Jan Hammer tears it up

[Rob A]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=npXO6QE2l0g

[Martin Borgh]

Yeah, thats a very nice clip (or maybe it's just the sound that's nice?) Very nice sounding Rhodes too. Me like!

[Jordy]

what kind of ringmod does he use?

[Rob A]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JsQRrBMGI0

Another heavyweight Rhodes solo from Jan in 7/8 time. Starts up at 5:45 or so.

[michaeltristan]

Rob!  
Sweet digs here!  Thanks for turning me on to Jan and Mahavishnu Orchestra.. He really goes off!  I heard a little bit of their music before, but remember it being much more guitar driven.  I had no idea  the Rhodes was such a prominent part of the sound as it is in the clips you posted.  Thanks for sharing!!

[scavos]

WOW!  Those clips are crazy!  
Mr Hammer giving it some serious stick.  Simply awesome.  I'm glad I stuck in there with the first clip as I was nearly put off  by the sort of 53rd generation VHS copy of a dodgy porn flick.  Despite visual quality there's some amazing playing going on there.
Like you say, at 5.45ish on the second clip, it all kicks off.   How good is Billy Cobham on drums?!
These clips and others on this thread are opening up a whole new world for me.  I missed this era but I guess it was pretty damn good to have been there.

[solyaris]

Rob!  
Sweet digs here!  Thanks for turning me on to Jan and Mahavishnu Orchestra.. He really goes off!  I heard a little bit of their music before, but remember it being much more guitar driven.  I had no idea  the Rhodes was such a prominent part of the sound as it is in the clips you posted.  Thanks for sharing!!

yes... indeed Mahavishnu Orchestra have been my preferred band when I was 20 years old ;-)
The keyboardist Jan Hammer played almost only a Rhodes! if i'm not wrong; and that times I loved his style;
he pheraps copyied a bit the Corea's Return to Forever magnificences, but with his one great personality and sound I admit ...
but immo many of harmonic-frames and compositional ideas was by the leader, the guitarist John McLaughin! one of my preferred guitaris all times.

In my opinion, it's curious and sad to see that after Mahavishnu experience Jan played music more oriented to pop-rock ...
I mean music that I define banal ... I'm feel sorry to say ...
Also McLaughlin didn't achieved that "ascension" that I could imagined ...
I do not love music he play nowadays ...

My possible error his that I always think that an artist have to improve his art during his life ...
Experience tell me indeed that's rarely happen ...
What do you think about it ?

Anyway: the piece "down" is beatiful as was in the studio version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdAgjRWic4Y

Inner Mounting Flame have been a work that absolutely entusiasmed me: there is the Davis session experience and vast compositional lyrism...
rock-jazz in a more intelligent and less cunning compared to the Return to Forever last "decandent" works ...

my two cents
giorgio