<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahavishnu Orchestra</span>

Mahavishnu Orchestra

<p><b>The Mahavishnu Orchestra</b> was a <a href="/en/Jazz_fusion" title="Jazz fusion" class="wl">jazz fusion</a> band formed in <a href="/en/New_York_City" title="New York City" class="wl">New York City</a> in 1971, led by English guitarist <a href="/en/John_McLaughlin_(musician)" title="John McLaughlin (musician)" class="wl">John McLaughlin</a>.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-Larkin_1-0"><a href="#cite_note-Larkin-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span> The group underwent several line-up changes throughout its history across its two periods of activity, from 1971 to 1976 and from 1984 to 1987.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="#cite_note-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span> With its first line-up consisting of musicians <a href="/en/Billy_Cobham" title="Billy Cobham" class="wl">Billy Cobham</a>, <a href="/en/Jan_Hammer" title="Jan Hammer" class="wl">Jan Hammer</a>, <a href="/en/Jerry_Goodman" title="Jerry Goodman" class="wl">Jerry Goodman</a>, and <a href="/en/Rick_Laird" title="Rick Laird" class="wl">Rick Laird</a>, the band received its initial acclaim for its complex, intense music consisting of a blend of <a href="/en/Indian_classical_music" title="Indian classical music" class="wl">Indian classical music</a>, <a href="/en/Jazz" title="Jazz" class="wl">jazz</a>, and <a href="/en/Psychedelic_rock" title="Psychedelic rock" class="wl">psychedelic rock</a> as well as its dynamic live performances between 1971 and 1973.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-harvardcrimson_3-0"><a href="#cite_note-harvardcrimson-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-newyorktimes1_4-0"><a href="#cite_note-newyorktimes1-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[4]</span></a></span> Many members of the band have gone on to acclaimed careers of their own in the jazz and jazz fusion genres.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">American jazz fusion band</div>
<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: Mahavishnu Orchestra, Background information,...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox vcard plainlist mobile-collapse-element"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above notheme" style="background-color: #b0c4de; font-size: 125%;"><div class="fn org">Mahavishnu Orchestra</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span><a href="/en/File:Mahavishnu_orchestra1973.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" title="The original line-up on stage in 1973.Left to right: Jerry Goodman, Jan Hammer, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Rick Laird" data-hash="File:Mahavishnu_orchestra1973.jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="The original line-up on stage in 1973.Left to right: Jerry Goodman, Jan Hammer, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Rick Laird" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/14/Mahavishnu_orchestra1973.jpg/300px-Mahavishnu_orchestra1973.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="390" data-file-height="255" data-file-type="bitmap" height="196" width="300" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/14/Mahavishnu_orchestra1973.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/14/Mahavishnu_orchestra1973.jpg 2x"></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">The original line-up on stage in 1973.<br>Left to right: <a href="/en/Jerry_Goodman" title="Jerry Goodman" class="wl">Jerry Goodman</a>, <a href="/en/Jan_Hammer" title="Jan Hammer" class="wl">Jan Hammer</a>, <a href="/en/John_McLaughlin_(musician)" title="John McLaughlin (musician)" class="wl">John McLaughlin</a>, <a href="/en/Billy_Cobham" title="Billy Cobham" class="wl">Billy Cobham</a>, <a href="/en/Rick_Laird" title="Rick Laird" class="wl">Rick Laird</a></div></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header notheme" style="background-color: #b0c4de">Background information</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Origin</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/New_York_City" title="New York City" class="wl">New York City</a>, US</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Genres</th><td class="infobox-data"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Jazz_fusion" title="Jazz fusion" class="wl">Jazz fusion</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Progressive_rock" title="Progressive rock" class="wl">progressive rock</a></li>
<li><span class="nowrap"><a href="/en/World_jazz" title="World jazz" class="mw-redirect wl">world jazz</a></span></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap">Years active</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><div class="hlist"><ul><li>1971–1976</li><li>1984–1987</li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Labels</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Columbia_Records" title="Columbia Records" class="wl">Columbia</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header notheme" style="background-color: #b0c4de"></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap">Past members</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/John_McLaughlin_(musician)" title="John McLaughlin (musician)" class="wl">John McLaughlin</a><br><a href="/en/Billy_Cobham" title="Billy Cobham" class="wl">Billy Cobham</a><br><a href="/en/Jan_Hammer" title="Jan Hammer" class="wl">Jan Hammer</a><br><a href="/en/Jerry_Goodman" title="Jerry Goodman" class="wl">Jerry Goodman</a><br><a href="/en/Rick_Laird" title="Rick Laird" class="wl">Rick Laird</a><br>Ralphe Armstrong<br><a href="/en/Narada_Michael_Walden" title="Narada Michael Walden" class="wl">Narada Michael Walden</a><br><a href="/en/Gayle_Moran" title="Gayle Moran" class="wl">Gayle Moran</a><br><a href="/en/Jean-Luc_Ponty" title="Jean-Luc Ponty" class="wl">Jean-Luc Ponty</a><br><a href="/en/Stu_Goldberg" title="Stu Goldberg" class="wl">Stu Goldberg</a><br><a href="/en/Bill_Evans_(saxophonist)" title="Bill Evans (saxophonist)" class="wl">Bill Evans</a><br><a href="/en/Jonas_Hellborg" title="Jonas Hellborg" class="wl">Jonas Hellborg</a><br><a href="/en/Mitchel_Forman" title="Mitchel Forman" class="wl">Mitchel Forman</a><br><a href="/en/Danny_Gottlieb" title="Danny Gottlieb" class="wl">Danny Gottlieb</a><br><a href="/en/Jim_Beard" title="Jim Beard" class="wl">Jim Beard</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <footer class='mobile-collapse-footer mobile-collapse-btn'><b>Close</b> <span class='arrow'>▲</span></footer></div>



The Mahavishnu Orchestra was a jazz fusion band formed in New York City in 1971, led by English guitarist John McLaughlin. Many members of the band have gone on to acclaimed careers of their own in the jazz and jazz fusion genres. 