John McLaughlin | Artist
John McLaughlin is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer born 1942 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. His music includes many genres of jazz, combined with elements of rock, Indian classical music, Western classical music, flamenco, and blues. He is one of the pioneering figures in fusion music and renowned for his work with Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shakti and his solo and collaborative works. He is also one of the world's finest jazz-rock guitarists. McLaughlin studied violin and piano as a child and took up the guitar at the age of 11. Upon moving to London in the early 1960s he found himself at the centre of a thriving jazz-blues scene, and he played with big name combos such as Alexis Korner Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, the Graham Bond Organisation, Brian Auger and Jack Bruce. Legend has it that John McLaughlin gave guitar lessons to a young Jimmy Page. McLaughlin attracted attention as a soloist with the release of a string of three superb jazz guitar albums over the years 1969-71: Extrapolation, Devotion and My Goal's Beyond. His next project was the highly influential jazz fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra, which further established his reputation as one of the world's leading exponents of jazz-rock music. In parallel with his solo and band work, McLaughlin was also a major contributor to four of Miles Davis' finest albums over the period 1969-72: In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, A Tribute to Jack Johnson and On The Corner. Other projects include collaborations with Shakti, Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola and Paco di Lucia. To-date McLaughlin has 26 solo, band and collaboration studio releases, plus many fine live albums - not including his work with Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shaki. Standout solo works include Extrapolation (1969), Devotion (1970), My Goal's Beyond (1971), Love Devotion Surrender (1973) and Friday Night in San Francisco (1981). His 2018 live release John McLaughlin and The 4th Dimension - Live in San Francisco is also highly recommended. In his personal life, for many years McLaughlin was an adherent to the spiritual and meditation practices of Sri Chimnoy, which came across in much of his music. In 2003, McLaughlin was ranked 49th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
Artist Website: johnmclaughlin.com
Featured Albums: John McLaughlin
Related Artists: Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shakti, Miles Davis, Tony Williams Lifetime, Carlos Santana, The Guitar Trio
Collections: Music Visionaries
