Thursday Jazz: John McLaughlin

Words By Zach Zeidner

John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension – To The One

With the New Universe festival coming up this weekend, I thought that a good choice for the Jazz album of the week would be John McLaughlin’s newest album. To The One, which came out earlier this year, is a delightful romp through a massively destructive fusion forest complete with adventurous twists and turns that’ll leave you begging for more. John McLaughlin, along with his 4th dimension, present a collection of fusion pieces that hold the mind-numbing tone that we have come to associate with the mahavishnu, while at the same time exploring the continuously centrifugal world of jazz improvisation. The 4th dimension includes Etienne Mbappe on bass, Gary Husband on keys and Mark Mondesir on drums; each of which proves to be a virtuoso in their own right. From the first tune on the album, “Discovery”, there is a sense of a modernistic rock fusion drive that allows each musician to push the boundaries of the composition. As this tune progresses it develops into an intense jam that holds a melody you just can’t get out of your head. The rest of the album holds true as the quartet demonstrates that this truly is what fusion is all about.

John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension – To The One <--- Amazon Link

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