-headlining each show with his own band. “Herring possesses the heart and soul of a rocker, the chops and harmonic awareness of a jazz artist, and the simpatico personality of a jam-band player,” according to Guitar Player magazine. 2017 also marks the return of Jimmy Herring as a bandleader since touring after his widely acclaimed “Lifeboat” (2008) and “Subject to Change without Notice” (2012).

“The music of Mahavishnu is part of my personal and musical history, and as such it is inseparable from me,” McLaughlin reflects. “To return to these pieces with the experience I’ve had for the past 45 years, since the majority of those pieces were played all those years ago, is very exciting.”

Herring adds, “John’s influence on me is far-reaching. When first hearing him, I was struck by the raw emotion and technical prowess he has. If you listen to John long enough, the layers of all the things that make him unique will reveal themselves…Inner Mounting Flame changed my life and the way I heard music. By the time I heard it in 1980, John had long since moved on and recreated himself, as he has done many times throughout his career. It is an honor and a privilege to do this tour with John and the 4th Dimension.”

McLaughlin’s first extensive U.S. tour in seven years, The Meeting of the Spirits also marks his first extended exploration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra material from seminal albums such as Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire, Between Nothingness and Eternity, Visions of the Emerald Beyond and more since the band’s original heyday in the 1970s.

“To play the music of Mahavishnu is not for the faint-hearted,” says McLaughlin, who celebrates his 75th birthday in 2017. “In fact, among the only people I know who have succeeded in interpreting Mahavishnu music are my two all-time favorite guitarists: Jimmy Herring and Jeff Beck. Jimmy is simply a great guitar player, and since we see so eye to eye in music, I know we will have some extraordinary musical experiences touring together.”

McLaughlin strongly feels that this will be his last American performances. He is hoping that all of his friends who have supported him over the years can come out to celebrate this tour with him. After all, it was in America that he met Miles Davis and Tony Williams and played on such trailblazing albums as In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. America was the true birthplace of the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

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John McLaughlin Announces Farewell Tour Dates with Jimmy Herring Celebrating Mahavishnu Orchestra

Article contributed by mad ink pr | published on tuesday, january 31, 2017.

In a career that spans over five decades, John McLaughlin, one of music’s most influential and prolific guitarists, composers, and bandleaders, will begin his farewell U.S. tour on November 1 in Buffalo, NY.   McLaughlin will be joined by Jimmy Herring, who has been in the creative forefront of the American rock-jam movement for 25 years.   The Meeting of the Spirits tour will hit 23 cities before ending in Los Angeles on December 9.

Highlighting this musical adventure will be John McLaughlin revisiting the pioneering music he introduced with his genre-defying Mahavishnu Orchestra . In addition, McLaughlin is expected to release a new album just before the tour launches.  More details to be announced.  

McLaughlin ’s first extensive U.S. tour in seven years, The Meeting of the Spirits also marks his first extended exploration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra material from seminal albums such as Inner Mounting Flame , Birds of Fire , Between Nothingness and Eternity , Visions of the Emerald Beyond and more since the band’s original heyday in the 1970s.

Jimmy Herring , best known for his inspired contributions to the Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, The Dead , and others, will be co-headlining each show with his new band ‘The Invisible Whip,’ comprised of   Jeff Sipe-Apt Q258 (drums), Matt Slocum (B3 and Clavinet), Jason Crosby (Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer) and Kevin Scott (bass).

On The Meeting of the Spirits tour, separate sets by Herring and McLaughlin will be followed by the two joining forces for an expansive closing jam based on classic Mahavishnu Orchestra material. The tour will feature the first extended collaborations between two of world’s foremost guitarists.   McLaughlin will be backed by his current band, the 4th Dimension – Ranjit Barot (drums), Gary Husband (keyboards, drums), and Etienne M’Bappé (bass) – each an established composer and recording artist in his own right.  Expect special surprise guests to be added when available. 

The Meeting of the Spirits Tour Itinerary:

11/1/17 Buffalo, NY, University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

