John McLaughlin, also known as Mahavishnu, is an English guitarist, bandleader, and composer. A pioneer of jazz fusion, his music combines elements of jazz with rock, world music, Western classical music, flamenco, and blues. After contributing to several key British groups of the early 1960s, McLaughlin made Extrapolation, his first album as a bandleader, in 1969. He then moved to the U.S., where he played with drummer Tony Williams's group Lifetime and then with Miles Davis on his electric jazz fusion albums In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, Jack Johnson, Live-Evil, and On the Corner. His 1970s electric band, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, performed a technically virtuosic and complex style of music that fused electric jazz and rock with Indian influences.
Albert Laurence Di Meola is an American guitarist. Known for his works in jazz fusion and world music, he began his career as guitarist with the group Return to Forever in 1974. From 1976 to 1978 he played with Stomu Yamashta in the supergroup Go on three records. The 1970s and 1980s saw albums such as Land of the Midnight Sun, Elegant Gypsy, Casino and Friday Night in San Francisco earn him both critical and commercial success.
Elegant Gypsy is the second album by American jazz fusion guitarist Al Di Meola. It was released in 1977 by Columbia Records.
Welcome is the fifth studio album by Santana, released in 1973. It followed the jazz-fusion formula that the preceding Caravanserai had inaugurated, but with an expanded and different lineup this time. Gregg Rolie had left the band along with Neal Schon to form Journey, and they were replaced by Tom Coster, Richard Kermode and Leon Thomas, along with guest John McLaughlin, who had collaborated with Carlos Santana on Love Devotion Surrender. Welcome also featured John Coltrane's widow, Alice, as a pianist on the album's opening track, "Going Home" and Flora Purim on vocals. This album was far more experimental than the first four albums, and Welcome did not produce any hit singles.
Friday Night in San Francisco is a 1981 live album by Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía. It was described by jazz author and critic Walter Kolosky as "a musical event that could be compared to the Benny Goodman Band's performance at Carnegie Hall in 1938 … [it] may be considered the most influential of all live acoustic guitar albums".
Electric Rendezvous is the fifth studio album by jazz guitarist Al Di Meola that was released in 1982. It features flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía on “Passion, Grace & Fire”.
Travels is a live double album by the Pat Metheny Group recorded in July, October, and November 1982 and released on ECM the following year. The quintet features pianist Lyle Mays and rhythm section Steve Rodby and Dan Gottlieb, with guest Nana Vasconcelos.
Mahavishnu is an album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, released in 1984 by Warner Bros. Records. During the 1980s, John McLaughlin reformed the Mahavishnu Orchestra for release of the two albums Mahavishnu and Adventures in Radioland. This band's overall sound was radically different from the original Mahavishnu Orchestra, in particular because of McLaughlin's extensive use of the Synclavier synthesiser system. This album features original Mahavishnu Orchestra drummer Billy Cobham.
Inner Worlds is an album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra. It was the group's sixth album release, as well as their last for nearly ten years.
Five Peace Band Live is a 2009 post bop/jazz fusion album from keyboardist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin with alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta.
The following is a John McLaughlin discography, grouped by albums released under his name, the Miles Davis albums which he played on, albums from his group Mahavishnu Orchestra, his group Shakti, and albums where he is a session player on other artists' releases.
Electric Dreams is the fifth solo album by English jazz guitarist John McLaughlin and his "One Truth Band" released in 1979. Between his third and fourth solo albums he spent several years leading the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Shakti.
A Taste for Passion is an album by French jazz fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty that was released in 1979. It was reissued by Atlantic on CD in 1990 and 1992. The track "Beach Girl" received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1981 Grammy Awards.
The Heart of Things is an electric jazz fusion album released by guitarist John McLaughlin on Verve in 1997. Musicians include saxophonist Gary Thomas, keyboardist Jim Beard, bassist Matthew Garrison and drummer Dennis Chambers. All compositions were by McLaughlin, who also produced the album.
Qué Alegría is an album by the John McLaughlin Trio, featuring percussionist Trilok Gurtu and bass guitarist Dominique Di Piazza. Di Piazza is replaced by Kai Eckhardt on two tracks. It was released on the Verve label in 1992. The album reached 1992 number 5 in the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Music Spoken Here is an album by John McLaughlin, released in 1982 through Warner Music Group. The album reached number 24 in the Billboard Jazz Albums chart 1983.
The Promise is an album by the English musician John McLaughlin, released in 1995 on Verve Records. It peaked at number 4 in the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Time Remembered: John McLaughlin Plays Bill Evans is an album by John McLaughlin. It was recorded in March 1993 and released on the Verve label in 1993. The album reached number 10 in the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Planet End is an album by jazz guitarist Larry Coryell that was released in 1975 by Vanguard Records. The album was produced by Daniel Weiss and engineered by David Baker. It was the final recording for Vanguard and reached number 39 on the 1976 Jazz Albums chart. The album consists of tracks recorded in 1974 by the then-current line-up of Coryell's band The Eleventh House ; plus two outtakes from the March 1969 sessions that produced the 1970 album, Spaces.
Black Light is a studio album by British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin and his band the 4th Dimension. The album was recorded in March 2015 in London and Monaco and released in September 2015 via Abstract Logix. This is his third studio record with the 4th Dimension band.
