Prog In the late 1960s, change was in the air. had hinted at the possibilities of throwing jazz improvisation into rock music, amplified the R&B groove to create funk, and and Tony Williams were chomping at the bit to shake off the limits of acoustic jazz. Originally from Yorkshire, John McLaughlin was a prodigiously gifted guitarist working on the London circuit when Williams brought him to New York to join his new band, Lifetime, for their genre-defying album .
Davis, impressed by the young Brit’s speed, fluency and invention, recruited McLaughlin to play on and . These three albums tore up the jazz rule book and made something new – jazz rock. It was loud and the critics loathed it; but it was unstoppable.
“It was a great period, the end of the 60s going into the 70s,” says McLaughlin. “I just happened to be in the middle of it all. It was just luck really.
” In 1971 he founded Mahavishnu Orchestra to play their own fearless, ferocious brand of this new form. In the mid-70s, he switched direction to pursue Indian music with Shakti. Currently leading John McLaughlin And The 4th Dimension, the guitar wizard remains a restless musical explorer, his lightning velocity on the guitar matched only by his boundless drive to expand and improve his craft.
“I think music reminds us of our home where we all belong together,” he says. “It’s wonderful.” Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! We had two nights .
