JOHN McLAUGHLIN & THE 4th DIMENSION 2010-2

Festival Jazz Sous Les Pommiers 14 mai 2010

France

Review

In the liner notes for To the One, guitarist John

McLaughlin writes a brief essay about the

profound inspiration John Coltrane's A Love

Supreme had on him musically and spiritually.

In the Mahavishnu Orchestra, that debt was

obvious; on Love Devotion Surrender, with

Carlos Santana, the pair covered its title theme.

McLaughlin even paid direct homage to the

saxophonist on 1995's After the Rain, which

featured not only Coltrane's material, but

drummer Elvin Jones as well. With his group

the 4th Dimension -- Gary Husband on

keyboards and occasional drums; Mark

Mondesir on drums; and Cameroonian bassist

Etienne M'Bappé -- McLaughlin explores an

electric jazz that is deeply and directly

indebted to Coltrane's modal music and lyric

interplay, and also to the emotional and

spiritual aspects of the saxophonist's

expressions. On set opener "Discovery,"

carefully chosen keyboard modes drive

McLaughlin's attack around a melodic

statement without actually succumbing to a

specifically agreed-upon theme. Likewise

Husband's piano solo, which uses the middle

and high registers, and offers arpeggios and

ostinatos around his own articulation of the

modes, playing right into them the way McCoy

Tyner would. Guitar and keyboards go head to

head later in the track to breathtaking result.

"Special Beings," by contrast is a lithe,

shimmering, melodic ballad that actually

swings. The bass playing byM'Bappé, while

understated, here creates a sense of motion

underscored by the double-timed light touch of

Mondesir. "Recovery" employs Husband on

drums and keyboards with Mondesir on

additional percussion. This is a triple-timed

workout for the band with inspiring bass work

by M'Bappe. McLaughlin's guitar work moves

from taut, speedy, knotty fusion to emotional

soloing. The band engages in rhythmic

counterpoint, scalar interplay, and funky asides

while remaining poignantly focused on

"singing" together, rather than just expertly

riffing around one another. The set contains

some moody ballad work as well, in "Lost and

Found" and the closing title track where

McLaughlin uses his guitar synth, but the

playing is soulful and communicative, not just

cosmic and atmospheric. To the One is an

inspired milestone for McLaughlin and a fine

recorded introduction to one of the more

exciting electric jazz groups in the 4th

Dimension.

Thom Jurek (AMG)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• John
• McLaughlin
• Mahavishnu
• Orchestra
• the
• 4th
• Dimension
• Gary
• Husband
• Mark
• Mondesir
• Etienne
• M'Bappé
• jazz
• fusion
• groups
• Guitar
• Player

[guitarfan1979]

4:44 - wtf ?

[bluejazz44]

John is a master of the guitar. Throughout his career has always been a great creator of new sounds.

[vincelaz]

@vonalxao1 geez ,, the Jbeiber fans are really a sensitive lot aren't they? ^^^^^^ Point in case ..... (who seems to have a thing about dicks also. How apt) ....

[vonalxao1]

@vincelaz Suck that dick buddy...

[vincelaz]

@vonalxao1 Great comments from you!! ... Please carry on displaying to all the fact you have the IQ of a pencil ... RAP music lol .....

[vonalxao1]

@vincelaz oh so I should have sought your approval before having an opinion on the comments section of Youtube. You are the cretin you control freak. Go suck a dead man's dick you cunt!

[vincelaz]

@vonalxao1 You weren't asked to agree. If you don't like this then run along and listen to rap or other garbage that you enjoy ... and by all means keep up the insults to display what type of cretin you really are even behind a computer screen ....

[vonalxao1]

@vincelaz Yeah, ok, just because I find McLaughlin's newer works to be a total bore, I listen to rap and other garbage, yeah, okay, that's how that works. Ass wipe, people don't all have to agree with you.

[vincelaz]

@vonalxao1 Well run along and go listen to rap or some other garbage you enjoy ...

[ChangingTides518]

drops drumstick. recovers flawlessly. love it.

[stevenkingly]

@mr4y That kind...duh

[sedmikrasky1]

@mr4y cool :D