Almost a half-century ago, Shakti awakened the world.
 
An unprecedented, transcontinental collaboration, Shakti united eastern and western musicians, and in the process forged the template for what is now called “world music.” Their dynamic musical hybrid immediately enthralled audiences around the globe – and inspired generations of musicians, artists, and thinkers from all walks of life to embark on their own cross-cultural odysseys.  
 

Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG are set to release the next instalment in The Montreux Years series with “John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years,” OUT TOMORROW - Friday, March 4, 2022. Curated and compiled by John McLaughlin, the album is a collection of his finest performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1978 and 2016.

Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG today announce the release of John McLaughlin’s live performance of El Hombre Que Sabià from the 2016 Montreux Jazz Festival. The release appears on the brand-new record ‘John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years’ to be released on Friday, March 4, 2022. Curated and compiled by John McLaughlin, the album is a collection of his finest performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1978 and 2016.

Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG today announce the next instalment in The Montreux Years series with “John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years”, to be released on Friday, March 4, 2022. Curated and compiled by John McLaughlin, the album is a collection of his finest performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1978 and 2016.

A living legend of improvised music, with a career now spanning more than five decades, John McLaughlin, anointed high priest of fusion is no stranger to translating tumultuous moments into compelling, thoughtful audio art.

A living legend of improvised music, with a career now spanning more than five decades, John McLaughlin is no stranger to translating tumultuous moments into compelling, thoughtful audio art.

To a world seeking to heal itself from the blight of a fearsome pandemic, John McLaughlin, Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain offer a new recording of their expansive, collaborative incantation “Sakhi” -- recorded via ISDN from each artist’s respective home.

The blues may be the only thing even more universal than the current global pandemic we are all operating through. With this in mind, pathbreaking guitarist and bandleader John McLaughlin has convened his longstanding band the 4th Dimension -- Gary Husband (keyboards), Etienne M'Bappe (bass), and Ranjit Barot (drums, konnakol) -- via the Internet to record "Lockdown Blues," the multifaceted ensemble's first new studio recording in five years.

Six years in the making, Is That So? is one of John McLaughlin’s deepest and most profound musical collaborations with prolific Indian composer and vocalist Shankar Mahadevan. Joining the duo is their life-long friend and musical brother Ustad Zakir Hussain on the tabla, who has been collaborating with McLaughlin since they founded Shakti in the early ‘70s, acknowledged by most to be the first groundbreaking crossover East-West musical group.

One of the most important live recordings of the last fifty years, “Friday Night In San Francisco” (1982) brought together three prodigious guitarists of different legacies to one stage. John McLaughlin, one of the three guitarists, recognized the tour with progressive flamenco master Paco De Lucia and fusion marvel Al Di Meola as an essential collective performance. San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre had many legendary musical performances prior, but after that Friday night of acoustical transcendence on December 5th, 1980, McLaughlin further mystified the storied venue.