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| John Mclaughlin Announces Release Of New Works Entitled Now Here This It has been nearly two years since world-renowned guitarist John McLaughlin released To the One, his highly acclaimed, first studio recording, with The 4th Dimension. The veteran guitar aficionado celebrates his 70th birthday year with the announcement of Now Here This (Abstract Logix) set for release on October 18th as he ups-the-ante even further with greater fire, finesse and freewheeling interplay. McLaughlin's musical influences carry over to many of the musical elite also declaring him to be "the best guitarist alive, " as Jeff Beck mused in 2010. In 2003, McLaughlin was ranked 49th in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and in the summer of 2007, McLaughlin performed at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Bridgeview, Illinois. Chick Corea remarked to Down Beat Magazine that "…what John McLaughlin did with the electric guitar set the world on its ear. No one ever heard an electric guitar played like that before, and it certainly inspired me. John's band, more than my experience with Miles, led me to want to turn the volume up and write music that was more dramatic and made your hair stand on end." McLaughlin's latest creative venture with The 4th Dimension reflects a slight, yet significant, alteration of the dynamic, specifically the recruitment of powerhouse Indian drummer Ranjit Barot. Cameroon-born/Paris-resident bassist Etienne M'Bappe is back from To the One, as is keyboardist/drummer Gary Husband. This 8-track set of McLaughlin originals, recorded at Studio 26 in Antibes, France, testifies to the guitarist's decades-long fascination with Indian music, through his effortless virtuosity, and relentless lyricism, even when the guitarist is shredding at near-light speed. The critical praise for McLaughlin's previous musical venture cascadedforth immediately; John Fordham of The Guardian declared, "…this tight 40-minute document hums with a collaborative energy." There is little doubt that McLaughlin's return to the electrified fusion he first innovated more than 40 years ago in groups led by trumpet icon Miles Davis and drum legend Tony Williams - and, of course, with his own earth-shatteringMahavishnu Orchestra - is as electrifying and exhilarating as ever. And for those new to the genre, Now Here This is the perfect introduction - one that will surely encourage them to also dive, head-first, into this legendary guitarist's lengthy and groundbreaking discography. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |