English-born guitarist, bandleader, and composer John McLaughlin is frequently considered to be among the most prolific jazz guitarists alive today. Since taking up the guitar at the age of 11, McLaughlin has incorporated aspects of traditional jazz, rock and roll, flamenco, blues, and both Eastern and Western classical themes into his music, playing a pioneering role in the rise of “jazz fusion.”
He has won numerous Grammys for his work, frequently wins fan-voted distinctions from music publications like Guitar Player and Down Beat, and has been referred to as the world’s best guitarist by the likes of Jeff Beck and Pat Metheny (who, of course, are no musical slouches themselves). As Beck said in a 2010 interview in Uncut, “John McLaughlin has given us so many different facets of the guitar. And introduced thousands of us to world music, by blending Indian music with jazz and classical. I’d say he was the best guitarist alive.” In honor of McLaughlin’s birthday today, take a look back at some of his most memorable projects, including some incredible collaborations with other legendary musicians.
McLaughlin is perhaps best known for his work leading electric jazz-rock outfit the Mahavishnu Orchestra. From 1971–1976 (and again from ’84–’87 with a different lineup), the Mahavishnu Orchestra created complex, imaginative music that pushed the boundaries of genre. Enjoy an incredible full set video of The Mahavishnu Orchestra’s full 1972 Munich performance below, taped from its German TV broadcast courtesy of YouTube user Júlio Pimentel.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra – Munich, Germany – 9/17/72
McLaughlin also played guitar on several of contemporary jazz legend Miles Davis‘ albums, including In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew (which has a track named after him), Live-Evil, and On the Corner. He was also featured as a soloist on Davis’s appropriately titled Big Fun track “Go Ahead John”.
Miles Davis – “Go Ahead John”
John McLaughlin also famously jammed with Jimi Hendrix at the Record Plant in New York on March 25th, 1969, along with Buddy Miles and Dave Holland. Says McLaughlin of the experience, “We played one night, just a jam session. And we played from 2 until 8, in the morning. I thought it was a wonderful experience! I was playing an acoustic guitar with a pick-up. Um, flat-top guitar, and Jimi was playing an electric. Yeah, what a lovely time! Had he lived today, you’d find that he would be employing everything he could get his hands on, and I mean acoustic guitar, synthesizers, orchestras, voices, anything he could get his hands on he’d use!” The audio recording remains a widely fan-circulated gem to this day. You can listen to the session below, courtesy of YouTube user Vital Tones No Bones.
Jimi Hendrix & John McLaughlin – Record Plant – New York, NY – 3/25/69
McLaughlin continues to collaborate with some of the world’s best artists to this day. In late 2016, he joined Chick Corea, Vic Wooten, Lenny White, and more for Corea’s 75th birthday celebration in New York City. You can watch fan-shot video of the band’s performance of Mahavishnu’s “You Know, You Know” from the performance below, courtesy of YouTube user garyskaplan.
John McLaughlin, Chick Corea – “You Know, You Know –New York, NY – 12/8/16
You can also watch a full-show pro-shot video of McLaughlin’s joint 2017 tour with Jimmy Herring & The Invisible Whip, dubbed “Meeting of the Spirits,” which he said will be his final North American tour, below via Relix.
John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring Live – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY – 11/4/17
Happy birthday, John McLaughlin. Here’s to many more years of amazing music!
[Originally published 1/4/18]