Jazz Articles about John McLaughlin

Recordings by John McLaughlin

by Walter Kolosky
July 8, 2004

Noted jazz critic Leonard Feather once called the English jazz guitarist John McLaughlin a chameleon. He did not mean it as a compliment. He believed that McLaughlin never developed a real musical identity, because he kept jumping into too many different musical worlds. Indeed, McLaughlin had written and played ragtime, rock, free jazz, modern jazz, fusion, world music, and even classical music. What the jazz traditionalist in Feather couldn't see at the time, however, was that McLaughlin was actually on ...

John McLaughlin Resources

by Walter Kolosky
July 8, 2004

This collection of resources relating to guitarist John McLaughlin is included as part of John McLaughlin @ All About Jazz . For listeners interested in learning more about the artist, I recommend the following:

Internet sites:

The Official John McLaughlin Website Pages of Fire - The original John McLaughlin internet fan site The John McLaughlin Archives Page - A very comprehensive resource When Blue Turns Gold - A wonderful tribute ...

Guest Appearances: John McLaughlin as a Sideman

by Walter Kolosky
July 8, 2004

Guitar great John McLaughlin has been leading his own bands and playing his own compositions for over thirty years. But like most musicians, he has paid his dues. John McLaughlin has played in jazz bands since the 1950s, and had appeared on numerous projects as an unnamed studio guitarist throughout the '60s. During this time he also performed with Brian Auger, Graham Bond, Ginger Baker, Kenny Wheeler, Jack Bruce, Gunther Hampel, and many other up and coming European jazz and ...

Finding the Way: The Music of John McLaughlin

by Walter Kolosky
July 8, 2004

Since the late '60s, John McLaughlin has been on a constant quest. The guitarist, like his early mentor Miles Davis, has reinvented his music several times. And he isn't likely to stop any time soon. This special feature focuses on the many forms of McLaughlin's music, with particular emphasis on the recordings which have earned him his just fame. But first, a bit of background: McLaughlin played on several electric Miles records, including the first shots in the ...

String Theory: 25 Years of John McLaughlin at The Montreux Jazz Festival

by Walter Kolosky
January 29, 2004

Weighing in at more than 3 pounds, including a very esoteric 50-page hardcover booklet, the John McLaughlin: The Montreux Concerts box set is one magnificent mess. Hours upon hours of music provide ample evidence that McLaughlin’s guitar playing should be used to gauge the tensile strength of various string types and his compositions need to be analyzed for secret messages. Large and small scale experimentation, diversity and virtuosity rule this collection. Even the failed experiments are glorious. This set is ...

John McLaughlin: Thieves and Poets

by Eddie Becton
January 20, 2004

Guitarist John McLaughlin has been creating music for several decades, most notably jazz-rock fusion with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Throughout McLaughlin has incorporated rhythms from around the globe in creating what has always been fresh music. Thieves and Poets is no exception, so McLaughlin-ites should be pleased.

“My Foolish Heart" has a pensive, yet melodic flare. Its slow, meticulous phrasing is similar to “Stella by Starlight," a romantic piece that walks along. The phrasing is subtle, but very much present and ...

John McLaughlin: Thieves and Poets

by Walter Kolosky
October 25, 2003

Thieves and Poets is the latest offering from guitarist John McLaughlin. Similar in concept to two of his previous albums, The Mediterranean Concerto and Time Remembered, but different in execution, Thieves and Poets is well worth the ten year wait McLaughlin fans have endured to hear the piece recorded.

In one form or another, McLaughlin's three-part acoustic guitar and symphony suite has been in existence since the early nineties. Originally known as Europa, it has received some rewriting over the ...