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The Mahavishnu Project
The Mahavishnu Project launches directly from where the original band abruptly left off. In 2001, this incendiary unit from New York City began performing their unique renditions of music from classic Mahavishnu discs such as Birds of Fire, Inner Mounting Flame and Between Nothingness & Eternity and Visions of the Emerald Beyond while remaining true to the cutting edge improvs of the original band, and to McLaughlin’s stunning compositions. Their take on the music must be quite special, as they have received the seal of approval from Maestro McLaughlin himself!
The Mahavishnu Project is led by extraordinary drummer/composer Gregg Bendian, widely known for his work with Pat Metheny, Ornette Coleman, & John Zorn. Bendian has received rave reviews for his and Nels Cline’s Interstellar Space Revisited: The Music of John Coltrane (Atavistic), his band Interzone’s Requiem for Jack Kirby (Atavistic, 2001) and his sterling drum and vibes work on the long-awaited We Saw A Bozo Under The Sea (ZHR, 2001) by former Beefheart guitar whiz, Zoot Horn Rollo. Bendian’s talents are uniquely suited to the daunting challenge of another shining icon of creative music -- The Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Bendian is joined by guitar whiz Glenn Alexander -who's worked with L.Shankar & Randy Brecker, Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter keyboardist Adam Holzman, bassist Dave Johnsen (from Project Object: The Music of Frank Zappa) and violinist Rob Thomas, who’s worked with Andy Summers and Tito Puente.
The Mahavishnu Project has toured extensively throughout the US and Europe. The band has begun extending the Mahavishnu legacy into the future by including Mahavishnu-inspired original compositions in their shows. The Mahavishnu Project presents an electrifying live show that resurrects and replenishes the spirit of the original Mahavishnu's soaring melodies, intricate grooves and spontaneous, all-out jamming -- and yes, they‘re endorsed by the master - John McLaughlin himself!
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The Mahavishnu Project: Return to the Emerald Beyond
by John Kelman
One inherent risk of any tribute band is excessively literal treatment of the material. Since forming the Mahavishnu Project to honor guitarist John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, drummer Gregg Bendian has avoided every possible such pitfall. Bendian views this '70s fusion group's relatively small body of work as repertory alongside music by artists like Miles, Coltrane and Monk. TMP's first two releases put a distinctly personal spin on the music, expanding it and twisting it around without ever losing ...
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson