Jazz Articles about John McLaughlin

About John McLaughlin

Live Review

Meeting of the Spirits: John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring at the Michigan Theater

by C. Andrew Hovan
November 30, 2017

Jimmy Herring and The Invisible Whip + John McLaughlin and The 4th Dimension Meeting of the Spirits Tour Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, Michigan November 15, 2017 When it comes to virtuosi, guitarist John McLaughlin ranks high in the jazz fusion world. Having the early fortune to connect with legendary drummer Tony Williams upon arriving in New York from his native England, McLaughlin's spirited approach found favor among both rock and jazz devotees. As the ...

Live Review

John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring Meeting of the Spirits at Lincoln Theatre

by Eric Thiessen
November 15, 2017

Jimmy Herring and The Invisible WhipJohn McLaughlin and The 4th Dimension Lincoln Theatre Meeting of the Spirits Tour Washington, DC November 11, 2017 In the late 1960s, the bluesy electric soul music of Jimi Hendrix and the funk of Sly and the Family Stone began to influence Miles Davis, whose subsequent seminal Bitches Brew album (subtitled New Directions In Music) began a genre known as jazz fusion. The guitar virtuoso who helped bring ...

Album Review

John McLaughlin: Where Fortune Smiles

Read "Where Fortune Smiles" reviewed by Roger Farbey

by Roger Farbey
September 13, 2017

Where Fortune Smiles although customarily attributed to John McLaughlin is as much John Surman's record as it was the Mahavishnu's. But it's probably more accurate to describe it as a collective recording since all five musicians were equally matched players of international standing. The cover art actually depicts all five musicians' names and the title of the album in an egalitarian circular arrangement. The album was recorded at Apostolic Studios, New York in late May 1970, at a time when ...

Album Review

John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension: Live at Ronnie Scott's

Read "Live at Ronnie Scott's" reviewed by Geno Thackara

by Geno Thackara
September 10, 2017

Music has taken him and his guitar to some of the most exotic far reaches of the world, but Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club will always have a special place in John McLaughlin's heart. His mid-1960s time in the famous London venue's house band was a key early step in his musical life, and he idly wonders “where would I be without them?" five decades later. No doubt he would still be a legend today; such boundless curiosity and imagination would ...

Interview

John McLaughlin's American Farewell Tour with Jimmy Herring

by Alan Bryson
September 5, 2017

Nearly five decades have passed since John McLaughlin set foot in America as a relatively unknown musician to join the fusion band Lifetime, with the great drummer Tony Williams and equally great organist Larry Young. Two days later he was in the studio with Miles Davis recording In a Silent Way. The breadth and scope of his musical endeavors in the ensuing decades boggle the mind. It's doubtful we will ever fully know the impact he has had on music ...

Album Review

John McLaughlin & Paco de Lucia: Paco and John - Live at Montreux 1987

Read "Paco and John - Live at Montreux 1987" reviewed by John Kelman

by John Kelman
August 29, 2016

It's truly a shame that, all too often, artists with diverse careers become pigeon-holed, defined by the primary genre in which they first achieved notoriety. Take guitarist John McLaughlin, for instance. Ask most jazz fans about him and what will first come out of most of their mouths will include either the words “fusion," “jazz-rock" and/or Miles Davis, in any permutation/combination (not that there's anything wrong with that). Those a little further in the know might also be aware of ...

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Talking 2 Musicians

John McLaughlin

by Alan Bryson
August 31, 2015

With a musical career that spans five decades and as many continents, John McLaughlin has established himself as one of the premier guitarists on the world stage. At the age of 73 his youthful vigor is nothing short of astounding. If he's not touring with one of his two working bands, chances are he's either preparing for his next tour, or he's in the recording studio, or he's embarking on a new project that has captured his imagination. He continues ...