EXTRAPOLATION

Recently I discovered the amazing Mahavishnu Orchestra, and then I got this album, certainly McLaughlin's debut album, and some people said to me this is a Jazz masterpiece. I don't fell it that way, but it's an excellent Jazz album, with very few elements of Fusion, if you listen to the longest track, "Binky's Beam". Without a doubt, McLaughlin's first recording as a leader features the future innovator playing guitar in an English quartet. Although McLaughlin contributed all ten pieces, baritonist John Surman actually dominates this music, often swinging quite hard. Another thing to say about this disc is it was recorded all in one take, and played so cleanly, with nice improvisations! The special thing about McLaughlin here is that he provides some nice (and sad) intros in almost all the songs, good examples could be the ironically called "It's Funny", "Arjen's Bag", "Really You Know" and the closer "Peace Piece", which features beautiful acoustic guitar. Here you can't hear rocker or overdistorted guitars making solos as fast as he did with Mahavishnu, it's really a lot more quiet and improvisational, with no distortion, more jazzy, and he has not so much participation in the solos because and unknown to me baritonist player, John Surman, takes the majority of the job while soloing, and does a nice job. The drum work is relatively good, and you can hear a drum solo on "Pete The Poet", which could be more logical of it was put on the jamming and fusiony "Binky's Beam", the highlight of the album (with the opener "Extrapolation") with very extensive soloing and a melody, and its main melody would be used in Mahavishnu's "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters", if you pay attention. But this jazz quertet wouldn't sound that good if it weren't for the bass, so an special mention to Brian Odges, an unknown bassist to me, who does an excellent job here, and gives a more natural sound to his bass, close to a contrabass!

Overall, a very good Jazz record but not essential in a Prog discography, but always a pleasant litening! Recommended if you like Jazz of Fusion and you'd like ot go further.

Rating: 3.0/5