11/2/17 Albany, NY, The Egg

11/3/17 New York, NY, Town Hall

11/4/17 Port Chester, NY, Capitol Theatre

11/5/17 Cranston, RI, Park Theatre/Rhode Island Center for the Performing Arts

11/8/17 Boston, MA, The Wilbur Theatre

11/9/17 Philadelphia, PA, Keswick Theatre

11/10/17 Newark, NJ, Prudential Hall,New Jersey Performance Art Centre

11/11/17 Washington DC, Lincoln Theatre

11/12/17 Durham, NC, Duke Performances at DPAC

11/15/17 Ann Arbor, MI

11/17/17 Chicago, IL, Vic Theatre

11/19/17 Indianapolis, IN, Clowes Memorial-Hall-Butler University

11/21/17 Nashville, TN, Schermerhorn Symphony Center-Laura Turner Concert Hall

11/22/17 Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Symphony Hall

11/24/17 Jacksonville, FL, Florida Theatre

11/25/17 Clearwater, FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall

11/27/17 New Orleans, LA, The Joy Theater

11/30/17 Austin, TX, Paramount Theatre

12/5/17 Seattle, WA, Moore Theatre

12/6/17 Portland, OR, Revolution Hall

12/8/17 San Francisco, CA, The Warfield

12/9/17 Los Angeles, CA, Royce Hall-UCLA

• Jimmy Herring
• John McLaughlin

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On June 24, Round Records & ATO Records will release GarciaLive Volume Six: July 5, 1973 – Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders, the latest installment of the celebrated GarciaLive archival series. The three-CD set was recorded at the 200 capacity Lion’s Share club formerly located in the small town of San Anselmo, CA, just 20 miles north of San Francisco. The performance features Jerry Garcia performing with friend, mentor and legendary keyboardist/vocalist Merl Saunders. The duo is joined by drummer Bill Vitt and bassist John Kahn, who soon became a lifelong Garcia collaborator.

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Spirited Away: John McLaughlin and Jimmy Herring

When Miles Davis offers career advice, it’s best to heed his words. This was the conclusion that guitarist John McLaughlin reached in 1971 when Davis suggested that the time was right for him to go off and explore his instincts and vision as a songwriter and bandleader. The British guitarist had arrived in America a couple of years earlier to join the Tony Williams Lifetime, recording two pioneering fusion albums with the drummer, a veteran of Davis’ Second Great Quintet. This led to McLaughlin’s own stint with Davis, which included classic releases such as In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew (which features a track titled “John McLaughlin”), A Tribute to Jack Johnson and Live-Evil .

The project that McLaughlin formulated drew on all of his musical antecedents, while remaining forward-thinking. The Mahavishnu Orchestra propelled fusion into new realms, with complexity, energy and danger (long before the descriptor became associated with lite jazz). McLaughlin enlisted drummer Billy Cobham, keyboard player Jan Hammer, violinist Jerry Goodman and bass player Rick Laird to record the startling and revelatory The Inner Mounting Flame. This was the first of five studio albums that McLaughlin would release with Mahavishnu through 1975, with the guitarist as the lone mainstay.

Starting in November in Buffalo, N.Y., McLaughlin will revisit this material for what is billed as his final U.S. tour. “The Meeting of the Spirits” will team McLaughlin with Jimmy Herring, a Mahavishnu fan since his teenage years. Back in 2012, Herring recorded a version of “Hope,” which originally appeared on the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s second album, Birds of Fire for the Widespread Panic/ Aquarium Rescue Unit guitarist’s own Subject to Change Without Notice. The two musicians were soon introduced and began a friendship that reflects their common enthusiasm and character.

The “Meeting of the Spirits” tour—which is named after the opening track on The Inner Mounting Flame—will feature sets by Herring’s latest project The Invisible Whip and McLaughlin’s own 4th Dimension before the two groups take the stage together for a final set in which they will explore the Mahavishnu catalog. McLaughlin envisions these dates as a thank you to the American audiences who first embraced the group back in 1971.

When McLaughlin and Herring make time for a phone call in the weeks leading up to the tour, Herring has just wrapped up a series of gigs with his band, while McLaughlin has started sharing some of music that he hopes to delve into when these spirits finally meet again.

As the call begins, McLaughlin acknowledges the challenging nature of the material: “We’re all doing a little shedding getting ready for the tour. A lot of that music from the early ‘70s is not exactly the easiest music to play. When I’m looking at it, I’m thinking ‘What was I on when I made that?’ But I was on nothing at all when I made that crazy music.”

Herring responds with a laugh, “It’s just so amazing to hear you say that, to hear you say, ‘Oh man, I made some pretty hard music back in those days.’” When I heard that you were doing this, the first thing that jumped into my head was the tour that Mahavishnu did with Jeff Beck in 1975. I’m curious if you see this as analogous to that in any way?

JOHN: Of course, there are some analogies. I love Jeff. He’s been very good to me—and what a wonderful guitar player. The idea of the structure of what Jimmy and I will do stems directly from that experience. Because with Jeff, every night we each had a set and then we had a big jam at the end with both bands: two drummers, two bass players, two keyboard players and two guitar players. And there’s something nice about that, but you need the special spirit in there. It can only work with certain people who are tuned into that vibe, like Jeff. God bless him because he’s still playing so great, even today.

