Power, Passion and Beauty – The Story of the Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra

Starting in 1971, and lasting in one form or another for five years, the Mahavishnu Orchestra exploded onto the popular music scene. The band trashed all existing conventions and forged a new musical direction that is still controversial to this day. The loudest and fastest band in the entire world, the MO literally could “scare” people – yet also could create music of great beauty.

While the volatility of the music and the pressure of rapid fame would put a premature end to the band, its powerful influence lives on today across classical, jazz, rock, hip-hop, rap, progressive rock, world, heavy metal, death metal, Indian, jam band and even country music landscapes. However, the group’s reach goes much further, affecting many other artistic worlds. All five members of the original band – John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman and Rick Laird – cooperated with the author for this book.

In addition, close to 150 people, including some of the world’s greatest musicians and artists, provided comments exclusively for the pages of Power, Passion and Beauty. Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Jeff Beck, Sir George Martin, Jean-Luc Ponty, Peter Max, Joe Zawinul, Bill Frisell, Dennis Chambers, Bill Bruford, Jimmy Herring, Jonas Hellborg, John Scofield, Steve Lukather, Lyle Mays, Steve Morse, Ken Scott, Gary Husband, John Abercrombie, Narada Michael Walden and many, many others contributed their thoughts.

The book, which also interacts with a special website, also contains many never before seen images of the musicians who defined a thrilling new musical genre. Experience this remarkable story through those that lived it and are still living it. You will be captured by the Power, Passion and Beauty of it all.

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