Jazz-Rock 4
Shortly after the release of Bitches Brew, four members of Miles Davis's band left to form jazz-rock groups of their own. First, guitarist John McLaughlin formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra, which released its first album, The Inner Mounting Flame, in 1971. Next, keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter joined forces to form Weather Report, which released its first recording, Weather Report, in 1971. Finally, pianist Chick Corea formed his group Return to Forever, which released its first album Return to Forever in 1972, though the band's membership and sound were substantially reformed in 1973 for its second album, Light As A Feather. Each of these three groups enjoyed widespread commercial success, and each carved out a unique stylistic niche that contributed to the sound of early jazz-rock.
John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra developed an intense and furious style. The group's music featured: distorted timbresMusic term referring to the quality of a sound such as rough, soft, raspy, etc. -listen to the two distorted guitars and distorted bass at the beginning of The Dance of Maya," 1971; soaring melodies and frenzied guitar-listen to " Meeting of the Spirits" starting at 01:26, and " Dawn " starting at 01:25, both in 1971; electric violin solos (starting at 02:50 in "Dawn"); and different meters such as a meter change from duple to a quadruple starting at 02:33 in "The Dance of Maya." Their second album, Birds of Fire(1973), was one of the most commercially successful jazz albums of all time, reaching no. 15 on Billboard's album charts for that year (for albums of any genre). " Birds of Fire ," the album's first track, contains all the elements that made the Mahavishnu Orchestra so immediately famous, and it is the single best testament to their style. It opens ominously with three gong hits, joined by McLaughlin arpeggiatingReferring to playing, for example, three notes but continuing to invert them. For example, C-E-G, then E-G-C, then G-C-E, and so on. This can occur in an ascending or descending manner. a distorted, two-chord progression on electric guitar. These two chords alternate throughout almost the entirety of "Birds of Fire," creating a highly dissonant harmonic background and an atmosphere of tension. His virtuosic solo builds in intensity through ever-higher forays up the guitar neck, combined with desperate pitch bends. McLaughlin's style of solo construction typically favors these ever-rising pitches. The tension created by the unresolved harmonies, virtuosic guitar solo, tempo changes, and unstable meter is typical of the Mahavishnu Orchestra's distinctive compositional style. It distinguishes early jazz-rock from mainstream jazz and the smooth jazz that would follow in the 1980s. The Listening Guide outlines these and other features in "Birds of Fire."
