The Heart Of Things - Live In Paris

The first two selections on this live album show clearly that here's a jazz guitarist who can make it as heavy metal, industrial, and alternative as any rocker. With almost the identical band McLaughlin used on 1997's The Heart of Things, these six long tracks make up his best pure jazz-rock fusion record since Electric Guitarist in 1978. On the other side of his high energy, McLaughlin is one of the most respectful musicians in the business, in this case honoring drummer Tony Williams on "Tony," with the very powerful Dennis Chambers executing a long, entertaining solo. And even without the presence of Matthew Garrison, son of bassist Jimmy Garrison in the famed John Coltrane Quartet, the shadow of Trane permeates the ballad "Fallen Angels," with young Gary Thomas adding scintillating sheets of sound on saxophone. With all types of colors on keys is Otmaro Ruiz, who's done his fusion homework, with quotes straight out of the George Duke 1970s book on the 16-minute-plus "The Divide." McLaughlin also shows he has a sense of humor on "Acid Jazz," with screaming Jimi Hendrix-type runs augmented by enough in-the-moment soloing from Thomas to make avant-jazz icon Ken Vandermark blush. --Mark A. Ruffin