Sunday Music Muse Day - John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter.

Happy New year.  Here to start of the first Sunday Music Muse day with John Mclaughlin & the 4th Dimension- Jimmy Herring & the Invisible Whip - Live in San Francisco (man that's mouthful of title).  Yesterday (Jan. 6) was John Mclaughlin's 77th birthday and I heard a radio interview from the end of the 2018 farewell tour that this album form the last concert is from.  I caught the first concert of the this final tour, at the University of Buffalo.  I'm glad I got to see McLaughlin. who's one of my favorite musical artist, not just as a great guitarist. 

The radio interview was very insightful.  One gem of interest was that he was invited to join Weather Report at its inception by co-founder bassist Miroslav Vitous, but turned down the offer as he was forming Mahavishu Orchestra.  Weather Report is favorite non-guitar-centric groups.  I think you can get feel for they would sound with a guitarist from their tune The Moors from I Sing the Body Electric album, their second, featuring Ralph Towner. 

I sort of glad McLaughlin didn't join Weather Report as it might have meant no Mahavishu Orchestra.  What void in my music collection that would have been.

Speaking of Weather Report, my next selection is from another founding member legendary saxophonist, Wayne Shorter.  Wayne Shorter - Emanon is his latest release by 85 tear old recent Kennedy Center Honors recipient .  Emanon is multimedia concept project with 3 CDs and 84 page science fiction graphic novel, illustrated by Randy DuBurke. I'm not familiar with the artist. The music is as adventurist as his early solo. Amazing.

Interestingly, this is not Wayne's first example of comic book art attached to his music.  I came across an old album of his, Phantom Navigator, that has Wayne comic book art from his teen years on the inner sleeve.

There are other examples of jazz players who were into sci-fi, like bassist Stanley Clarke  and drummer Lenny White of Return to Forever.  I'll have to do a post them sometime.

For now, enjoy the coming New Year.