And I feel the same way about having the opportunity now to do this with Jimmy. I’m so impressed and grateful that both Jimmy and Jeff have looked to Mahavishnu and done versions of some of those tunes that I would give my back teeth to be a part of. The first time I heard Jimmy play, I think it was a version of the tune “Hope” from 1972–73. I heard it and was like, “Why didn’t I play it like that?” It was wonderful, just wonderful. And Jeff, over the years, has also taken some of those old tunes and put his mark on them.

I saw Jeff recently in the audience when we recorded Live @ Ronnie Scott’s [McLaughlin’s latest release with his band the 4th Dimension]. He’s such a sweetheart. Whenever I play, he comes to see me. But that whole idea of the jam was such a great experience. Having played with Jimmy, and having known his playing for years now, that we’re going to have a lot of fun. We’re suffering right now, but I know we’re gonna have fun.

Jimmy, you recorded “Hope” for Subject to Change Without Notice . Talking to you around the time it came out, I remember you mentioned that one of your older brothers first turned you on to Mahavishnu. Can you talk a little about that?

JIMMY: Oh yeah. He had The Inner Mounting Flame , Birds of Fire and some Miles  Davis records. And that was my first exposure to hearing instrumental music. I was a teenager, and some of my friends and I were playing tunes with vocals that nobody could sing. I went into the music of that time for my generation. There was Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith and stuff like that and when I heard Mahavishnu Orchestra, it was like a lightbulb went on. I’d never heard musicianship like that, and it was an immediate change with what I wanted to do with my life. I knew immediately.

I didn’t even try to play any of the music until maybe two years later, but I just listened to it all the time. Then, with some of the riffs, I might start to think, “That’s an open string there. Wow, that’s supposed to be an E.” None of those riffs are easy, but I started to find my way towards some of them. And then I went into the rabbit  hole. That changed my life.

After hearing The Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire, that led me down a path, asking, “What else did John listen to?” So I found Coltrane, I found Miles Davis. My brother had some of those too, and he was pushing me towards that music because we could never find anybody to sing. It’s weird how it happens. And I’ve been in that rabbit hole ever since. Even though I’ve done a lot of different things, that music is what really drives me to work.

JOHN: Well, I’m with you all the way, Jimmy. After all these years, I’m still in the rabbit hole! Still shedding after all these years.

JIMMY: That’s what’s so inspiring. To hear John say that, I mean he’s forgotten more than most people ever know.

JOHN: Jimmy, don’t forget that I did little things prior to being  invited to New York. It was two years with Tony Williams. And at the same time, through all those things with Miles, who was my all-time hero since I was 15 years old. How lucky can you get? We’re all on the same boat, eventually. It’s just a different time. I got so much inspiration from these people, that kind of encouragement.

With Miles, it was the end of 1970. I was just sitting in a little club in the band room, and it’s just me and Miles. We just finished the gig, and he turns to me and says [in a raspy, Miles Davis voice], “It’s time to form your own band.” Just out of the blue like a lightning bolt. I thought, “How can I refuse this guy? I gotta do it just to justify it.” That was the impetus for starting Mahavishnu. But I couldn’t have done it without someone like Miles saying, “Go ahead and do it. You gotta do it.”

So I’ve got gigantic debts and it’s very sweet; I feel humbled by Jimmy’s statement that he’s getting a similar thing from me. But, in a sense, I feel that my life’s fulfilled. If you can just give a little inspiration to somebody in your life, then you pass on the spirit. So I feel fortunate.

JIMMY: Well, you’ve had that effect on millions of people, man. It’s so heavy and it goes back so far. It’s not just one period of your career, either. It’s the whole thing. And it’s everything you did before, after and during the Miles period and all the other things.

JOHN: When I heard Trane for the first time, I was 15. I was already a fan of Miles but when I heard Trane, I thought, “What is he doing?!” And then in 1964, A Love Supreme comes out. He didn’t play guitar, but what a man and what an inspiration. Miles brought him to the world, really. He’s just carrying on the story of the spirit. Talk about inspiration and encouragement—it took me a year of listening to A Love Supreme every day before I could finally hear what he was doing. But at the same time, I knew that there was something magical and beautiful. You just have to read the poem on the back of the album. I knew the music corresponded to the beautiful poem, prayer, whatever you want to call it. I think about my young twenties and how frustrated I was looking for my way. Even just finding your way in life is hard. To find your way in music, I needed all of these people and, without them, I would have died, I think. I would have died musically, that’s for sure. I’m just carrying the banner, that’s all. Jimmy’s picked it up and he’s carrying the banner because this is really my last tour. I’m not able to accept tours anymore. I’m hoping to take gigs from time to time, but I’m nervous about taking tours in case I have a bad-hair day and drop everybody in the doo-doo. It would be catastrophic for me. So, Jimmy, it’s all on you!

