McLaughlin to return to Singapore for a gig

SINGAPORE — When guitarist extraordinaire John McLaughlin was in town last year for a gig at the Esplanade Concert Hall with his band The 4th Dimension, he said the band was “probably my all-time favourite band since the very first Mahavishnu Orchestra”.

It was also pretty evident then that he really seemed to be enjoying himself onstage.

The legendary musician returns with his band for a show next month at the University Cultural Centre Hall at the National University of Singapore.

McLaughlin’s track record is impeccable, having played in outfits such as the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti, as well as with iconic artists such as Miles Davis and in groundbreaking jazz fusion bands such as Tony Williams’ Lifetime. His influence on jazz fusion guitarists and composers is immense, with guitarists such as Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, Pat Metheny and Al Di Meola acknowledging their debt to McLaughlin.

He is also known for shaking things up — with no two performances ever being the same. “There’s a lot of spontaneity going on in the band during a performance — things that happen that we can never predict on a collective level, which can be very liberating sometimes. It’s a marvelous experience,” he said previously.

So just what will this show bring? There is only one way to find out.

John McLaughlin and The 4th Dimension perform on Oct 29, NUS on 29 October, 8pm at the University Cultural Centre Hall, NUS. Tickets at S$88, S$108 and S$148 from SISTIC.