John McLaughlin News

November of 2011 marks the 40^th anniversary of the start of the original Mahavishnu Orchestra’s phenomenal ascent to become the most heralded of all jazz-rock bands. It was in that month of 1971 that the band released its debut album, The Inner Mounting Flame, and began a relentless touring schedule. The first incarnation of the group lasted only thirty months, but four decades later you can’t turn around without bumping into a new Mahavishnu Orchestra tribute band, tribute album or yet another cover interpretation of the group’s trailblazing music.

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Chats With George Benson, John McLaughlin, Fred Schneider of The B-52′s, and L.A. Guns’ Tracii Guns, Plus Lisa Hannigan’s New Video

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john will take part in the ‘guitar summit’ in monaco on the 24th of november 2011.

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Thanks for the unexpected response to my words. I knew that it would provoke both positive and negative reactions. I’m happy to have both. We all know piracy is here to stay since nothing is all bad, even piracy. I’m aware that through pirates’ operations, people in Asia, Africa, Latin America and other countries have the opportunity to download music they would otherwise never have access to, and this is necessarily good.
My comments are not even about my own situation any more. Musicians of my generation have been ‘suffering’ since the invention of the audio cassette! We’ve been living with it for decades. In addition, I’m very fortunate to have played with the greatest from East and West, and have an audience who support my work.
What really upsets me is the situation for the younger musicians. It really is rough out there, as most young players will agree. My commentary is about the perception of Internet theft. Whatever anyone may say, stealing IS stealing. What is clear, is that the ‘old days’ are gone forever. We are in a period of transition which always incurs a certain chaos. We need to find a system that will give the opportunity to musicians who want to give their music freely, the possibility. However, the system must include a way that enables musicians who live from their work, to be paid for their work.
Thanks for reading!

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Dear friends, it has been quite some time since my last words in print, but I feel the need to write just a few words about the musical world in its business sense, and the havoc created by those well meaning people known as internet ‘pirates’, that is the people who in their uncontrollable desire to make music in general, and CD’s in particular, available free to the global public. When asked about their activities, they frequently speak about their ‘noble’ aims to make music accessible to all and sundry, for free naturally, although not all of them are ‘noble’:  to the contrary, they charge people and of course, never pay the artist or the intellectual royalties which are due to the song writers.
When we speak about the act of theft, which is what in reality it is, this no longer seems to bother anyone who is not affected economically by the actions of these people. The questions of ethics and the morality of theft, have lost their fundamental meaning to many people when it comes to ‘finding stuff on the internet’.
I however, would like to put this new view of values in the context of killing and murder.
Naturally enough, people who kill other people are still considered a menace to society, and either they will be imprisoned or executed depending on which country or which state in which country you live in. [Read more →]

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Link : http://abstractlogix.com/mymusic/ablxdvd

On November 20 and 21, 2010, maverick record label Abstract Logix hosted a series of spectacular performances, featuring an array of artists who handily defy genre categorization in favor of unbridled expression. The first New Universe Festival was a die-hard music lover’s dream, defined by artists who seamlessly mingle compositional ingenuity and improvisational grace and fervor.

Among the featured musicians were pioneering guitarist John McLaughlin and his current band the 4th Dimension with special guest, world music legend tabla maestro Zakir Hussain; Widespread Panic guitar hero Jimmy Herring with his electric band; Return to Forever Drummer Lenny White; the all-star quartet Human Element (keyboardist Scott Kinsey, bassist Matt Garrison, percussionist Arto Tunçboyaciyan; fearless guitarist and improviser Wayne Krantz appearing with the amazing Anthony Jackson on bass; visionary Indian composer and drummer Ranjit Barot; and emerging guitar visionary Alex Machacek.

A 2 CD Set of the festival featuring 131 minutes of music was released on July 19, 2011 to rave reviews.

A 2 DVD Compilation featuring the music on the CD, along with excerpts of the grand finale Jam tribute to John McLaughlin featuring all the artists of the festival along with behind the scenes footage and extensive interviews will be released on September 20, 2011. The total time featuring the grand finale jam and interviews is over 60 minutes.

The final guitarist on the album is the Mahavishnu himself, John McLaughlin. His band, the Fourth Dimension, is a tight and nimble unit that can change directions at will as if all the members are a single organism. It will take most listeners some time to work through both discs, but the chance to hear the evolution of jazz/rock guitar in a live setting is well worth the investment. – -Jason Shadrick, Premier Guitar

For those who like their jazz hard, loud, filled with killer chops and intricate writing, the 2010 New Universe Music Festival was like manna from heaven. – -John Kelman, All About Jazz

This thing is amazing!!!! UNREAL!!!! — Russ Baker, Voice of America

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