JIMMY: I’ve been having bad hair days every day lately.

JOHN: We all have bad-hair days. I had one the day before yesterday, and it was terrible.

Jimmy, in talking to you over the years, I know that you’re someone who puts a lot of pressure on yourself to deliver the music in a way that feels right to you, so you put in a lot of practice time. Can you talk about working on the songs for this collaborative set?

JIMMY: I put pressure on myself, but I never feel forced to practice. I just wanna play when I wanna play. So I’ll come down off a tour and I listen to this music. I listened to it for so many years, and I’m having a full-circle moment with this music because it goes back to when my brother played it for me for the first time. And now, when I look back, one of the most important things I  learned from the music was the honesty it had. I want to hear the person, hear their spirit and not just be listening to notes. I hope that comes with me through whatever period I’m going through with music, whether it’s a rock band or a jazz-fusion band, or anything I might do.

It’s so much fun to just dive back into it again. Although, I put a lot of pressure on myself, as I think any musician does because there are expectations. That drives me to work harder and try to prepare. But this is music that I would be listening to even if I wasn’t playing it with John.

JOHN: Jimmy has dedicated his life to his instrument and to music, and it’s not really like work. Because, same with me, there’s a certain sense of responsibility when you go on stage—people pay their hardearned money to sit in front of you and they want you to be on top of it. They want to feel that spirit and they don’t want to be concerned with your problems. They’re not interested in hearing you say, “Sorry, I couldn’t make that articulation.” They want to hear you hit it. And so we work. But it’s not work because after all these years— I’ve been playing guitar for 60-something years—I play every day not because I need to, but because I just love to play.

And to add a little to what Jimmy said about the full circle, this is really what the tour is for me. We’re going back 45–46 years, since the first Mahavishnu album. It came out after this wonderful experience with Tony and continued with Miles. But when Mahavishnu came out, I did not expect this music to be accepted in the manner that it was by the listening public, the American public. The most surprised person of all was me. And so because this is my last tour—it has to be in America. I wanna play Mahavishnu music because it’s my thank you to the American listeners who embraced Mahavishnu before everybody else. And it’s a very personal thing.

It’s full circle for me because, I’m coming back and saying goodbye, and I want to say goodbye with the music that exploded with me in the middle of 1971. If that isn’t full circle, then I don’t know what is. I’m just thrilled that Jimmy’s going to be a part of it.

JIMMY: And it means the same to me, absolutely. It means so much to us because you brought the world so much great music, John, and you’ve done it in so many different ways and in so many different forms.

JOHN: That’s very sweet, Jimmy. But the thing is, I’m still a total student. I learned something this morning already on the guitar that I’ve never done before.

JIMMY: That is so inspiring.

JOHN: Can you ever get to the end? I mean, who can get to the end? You get to the end of life, you keel over and that’s it. But until then, every day is a new day and, every day, we learn something.

John, you mention that the reaction to The Inner Mounting Flame surprised you. Even to those people who were familiar with what you were doing prior to that point, it had to be quite striking. Can you talk about the journey that led you to write and record that music?

JOHN: I spent the entire ‘60s in the U.K., pretending to be a jazz musician but, most of the time, I was playing R&B and funk. I was playing it not just to survive—I was playing it because I love it. If you take the R&B out of jazz, you don’t have any jazz left. You certainly don’t have any blood and guts left. It’s just kind of tra-la-la. And from The Beatles on, I was a rock-and-roll fan. And then, of course, there’s people like Stevie Wonder. And I also got to play with the Four Tops in the U.K.

So after all of this R&B stuff and the rock experiences of the ‘60s, I arrived in New York and Miles wanted a guitar player. I didn’t come to join Miles; I came to New York to join The Tony Williams Lifetime with Larry Young. That was just such a thrill because I’ve been listening to Tony since 1965 and he was it for me.

But Miles kept inviting me to his house after recording In a Silent Way . He’d say [imitating Miles Davis], “Bring your guitar” and I’d go there once or twice a week. He would pick my brain and say, “What do you hear if I play this chord?” I’d say, “It could make a nice riff, Miles,” and he’d say, “Play it.” He was pushing me and, at the same time, I was playing with Tony.

