Mahavishnu orchestra biography of christopher
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For full information about the works mentioned here, see the works pages or follow the links from the titles in the text.
(Auto)biography
If you can’t face reading all this, there’s a short(er) version.
Early life
I was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire in My parents’ love of music was mainly expressed through listening to the standard classical repertoire and the odd bit of jazz. My mother did occasionally play the mun organ and my father made a stab at learning the classical guitar. I was encouraged to take an interest from an early age, although inom didn’t receive any formal instrumental tuition until I was about 12, when I began both piano and guitar lessons — and meanwhile discovered pop music.
First recollections of anything like composing: as a child (aged what? five to eight perhaps), sitting in the back on long car journeys, vaguely Bach-like lines twirling through my head.
Lurking at the back
I was sent to Oundle, a ‘public school
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Mahavishnu Orchestra
American jazz fusion band
The Mahavishnu Orchestra was a jazz fusion band formed in New York City in , led by English guitarist John McLaughlin.[1] The group underwent several line-up changes throughout its history across its two periods of activity, from to and from to [2] With its first line-up consisting of musicians Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman, and Rick Laird, the band received its initial acclaim for its complex, intense music consisting of a blend of Indian classical music, jazz, and psychedelic rock as well as its dynamic live performances between and [3][4] Many members of the band have gone on to acclaimed careers of their own in the jazz and jazz fusion genres.
History
[edit]– First incarnation
[edit]By mid, McLaughlin had been a member of Miles Davis' band and Tony Williams' Lifetime, and released three solo albums. He then set about forming his own jazz fusion group, the first line-up
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Chris Pennie
Chris Pennie is the drummer of the progressive rock group Coheed and Cambria. He was the drummer and co-founder of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan.
Chris started playing drums at the age of 13, and at age 16 decided he wanted to pursue music seriously. He spent two years at Berklee College of Music and received a degree in Music Synthesis, focusing on electronic music composition and manipulation
As far as drummers, Pennie has cited Lars Ulrich and Stewart Copeland as his main early influences. In regard to his current playing, Sean Reinert is one of his biggest inspirations. He's also emphasized on several occasions that listening to and playing a diverse assortment of music has been an integral part in developing his style, noting such eclectic influences as 70's jazz-rock fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra, technical metal bands Meshuggah, Cynic, and electronic-influenced groups such as Nine Inch Nails and DJ Shadow.