THE LOST TRIDENT SESSIONS

In '72 MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA stunned the world with the very exciting and innovative album "Birds Of Fire". The sound was a fusion of mainly jazz and rock but also some blues. The most remarkable facts on this album were the amazing interplay between the guitar (John McLaughlin), keyboards (Jan Hammer) and violin (Jerry Goodman) and the inventive, dynamic and powerful rhythm-section (Rick Laird and Billy Cobham). Due to a very intense touting schedule the band was frequently hit by increasing (inter)personal problems and a few months after the live album "Between Nothingness & Eternity" ('73) MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA disbanded after a farewell concert in the USA end December '73. In the late Nineties people from Columbia Records discovered tapes with sessions recordings from MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA in the UK that should have been the third album from the line up: Cobham, Laird, McLaughlin, Hammer & Goodman.

In '99 Columbia released these tapes as a CD entitled "The Lost Trident Sessions". Well, all six compositions sound sensational: sparkling Fender Rhodes piano, dazzling Minimoog runs and spectacular violin/electric guitar/electric piano interplay in "Dream", a powerful break with sensational Minimoog and distorted violin solos in "Trilogy", howling and biting electric guitar and 'pitch bend-drenched' Minimoog play in "Sister Andrea", exciting solos and interplay from guitar/violin/Minimoog in "I Wonder", strong interplay between Fender Rhodes piano and violin in "Stepping Tones" and howling and biting electric guitar, powerful drums, dazzling Minimoog flights and spectacular violin play in "John's Song". It's not very emotional music but these virtuosy, creative and innovative guys succeeded to keep your attention for the full 40 minutes. Splendid!