I have two totally different relationships, musically, with Tony and Miles. Miles wanted all the R&B and funk stuff that I’d been doing in the ‘60s. The thing is, I’d been listening to everything from Monk to Mingus to Trane and Miles during the ‘60s period. And The Beatles, of course. And Sly & the Family Stone and a whole gamut of what was going on in the ‘60s, which was a real musical explosion.

With Tony, we were a radical band. You can hear it on Emergency! or Turn It Over. We’re talking about early ’69, where anything would go. When we’d be playing music, Tony would start singing a Brazilian song, and I’d start reciting poetry at the same time because we were looking for new ways. And after a while, Tony started to see the music that I was writing and he encouraged me from that point: “John, write as much music as you can and we’ll play it.” So I can say, quite categorically, that a lot of the Mahavishnu music that came out later with the Orchestra, the foundations were done with Lifetime and Tony because of all that encouragement and the opportunity to be able to do that live with someone like Tony Williams and Larry Young who was, to me, one of the greatest of all Hammond organ players.

So after all that experience, you can see how I would come up with some crazy stuff. Monk was a big influence on me. Mingus was a big influence on me. And you listen to their records—the whole arpeggio thing, I actually got that between Monk and George Harrison. How about that for a combination? Is that weird or what?

So I had an agent and I said, “I’m gonna put a band together.” I really believed in this band and, in fact, that’s how I signed with CBS. I had done two records with Alan Douglas’ Douglas Records and, one day, Nat Weiss, who was my manager, said, “We’re gonna go see Clive Davis.” I said, “Clive Davis—CBS? Wow, fantastic.” So we went to see him, and we’re in Clive’s office, and he knew me only from what I’d been doing with Miles. He said, “So, John, Nat told me you’re putting a band together. You wanna tell me about it?” I said, “Well, it’s really hard to explain what it’s gonna be. But I can tell you the band will be amazing, Clive. Amazing.” And he said, “John, you know, I like the way you talk. Let’s sign!” The record industry was exploding and Clive was one of the greatest record men. He heard the enthusiasm that I had in my voice, and he was just ready to take a risk on it. [In his autobiography, The Soundtrack of My Life, Davis characterizes this as one of his“more meaningful signings” at the label, adding, “I was struck by the beauty and ambition of the music he was making.”]

It’s not quite the same situation today, but it was a different world in the very early-‘70s, wasn’t it? I think “Lucky” is my middle name. Since the music had all those antecedents that you describe, Mahavishnu Orchestra opened up for a range of artists during those early tours, including the Allman Brothers Band, who Jimmy toured with for a short stretch. John, you became friendly with Duane Allman, but you never actually played with him.

JOHN: No, we never played together. What a beautiful man he was. What a sweetheart he was. And could he play. Oh, my, that slide guitar. We never played together, but we did gig together. Mahavishnu would open for them.

We opened for a lot of different people. We opened for the Allman Brothers a number of times. We opened for Blue Öyster Cult. We opened for James Taylor. Who opened for us? God bless him forever, George Carlin. That was a trip. We’d be on the side of the stage. His loss was such a tragedy, but we’ve lost a lot of people from that time. We lost Jimi—that was terrible. There was also Janis Joplin, but I’ve got George on my iPod—I still listen to him regularly. Jimmy, do you see any common reference points between Mahavishnu Orchestra and the music of the Allman Brothers?

JIMMY: One similarity would be total dedication, openness and willingness to go into the unknown with those improvisations. Mahavishnu was pulling from more sophisticated areas of jazz and Indian classical music, but another thing would be that the Allman Brothers had two guitar players who would sometimes play lines together. Sometimes they’d play in unison, and sometimes they’d harmonize the line. And Mahavishnu did the same thing, but they did it with violin, and when I hear two people playing a line together, it really grabs me.

JOHN: That’s the real jazz tradition, Jimmy, isn’t it? I grew up with that, whether it was Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, or Miles with Trane, or Miles with Cannonball Adderley or Miles with Wayne [Shorter]. It’s that thing—it’s that unison, sometimes harmony, sometimes unison— it’s that thing. You’re absolutely right; it’s got a thing. But that, for me, goes back to the old jazz traditions, so there’s no way I can get away from that.

And you and I have talked about this: We’re gonna be playing lines together, sometimes harmonies. But I want to hear  that sound, that unison harmony. For me, that’s a jazz tradition of playing because it’s an art to play the melody with somebody. To play a solo is one thing. But to play with somebody, that’s what’s beautiful about the collective. Because, yeah, we can all have individual experiences of liberation sometimes when we’re playing solos. But you can have a collective experience of playing together—playing lines together, playing harmonies together. This collective experience is very important to me, and I feel that it’s part of the jazz tradition too. So whatever people call the music, we’re all bringing our own traditions up-to-date because they’re part of what we are and how we play.

