LIBERATING McLAUGHLIN

Ask most people to name the most influential guitarists of all time, and the name John McLaughlin inevitably appears at the top of the list. One of the acknowledged, early established templates of jazz-rock fusion, McLaughlin’s outfit, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, secured a populist appeal throughout much of the ’70s and ’80s that enticed fans of both genres, making them one of the most influential outfits of all time.

For McLaughlin, however, it was a natural progression. Having made his professional debut as a session player in the company of several significant artists during Britain’s blues boom of the ’60s — his colleagues included Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Georgie Fame, Brian Auger and Graham Bond — McLaughlin’s penchant for imagination and exploration brought him to the U.S. in 1969 to join drummer Tony Williams’ Lifetime and eventually brought him even more significant status while working with Miles Davis on such epic recordings as In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, Live Evil, On the Corner, Big Fun and A Tribute to Jack Johnson, albums that paved the way for fusion and bought Davis further fame as an innovative icon. It also gave McLaughlin entry into a selective circle of musicians that shared his outsized enthusiasm — Larry Coryell, Bill Evans, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Carlos Santana, Joe Farrell, Wayne Shorter, Miroslav Vitouš and Carla Bley, among the many.

With Mahavishnu, McLaughlin became a certified star, and yet he wasn’t content to stop there. His band Shakti explored his fascination with Indian music, while collaborations with guitarists Paco de Lucía and Al Di Meola under the moniker of The Guitar Trio provided yet another passionate and provocative outlet for his ever-evolving sound. Indeed, it was one of many excursions he undertook over the course of his career, instrumental forays that have melded