The Mahavishnu Orchestra
 

Good Jazz. I recently bought the cd Birds of Fire. It is awesome. I would recommend it to any people out there who want to listen to a really good jazz-fusion record. If you've heard of them or have the cd then post something...:)

Fantastic Jazz Fusion Band. The first album Inner Mounting Flame is also incredible. Both John Mclaughlin (guitarist) and Billy Cobham (drummer) have had great solo careers in jazz fusion after Mahavishnu Orchestra. If you want to listen to some phenomenally intense drumming, check out Cobham's solo stuff. Another great fusion band of the 70's is Chick Corea's band Return to Forever with Stanley Clark on Electric bass and the legendary Airto Moreira on percussion.

Both of them are really great bands. I checked out some more stuff on Return To Forever, and liked it. On another note Billy Cobham has such an amazing style of drumming. He's been a big influence for a lot of drummers, including Jon Theodore from The Mars Volta.

The Mahavishnu Orchestra were a solid band. i listened to them a fair bit back in the seventies. McLaughlin came from the Miles Davis rock jazz fusion period. Don't know where Cobam came from but he certainly put his mark on drumming thoughout the seventies. Goodman the violinist came from a band called Flock and the keyboardist Hammer went on to do some Great stuff with Jeff beck. Can't recall who the bassist was though.

Great fusion. I can't decide which is better Birds of Fire or Inner Mounting Flame none the less both essential jazz albums.

Mahavishnu Orchestra
 

I just got all four of thier good albums with thier original line-up thanks to my friend. Man, you just don't hear music like that anymore. John McLaughlin, as Frank Zappa so elegantly put it, "Plays like a ****ing machinegun" and Jerry Goodman tears up on that violin. I consider them Rock really, not much jazz as they are usually billed. Billy Cobham a monster, any Mahavishnu Orchestra fans out there? If not, then definetly check out

Inner Mounting Flame
Birds of Fire
Between Nothingness and Eternity
Lost Triden Sessions

And just see if you can listen to **** like System of a Down or White Stripes after that.

I have heard Mahavishnu Orchestra and i still listen to **** like System of a Down and White Stripes.

Why?

Because thats the kind of taste in music i was born with...I do love MO though, and Birds of Fire is especialy great, i take you like prog?, because if you do, i could use your help for something. ;)

Mahavishnu Orchestra = The Shi.t such a tight prog band