JIMMY: Absolutely. To me, it was—and it still is—church. It brings people together; it’s the collective John’s talking about. I think there are a couple of similarities between the Allman Brothers and Mahavishnu. And then the Dixie Dregs were huge Mahavishnu fans. The violin and the guitar were such a unique voice, and I’d never heard it before. Sure, you hear two guitars, or you hear an organ and a guitar, or you hear trumpet and saxophone, or any other kind of combination. But a violin and a guitar? You had Django [Reinhardt] and Stéphane Grappelli, but in a rock context, John, what you and Jerry [Goodman] did together, that may have been the first pairing on that electrifying level.

JOHN: Yes, with that fusion level. But you know what it is? The Allman Brothers— they had a vibe, they had the spirit. When I go see a band, if that thing isn’t there, I know it and I’m really not interested. I have to feel that vibe, and that’s what I call the spirit. It’s undefinable, but when it’s not there, I really miss it. And the Allman Brothers, God bless them all. They had their thing and Duane was a killer; he was wonderful. And that’s it.

There are so many different bands and different genres now. But in the end, does a band have that thing? It can be rock, it can be jazz, it can be a lot of things— but does it have it? The Beatles had it, Sly & the Family Stone had it. One of the greatest experiences I ever had was seeing Sly in 1969 at the Monterey Jazz. I was in the audience dancing my ass off. Unbelievable. One of the greatest concerts I ever went to. And they were not playing jazz, but who cares? What’s jazz? We’re looking for freedom, we’re looking for the experience, the liberation. And hopefully, in a collective manner along with the audience, who can never really be underestimated because once that thing is there, they know it. Everybody knows what that thing is, even though they don’t have a name for it. And they know if that thing isn’t there.

JIMMY: They do know. They can tell if somebody is faking it.

JOHN: Hashtag fake! Hashtag fake jazz. [Laughs.] Listen, jazz has suffered a lot. Some of the smooth jazz, funky jazz, cool jazz, it’s shallow—it’s not even an inch deep. It’s full of clichés, and jazz is about getting some blood on the stage. That’s true of rock-and-roll, too. It’s got to have depth to it. It’s a total thing in music.

But the way the world is at the moment, if you go into a café, they might be playing some jazz in the background, but it’s not disturbing. It’s just wallpaper. A computer can create that kind of music. It’s got nothing to do with real music. But you hear it everywhere. Even in classical music, you hear it. And in a way, it’s not sincere. It’s missing that thing we live for.

You mentioned audience reactions, and we’re currently in a period of anxiety and acrimony. When you perform, is it your aspiration to elevate and maybe take people away, or do you think an artist should speak directly to the politics or social conditions of the day?

JOHN: Personally, I don’t take into consideration what the audience may want because, as a man and as a musician, when I go onstage, the only thing I speak about is my life. And the thing is: How deep do I express it? How eloquently do I express it? And with how much love do I express it— the love that I have for music, for myself, for the people around me and for the world at large?

That’s all I really have. That’s all any musician has. He goes to the stage and he tells the story of his life and how he really feels about what’s going on with himself and around the world. I think everybody picks up on that. So I don’t worry about what people want to hear because, in the end, they want to hear a story. They want to feel the story—they want to feel how deeply you care about what you’re doing, and about how you’re playing and about the love that’s in the band. And really, that’s it.

I don’t worry about what the public will want because what I want when I go to a concert is: I want to feel that person’s life and how deeply they feel about what they’re doing because that will come through the music and that’s what will take me away.

JIMMY: That’s it for me, too. I think people wanna hear a story, but also, as an improviser, you go out there and you don’t have it preconceived, what you’re gonna do. All I can hope for is that I can get out of my own way. I pray that I can open up enough and not just string licks together. JOHN: We go onstage and our trousers are down by the end. We just hope everything’s gonna be OK.

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John McLaughlin has certainly earned his stripes over the course of his fifty-year career. His jazz fusion work which often incorporates elements of rock and Indian Classical music has seen him master multiple genres and earn himself the accolade of being one of Rolling Stones “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”

John has toured the world many times over, and I am convinced that it is his live performances on these tours that inspired the many fusion guitarists that came out of the 1970s and 1980s. John’s live work is clean, skilful and beyond compare. To see John McLaughlin play guitar in a live setting is to see magic on Earth. His guitar seems merely an extension of his body; his control over it is so exact.

