What's so good about John McLaughlin?

John McLaughlin is, quite simply, one of the most important guitarists to have entered the jazz scene in the past fifty years. He has played a vital role in bringing to the mainstream a variety of styles including the fusions of jazz with rock and jazz with east-Indian classical music, and plays with a technical ability which inspires musicians of all stripes. And, although we shouldn't judge a musician solely by the company he keeps, a quick look at some of John's past collaborators is fairly impressive: Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter, the Rolling Stones, Jaco Pastorius, Zakir Hussain and Paco de Lucia (among many others!).

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named John McLaughlin as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, and it's easy to see why: he has an almost unrivaled mastery the guitar, whether playing the beautiful acoustic music of his album My Goals Beyond; the avant-jazz-funk of the Miles Davis album On the Corner; his indo-jazz fusion with the Mahavishnu Orchestra; or as part of the guitar trio with Paco de Lucia and Al di Meola. Here are some clips:

With the guitar trio

From My Goals Beyond (audio track)

With the Mahavishnu Orchestra (audio track)

For his November 11th performance at Koerner Hall, John will perform music from his most recent CD, To The One, along with band members Gary Husband (keyboards, drums), Etienne M’Bappe (electric bass), and Mark Mondesir (drums). He's called the ensemble the Fourth Dimension, and the new album, while drawing influence from John Coltrane's fiery 1960's quartet, features the Dimension in very much a jazz-rock fusion setting. The album features some of the most exciting music being made in the jazz (or, frankly, rock) world, and it's sure to be a high-energy night. Here's a sample of what you might hear: