What's so good about John McLaughlin?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Wed May 15 3:16pm
Artist: 
John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension

John McLaughlin is, quite simply, one of the most important guitarists to have contributed to the jazz scene in the past fifty years. He has played a vital role in bringing to the mainstream a variety of styles including the fusions of jazz with rock and jazz with east-Indian classical music, and plays with a technical ability which inspires musicians of all stripes. And, although we shouldn't judge a musician solely by the company he keeps, a quick look at some of John's past collaborators is fairly impressive: Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter, the Rolling Stones, Jaco Pastorius, Zakir Hussain and Paco de Lucia (among many others!).

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named John McLaughlin as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, and it's easy to see why: he has an almost unrivaled mastery the guitar, whether playing the beautiful acoustic music of his album My Goals Beyond; the avant-jazz-funk of the Miles Davis album On the Corner; his indo-jazz fusion with the Mahavishnu Orchestra; or as part of the guitar trio with Paco de Lucia and Al di Meola. Here are some clips:

With the guitar trio

From My Goals Beyond (audio track)

With the Mahavishnu Orchestra (audio track)

John McLaughlin celebrated his 70th birthday in 2012, and did so in style, with a birthday bash hosted by Zakir Hussain in Mumbai and the release of a new album, Now Here This, with The 4th Dimension. The new album is a return to the fusion he first helped to introduce more than 40 years ago, and sounds just as fresh and exciting as ever. In fact, John calls it “the culmination of my life's work till now.” Joining John will be Gary Husband (keyboards & drums), Etienne Mbappe (bass) and powerhouse Indian drummer Ranjit Barot. Here's a sample of what you might hear:

John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension play the Toronto Star Mainstage at Nathan Phillips Square on Sunday, June 23 at 8 pm. UK saxophone superstar Courtney Pine opens up. Buy tickets now or, for complete information visit John McLaughlin's concert page.