I’ve seen John open a concert with “Guitar Love” and while he may have made the choice ironically, it couldn’t have been a more perfect opening song if he had tried. He handled the complex movements of the song with ease and told those of us in the audience that we were in for something special. “You Know, You Know” and “Raju” were also massive highlights from the night, but, in all honesty, I don’t know whether I’ve ever been to a more technically perfect show in my life. John McLaughlin is a real showstopper, that’s for sure.

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What a lively show. The venue was Nashville’s Symphony Hall, better suited for a symphony. John came on after

A nice set by Jimmy Herring(opening with the Miles Davis Song ‘go ahead john’ I think). John’s current lineup went through several numbers from over the past 40 years. He was more animated than I remembered from the Mahavishnu days. Great band, esp. the bass player who wore gloves(Etienne M’Bappe’). After that set, Jimmy Herring and his entire band returned for a set of Mahavishnu Orchestra numbers - spanning the entire life of the Name. Hearing Meeting of the Spirits after all these years in all its furry brought tears to my eyes. Sure, two drummers still didn’t fill Billy Cobham’s shoes, but close. All musicians were given ample space to show their chops. John has added some extra skills to his already legendary speed set. Adding harmonics and whammy bar in order to add depth to his playing. He genuinely seemed to enjoy every minute of his time on stage, which is great because we enjoyed every minute from our seats. Only a few shows left on this tour, catch it if you can.

Once the support act was out of the way, this was a fantastic evening. All 4 musicians were wonderful with John McLaughlin and Etienne Mbappe both on especially good form. There was a mellow feel to much of the performance, which did not detract in any way from the energy and virtuosity on display.

The only miniscule niggle was that for my personal taste there was a tad too much solo and dual drumming.

Having said that - if you ever get the chance to see John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension again, it will be worth the effort and whatever you have to pay for the ticket.

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The Meeting of the Spirits Tour John McLaughlin and Jimmy Herring

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The paramount theatre, past event times, more events at this venue, herbie hancock, frankie quinones, margaret cho, nicole byer, jeff hiller, martin urbano, more venues in this city, emo's austin, h-e-b center, cactus cafe, austin city limits live at the moody theater, stubb's bar-b-q, texas performing arts.

The HYMN World Tour is Coming to Moscow!

The HYMN World Tour is coming to Crocus City Hall in the exciting city of Moscow, Russia on October 29th!

Moscow is also home to the Moscow Kremlin, a fortified complex in the center of the city overlooking the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil’s Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and the Alexander Garden to the west. It is the best known of the Russian citadels and includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers.

Tickets and VIP packages to all announced shows on the HYMN tour are available. More dates to be announced soon! https://sarahbrightman.com/tours

Claudia Looi

Moscow Communist Tour: A Two-Hour Walking Tour in Moscow

By Claudia Looi Leave a Comment

Follow the leader in Moscow Communist Walking Tour

As the tour name implies, the Moscow Communist Tour highlights the history and places impacted by communism from 1917 to Perestroika. Everyday at 4pm just before the evening rush hour, travelers gather at Lubyanka Square, in front of the Solovetsky Stone Monument to meet the Communist tour guide.

We were asked to do the same.

To get there we took the metro to Lubyanka metro station located just under the square. At 3:45pm when we arrived at the square no one looked like tourists at all. I was a little nervous because all communication was via email with Moscow Free Tour Company the day before. Did the group leave without us?

A woman forced us to take her brochure in Russian. It had something to do with an election. As I sat on the green bench, another lady came over and sat next to me. She didn’t look like a tourist to me. Meanwhile my husband and teens were exploring around the park.

The communist walking tour started when Irina arrived with several tourists who already joined her earlier on another tour called the free Moscow walking tour. The Communist tour isn’t free. After collecting cash from all the tourists including us, Irina pointed to the yellow building. She said it was the KGB headquarters. Inside and underground were secret passageways and prisons. Unfortunately we didn’t step into the KGB headquarters or visit the passageways and prisons.

KGB Building

Before we left the square she pointed to the Solovetsky Stone Monument. The monument was constructed to commemorate those who were victims of Soviet-era torture and persecution.

Solovetsky Stone Monument

From the KGB headquarters we walked on the Theatralnyy Road to the historic Metropol Hotel owned by the KGB. Known as the Tower of Babel of the 20 th century, Metropol Hotel was opened in 1901 with all luxury amenities like hot water, refrigerator, elevators and telephones. Foreign dignitaries that visited the former Soviet Union were housed at the Metropol.

Metropole Hotel Moscow

During the Soviet-era the hotel was also called the Second House of Soviets where Chicherin, Sverdlov and Bukharin lived and worked.

