Well this is huge news! Mahavishnu Orchestra’s John McLaughlin and Widespread Panic’s Jimmy Herring will team up for a major tour throughout November and December of 2017, with each musician performing solo sets before coming together for collaborative encores each night. Herring & McLaughlin are easily two of the most influential guitarists of our time, and seeing the two join forces on a nightly basis is the stuff of dreams for fans.
The tour will see McLaughlin digging into his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, playing some of the music that means the most to him. “The music of Mahavishnu is part of my personal and musical history, and as such it is inseparable from me,” McLaughlin reflects in a statement. “To return to these pieces with the experience I’ve had for the past 45 years, since the majority of those pieces were played all those years ago, is very exciting.”
The tour will also mark Herring’s return to solo performing, as the WSP guitarist hasn’t released a solo album since 2012. Both artists will be touring with their full bands for this exciting tour, but it’s the extended collaborative encore jams that have us the most excited about it.
“John’s influence on me is far-reaching. When first hearing him, I was struck by the raw emotion and technical prowess he has,” says Herring in a statement. “If you listen to John long enough, the layers of all the things that make him unique will reveal themselves…Inner Mounting Flame changed my life and the way I heard music. By the time I heard it in 1980, John had long since moved on and recreated himself, as he has done many times throughout his career. It is an honor and a privilege to do this tour with John and the 4th Dimension.”
The shows are McLaughlin’s first extended tour dates in seven years, and are also expected to be McLaughlin’s final live shows in America. While dates have not yet been announced, we’re beyond excited for what will be a showing of enormous talent.To get in the mood, check out this video of McLaughlin sitting in with Herring and the Aquarium Rescue Unit below.
Check out the artwork below.
