The recording that turned you On to Jazz

[TieDyedDevil]

There was a bunch of jazz fusion "in the air" when I was in college in the early-to-mid `70s. Miles Davis, Steely Dan, John Abercrombie, Terje Rypal, ... The moment that I remember the most vividly, though, was my first exposure to Mahavishnu Orchestra: I was walking through the campus center and followed the music to the ballroom. No cover charge, maybe 100 people in the audience, and the band wailing away on stage. I had seen Led Zeppelin up close and personal in `69; I was pretty sure I knew "great" guitar playing. Even from five feet away I could barely comprehend what McLaughlin was doing with his instrument.

[Bigmagic]

There was a bunch of jazz fusion "in the air" when I was in college in the early-to-mid `70s. Miles Davis, Steely Dan, John Abercrombie, Terje Rypal, ... The moment that I remember the most vividly, though, was my first exposure to Mahavishnu Orchestra: I was walking through the campus center and followed the music to the ballroom. No cover charge, maybe 100 people in the audience, and the band wailing away on stage. I had seen Led Zeppelin up close and personal in `69; I was pretty sure I knew "great" guitar playing. Even from five feet away I could barely comprehend what McLaughlin was doing with his instrument.

We must be close to the same age, I too was into Page,Clapton,Hendrix etc but it took me twenty years to get into jazz. I remember in the 80s I was playing in a Country Rock band and working a day job and my boss tried to get me to listen to Harry James. I didn't get it, then came my enlightenment in 1990. I took a long time to get here but everything I play now has some jazz in it and some blues since that's what I grew up on. I studied jazz books listened to the masters but I still can't play what I'd like to play. I can jam with anyone though, even if I have to stack 4ths to fake some chords or just play two note dominants I get by. Keep on Jazzin!