Next to the hotel is the Revolution Square, an important square during the 1917 Revolution.

Revolution Square Moscow

In front of the Bolshoi Theater

Across the street from the Metropol is the famous Bolshoi Theater. We were at the Bolshoi to see the CCCP letters. These are some of the remnants seen throughout the Communist Tour.

Bolshoi Theater

CCCP inscription at the Bolshoi Theater

From there we were told to be aware of the next stop, the Gulag Museum. It would walk deeper into the dark and eerie past of the Soviet-era. While walking, there was definitely no signs of communism. Everything around the area was posh and luxurious. We passed by shops, restaurants, outdoor cafes on Petrovka Street and the intersection of the famous Arbat Street, the pedestrian shopping street of Moscow .

Arbat Street

Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, BMW and many more luxurious cars were parked on the street. Not just one or two luxurious cars, there were over 10, all parked in a row outside boutiques and restaurants.

Gulag an acronym for Chief Administration of Corrective Labor Camps and Colonies was the Soviet forced labor camp systems during Stalin’s rule from the 30s to 50s. Countless prisoners spent years detained and forced into hard labor in these labor camps. Today the museum guides are dressed liked the guards.

Just outside the museum the atmosphere was totally different. Russian wealth is looming. As I walked on Stoleshnikov Pereulok street, every shop was showing signs of lavishness and indulgence with stores like Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Prada and the likes. It is the most expensive street in Russia.

On Tverskaya Street we stop by Moscow Bookstore, one of the oldest and biggest bookstores in Moscow. Inside we went downstairs to look at reprints of Soviet propaganda posters. It was not appropriate to take photos. So I don’t have photos inside the bookstore and photos of the propaganda posters.

We went to Moscow bookstore to look at old Soviet-era posters.

Tverskaya Street

Eliseevsky, the famous grocery store is a must visit store in Moscow. Opened since 1901 and through the Soviet-era, this luxurious grocery sells all types of caviar, sausages, cured meat, cheeses, wine, dips, chocolates and more, just like when it was first started.

Eliseevsky the famous neo-Baroque grocery store in Moscow. Open over a 100 years ago by Gregory Eliseev. Inside are crystal chandeliers and all sorts of caviar, even Tolstoy wrote about it in Anna Karenina.

The most interesting part of the tour inside this grocery store was not the food items. It was the crystal chandeliers, high arches and interesting décor. It is located in the historic part of Moscow on Tverskaya. The question was, “Why was this grocery store run continuously even through the Soviet-era?”

The Communist Tour ends at Pushkinskaya Square (Pushkin Square). Unfortunately the two-hour tour did not have toilet stops and news was McDonald’s at Pushkinskaya Square was closed two weeks prior to our visit. It had the most decent toilets in the area and the only place where you could easily use the toilets.

Having no choice and needing to find a toilet we made our way to an Armenian Restaurant across the street from McDonald’s. This is a beautiful restaurant with views of the street and square. The food was amazingly delicious and expensive.

I recommend this tour if you are looking for a tour that provides stories and a two-hour walk around Moscow city center. We paid 950 rubles per adult and 550 rubles per student for the Communist Tour in September 2014.

Information: Moscow Free Tours 

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The Assumption Belfry and Ivan the Great Bell Tower

View from a corner of Assumption Cathedral on the architectural ensemble of the Assumption Belfry (at the left) and Ivan the Great Bell Tower (at the right) built in the Moscow Kremlin in 16th century. The tower’s name implies that it had once housed St. John’s Church, and that it used to be the tallest building in Moscow (height with cross is about 80 m). For many decades the bell tower was also the main watchtower in the Kremlin, and later also a fire tower. Petrok Maliy, the Italian architect who built the Kitai-Gorod wall in Moscow, started the construction of the church of the Resurrection, later renamed Church of the Nativity, next to the Ivan the Great Tower in 1532. Decades later was converted to a four-tier belfry for large bells, known today as the Assumption Belfry after its main 64-ton bell placed in the middle of the fourth tier. The Assumption bell tolled only on great holidays and to announce events of exceptional significance.

Photo #043 taken on June 29, 2016 during a tour of Moscow Kremlin with my dear client from Lebanon, Jacques Saade.

About Me in Short

My name's Arthur Lookyanov, I'm a private tour guide, personal driver and photographer in Moscow, Russia. I work in my business and run my website Moscow-Driver.com from 2002. Read more about me and my services , check out testimonials of my former business and travel clients from all over the World, hit me up on Twitter or other social websites. I hope that you will like my photos as well.

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