John McLaughlin's "Live @ Ronnie Scott's"

Article Contributed by MAD Ink PR | Published on Thursday, September 7, 2017

“Ronnie Scott’s…” mused the boundary-shattering guitarist John McLaughlin, “…where would I be without them?” The venerable London jazz club and its charismatic namesake gave so much to McLaughlin’s career, the roots of which extend as far back as McLaughlin’s stint as a member of the club’s house band in the 1960s. Since then, his pioneering spirit, instrumental virtuosity, and improvisational fearlessness have taken him around the world, put him on stage alongside fellow giants such as Miles Davis and Tony Williams, and has given listeners a series of compelling, revolutionary recordings that have redefined improvised music for generations to come.

On September 15, Abstract Logix issues McLaughlin’s Live @ Ronnie Scott’s – a souvenir of a sold-out, two-night stand at the beloved venue by John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension, recorded in March of 2017. In the 4th Dimension – Ranjit Barot (drums, konokol), Gary Husband (keyboards, drums), and Etienne M’Bappé (bass) – McLaughlin has gathered a band with the technical dexterity and soulful musicality to do ample justice to his vast catalog. They can follow him anywhere, and together on Live @ Ronnie Scott’s McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension explore everything from early Mahavishnu Orchestra classics to compositions from their most recent studio LP, Black Light.

Most striking about Live @ Ronnie Scott’s is the restraint and fluidity on display: So connected are the band’s four members that the interplay approaches telepathic levels, making for powerfully evocative performances without any wasted gestures. Longtime fans will be thrilled to hear favorites like “Vital Transformation” (from Mahavishnu’s 1971 Inner Mounting Flame album) and “Miles Beyond” (from 1973’s Birds of Fire) reexamined through the lens of the 4th Dimension’s unparalleled sensitivity and facility. Hearing such standards alongside recent compositions like “El Hombre Que Sabia” and the moving “Gaza City” serves to demonstrate the breadth and scope of McLaughlin’s vision, honed over a career now spanning fifty years.

The September release of Live @ Ronnie Scott’s will be followed by the Meeting of the Spirits Tour – a series of November and December shows undertaken in collaboration with one of McLaughlin’s favorite musicians, American guitarist Jimmy Herring. Separate sets by Jimmy Herring and the Invisible Whip and McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension will be followed by the two joining forces for an expansive closing jam based on classic Mahavishnu Orchestra material. These special concerts will also mark McLaughlin’s final shows in America.

As such, Live @ Ronnie Scott’s offers a tantalizing preview of the Meeting of the Spirits Tour. “The intimacy of Ronnie's brought out some startling playing,” wrote London Jazz News immediately following the shows. “There was no mistaking McLaughlin's enthusiasm for revisiting these landmark compositions, reconfirming and even rediscovering their quality and longevity.”

Meeting of the Spirits Tour

Nov 01 University at Buffalo Center for the Arts                              Buffalo, NY  

Nov 02 The Egg                                                                             Albany, NY    

Nov 03 Town Hall                                                                             New York, NY    

Nov 04 Capitol Theatre                                                                  Port Chester, NY    

Nov 05 Rhode Island Center for the Performing Arts                  Cranston, RI

Nov 08 The Wilbur Theatre                                                          Boston, MA  

Nov 09 Keswick Theatre                                                                Philadelphia, PA    

Nov 10 Prudential Hall, NJPAC                                                   Newark, NJ  

Nov 11 Lincoln Theatre                                                                  Washington, DC

Nov 12 Duke Performances at DPAC                                           Durham, NC  

Nov 15 Michigan Theatre                                                             Ann Arbor, MI

Nov 17 Vic Theatre                                                                       Chicago, IL

Nov 18 Vic Theatre                                                                      Chicago, IL

Nov 19 Clowes Memorial-Hall-Butler University                          Indianapolis, IN    

Nov 21 Laura Turner Concert Hall                                              Nashville, TN 

Nov 22 Atlanta Symphony Hall                                                    Atlanta, GA

Nov 24 Florida Theatre                                                                Jacksonville, FL

Nov 25 Ruth Eckerd Hall                                                             Clearwater, FL

Nov 27 The Joy Theater                                                              New Orleans, LAArticles

Nov 30 Paramount Theatre                                                         Austin, TX

 

Dec 01 Riviera Maya Jazz Festival                                            Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Dec 05 Moore Theatre                                                               Seattle, WA

Dec 06 Revolution Hall                                                               Portland, OR

Dec 08 The Warfield                                                                   San Francisco, CA

Dec 09 Royce Hall-UCLA                                                            Los Angeles, CA

 

Pre-order & SampleLive @ Ronnie Scott’s here:  https://mahavishnujohnmclaughlin.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-ronnie-scotts

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