Review by Thom Jurek
Originally issued in 1996 when he was 54, The Promise offers a summation of all the places John McLaughlin has been in his career, and points directly toward his future. Featuring a wide range of musicians including appearances by the Free Spirits, the Guitar Trio, and an electric version of Shakti, the Promise is easily the most wide-ranging and diverse offering of McLaughlin's long career. Its contents encompass everything from straight post-bop and swinging soul-jazz to fusion to modern takes on East Indian music as it meets the West. As if this weren't enough, there are even moments with spoken word laced throughout, such as a verse of Dante read by Stefania Bombi toward the end of his scorching, funky, soul-jazz number "Thelonius Melodius" with B-3 organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Dennis Chambers. The set kicks off with one of its finest moments, a guitar-to-guitar reading of John Lewis' "Django" with Jeff Beck (bassist Pino Palladino, drummer Mark Mondesir, and drummer Tony Hymas round it out). Beck's solo is first; it is expansive as it moves from a gorgeous restating of the melody through slinky harmonic extrapolations. McLaughlin's answer is ambitious and intuitive. They then move toward one another and the melody, complementing each other perfectly. "El Ciego" is a complex, flamenco-tinged jazz number with McLaughlin trading knotty lines and soulful solos with Al di Meola and Paco de Lucia. "Jazz Jungle" is late 20th century fusion at its blazing best with Michael Brecker, Chambers, Don Alias, James Genus, and Jim Beard beginning almost nebulously before ratcheting the tempo and idea palettes to dizzying heights (Brecker is particularly brilliant). "The Wish," with Zakir Hussein, Nishat Khan, and Trilok Gurtu, looks deeply into Indian classical music balanced by a European gaze. McLaughlin's engagement with Khan's sitar creates nearly rapturous expression, all the while contained inside a texture that is as atmospheric as it is exotic. "Shin Jin Rui" employs the same band as "Jazz Jungle," with the exception of the saxophone, played by David Sanborn. His playing is riskier than on his own records, his alto juxtaposed with McLaughlin's guitar, a study in funky, electric jazz modernism. The set closes with a lovely all-acoustic reading of Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" with guitarist Phillipe Loi and bassist Yan Maresz, and a verse by Lorca read by Susana Beatrix as an end cap. Ultimately, The Promise stands as one of McLaughlin's towering achievements as a guitarist and leader.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-promise-mw0000520908
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Reseña de Thom Jurek
Publicado originalmente en 1996, cuando tenía 54 años, The Promise ofrece un resumen de todos los lugares en los que John McLaughlin ha estado en su carrera, y apunta directamente hacia su futuro. Con una amplia gama de músicos, incluyendo apariciones de los Free Spirits, el Guitar Trio, y una versión eléctrica de Shakti, The Promise es fácilmente la oferta más amplia y diversa de la larga carrera de McLaughlin. Su contenido lo abarca todo, desde el post-bop directo y el swing soul-jazz hasta la fusión y las versiones modernas de la música de las Indias Orientales en su encuentro con Occidente. Por si fuera poco, hay incluso momentos en los que la palabra se entremezcla, como un verso de Dante leído por Stefania Bombi al final de su ardiente y funky soul-jazz "Thelonius Melodius" con el organista de B-3 Joey DeFrancesco y el batería Dennis Chambers. El set arranca con uno de sus mejores momentos, una lectura guitarra a guitarra de "Django" de John Lewis con Jeff Beck (el bajista Pino Palladino, el batería Mark Mondesir y el batería Tony Hymas lo completan). El solo de Beck es el primero; es expansivo, ya que pasa de una magnífica reformulación de la melodía a extrapolaciones armónicas. La respuesta de McLaughlin es ambiciosa e intuitiva. Luego se acercan el uno al otro y a la melodía, complementándose a la perfección. "El Ciego" es un complejo número de jazz con tintes flamencos en el que McLaughlin intercambia líneas nudosas y solos conmovedores con Al di Meola y Paco de Lucía. "Jazz Jungle" es la fusión de finales del siglo XX en su máxima expresión, con Michael Brecker, Chambers, Don Alias, James Genus y Jim Beard comenzando casi nebulosamente antes de elevar el tempo y la paleta de ideas a cotas vertiginosas (Brecker está especialmente brillante). "The Wish", con Zakir Hussein, Nishat Khan y Trilok Gurtu, profundiza en la música clásica india con una mirada europea. El compromiso de McLaughlin con el sitar de Khan crea una expresión casi arrebatadora, contenida en una textura tan atmosférica como exótica. "Shin Jin Rui" emplea la misma banda que "Jazz Jungle", con la excepción del saxofón, tocado por David Sanborn. Su interpretación es más arriesgada que en sus propios discos, su alto yuxtapuesto a la guitarra de McLaughlin, un estudio de modernismo de jazz eléctrico y funky. El conjunto se cierra con una encantadora lectura acústica de "The Peacocks" de Jimmy Rowles con el guitarrista Phillipe Loi y el bajista Yan Maresz, y un verso de Lorca leído por Susana Beatrix como colofón final. En definitiva, The Promise es uno de los mayores logros de McLaughlin como guitarrista y líder.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-promise-mw0000520908
1 - Django 7:24
2 - Thelonius Melodius 5:22
3 - Amy And Joseph 2:28
4 - No Return 7:20
5 - El Ciego 9:10
6 - Jazz Jungle 14:45
7 - The Wish 8:39
8 - English Jam 1:12
9 - Tokyo Decadence 0:39
10 - Shin Jin Rui 10:47
11 - The Peacocks 5:53
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar – John McLaughlin (tracks: 3, 5, 11)
Coordinator [Production Coordinator] – Christian Pégand
Cover [Cover Design] – Alberto Mayer
Electric Guitar – John McLaughlin (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 8, 10)
Executive-Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Guitar [Midi Guitar], Vocals [Birds Song], Percussion – John McLaughlin (tracks: 9)
Keyboards – John McLaughlin (tracks: 3, 4)
Mixed By [Mixing Engineer] – John McLaughlin, Max Costa
Photography By – Christian Rose, Christian Rose
Producer [Produced By] – Eddie Kramer (tracks: 8), John McLaughlin (tracks: 1 to 7, 9 to 11)
Read By – Stephania Bimbi* (tracks: 2), Susana Béatrix* (tracks: 11)
Technician [Autostereo-Algorithm] – Makina Works
Typography – Frappiers 43
Vocals [Birds Song], Percussion – Susanna* (tracks: 9), Toto* (tracks: 9)
Voice – Mariko Takahashi (tracks: 9), Nishat Khan (tracks: 6)
Written-By – John McLaughlin (tracks: 2 to 10)
Notes:
Tracks 1, 7 Recorded at Wessex Recording Studios, London, England.
Track 2 Recorded at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Tokyo, Japan.
Tracks 3, 11 Recorded at studio Ygmas, Monaco.
Track 4 Recorded at Tribe Studio, Milan, Italy and at Sumit Bernet Studio, Dallas, USA.
Track 5 Recorded at Studio Ferber, Paris, France.
Tracks 6, 10 Recorded at Clinton Recording, New-York City, USA.
Track 8 Recorded at Mill House studio, Wiltshire, England.
Track 9 Recorded at Tribe Studio, Milan, Italy.
Label: Verve Records – 529 828-2
Released: 1996
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Jazz-Rock, Fusion
https://www.discogs.com/release/2485849-John-McLaughlin-The-Promise
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