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John McLaughlin | Essential albums and listening guide
Explore John McLaughlin through The Inner Mounting Flame. Discover what to listen for and follow related styles to your next record.
John McLaughlin
Meet the artist
A guitarist who recorded with electric-era Miles Davis and developed cross-genre music through the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti, his collaboration with Indian musicians. A sharp attack and agile lines navigate intricate rhythms.
Rock-powered electric groups and acoustic dialogue with Indian musicians offer distinct settings for exploration. Despite their different sounds, repeated patterns allow improvisation to gather heat in both. Listen beyond speed to the detailed rhythmic exchanges between players. At the meeting point of jazz, rock and Indian music, he expands the guitar's role within an ensemble.
Where to start listening
Listen beyond guitar speed to where rhythmic patterns align and shift. These records also invite comparison between electric and acoustic textures.
1971The Inner Mounting Flame
John McLaughlin
It was John McLaughlin’s first solo work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He blended extreme techniques of rock, jazz, and Indian music together, thus laying the foundation for fusion music.
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1976Shakti
John McLaughlin / Zakir Hussain / L. Shankar
It’s a live album by Shakti, formed by John McLaughlin together with renowned musicians of North Indian classical music. This album represents a new improvisational approach where jazz and Indian music are equally important.
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Years follow the Atlas catalogue. Recording dates, original release dates and digital reissue dates may differ.