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FEATURE STORY
 Walter Kolosky
Interview By Jeff Melton Walter Kolosky has written two books for publisher AbstractLogix. His second book is a dedicated and
objective effort surrounding the brief history of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and its members. His single-minded approach to addressing the story of Mahavishnu allowed him to speak
with many famous rock and jazz musicians who were directly influenced by their unique power and intensity. Mr. Kolosky has provided a
distinctive insight into the inner workings of the group, and he has shed new light on arguably the first and finest fusion band on the planet (the book is subtitled
"The greatest band that ever was"). I am indebted to the author for his time and candor for this interview. Also, many thanks to Scott Steele for editorial assistance.
– Jeff Melton. Eclectic Moonlight: How were you first introduced to the music of the
Mahavishnu Orchestra? Walter Kolosky: When I was a kid, there used to be a show on the ABC TV Network called In Concert.
It was on every Friday night at 11:30. It featured all the great rock acts of the day. One night I was watching it and it was pretty bad.
I was thinking of turning it off and going to bed because I was bored and tired. For some reason, I left the show on. Finally the last act came on. I'll never
forget the announcer saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen. The Mahavishnu Orchestra", I thought to myself what kind of name is that? The music started
immediately. I was mesmerized by the visual and sonic power of the band. It was like nothing I ever heard. It was wild, yet organized. It was powerful,
threatening to crack my television screen. The audience was beside itself in exultation. It was draining, yet invigorating. What was this music? I would say I
was hooked within ten seconds. It was one of those moments of discovery that affected the rest of your life. I knew it right away. In fact, within a few weeks I
had given away all of my Black Sabbath and Ten Years After records. I would return to those bands years later on CD, but the mold had been cast.
Continued . . .
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ROOT - Illumination
Reviewed by Chris GoodallIllumination is the fifth album of Root
, or should I say, David Kendall. For those not in the know, David Kendall is the genius behind the Root project. Not only does he write, compose and
perform every track (all the instruments and vocals), he also produces and even creates the cover art!
Continued . . . PIP PYLE 1950-2006
By Hugh Hopper
I began playing with Pip Pyle in 1978, when we started the band Soft Heap with Alan Gowen and Elton Dean (all, sadly departed now). Pip and I found that we got on
well rhythmically, although we were neither of us correct metronomic players – what we discovered together was a sort of organic, tumbling octopus that crashed and
lurched through people's tunes, but always got there in the end!
Continued . . .
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