John McLaughlin Revives Montreux Magic With Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival 2022

John McLaughlin and The 4th Dimension – Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2022 (earMUSIC, 2025)

Fusion jazz pioneer John McLaughlin and The 4th Dimension have released Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2022 on earMUSIC (2025). The recording captures their July 11, 2022, set at the Auditorium Stravinski, joined by guest pianist and vocalist Jany McPherson.

“This night was very special. I am so glad it was recorded,” McLaughlin said. “There was something extra in the music and in the air.”

The title extends McLaughlin’s 52-year relationship with the Montreux Jazz Festival as a headliner and guest. Formats include Blu-ray+2CD Digipak, 2LP Gatefold, and digital download.

The accompanying video for “Mr. DC” spotlights the group’s onstage rapport. The track is dedicated to Modern Drummer Hall of Famer Dennis Chambers and features playful exchanges between McPherson’s voice and piano with drummers Gary Husband and Nicolas Viccaro. “Everybody was on,” McLaughlin noted. “There was a vibe between the band and the audience, and it was outstanding.”

Highlights include the electrifying “Highjack” where the listener gets treated to a dynamic back-and-forth exchange between guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums as well as outstanding solos; the emotive, melodic, and blues-infused “Gaza City” that features superb piano and guitar solo work; the rootsy and elegant “New Blues old Bruise” with its brilliant guitar and vocals dialog; the relaxed “The Light at the Edge of the World”; the high energy fusion Mahavisnuesque goodness of “Echoes from Then”; and, of course, the memorable, flamenco inspired tribute to Paco de Lucía, “El Hombre Que Sabía.”

McLaughlin’s career has helped bring a fusion of world music, jazz, and blues to wide audiences. This includes his groundbreaking bands Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti. Additionally, McLaughlin recorded masterful collaborations with Carlos Santana, and the memorable guitar trio with Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucía on Friday Night In San Francisco and Saturday Night In San Francisco.

Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2022 arrives as a concise document of that legacy, with the album release paired to the new “Mr. DC” video.

Track listing (All Formats):

Side A:

1. Introduction (Blu-ray only)
2. Kiki
3. Lock Down Blues
4. The Creator Has a Master Plan

Side B:

5. Hijacked
6. Gaza City
7. Mr. DC
8. Abbaji

Side C:

9. New Blues Old Bruise
10. Here Come the Jiis
11. The Light at the Edge of the World

Side D:

12. Echoes From Then
13. El Hombre Que Sabia
14. Outro (Blu-ray only)