Black Light (John McLaughlin album)
Black Light is a studio album by British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin and his band the 4th Dimension.[7] 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.[8]
| Black Light | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 September 2015 | |||
| Recorded | March 2015 | |||
| Studio | Eastcote Studios, London Mediastarz, Monaco | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 46:57 | |||
| Label | Abstract Logix ABLX 050 | |||
| Producer | John McLaughlin | |||
| John McLaughlin chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Elmore Magazine | 87/100[1] |
| Glide Magazine | 7/10[2] |
| The Guardian |   [3] |
| The Irish Times | [4] |
| Louder Sound |  [5] |
| PopMatters | [6] |
Background
John McLaughlin explained that the album pays several homages: "Here come the Jiis" is dedicated to the memory of musician Mandolin Shrinivas with whom he played for 14 years; the piece "Panditji" is a sign of respect to Pandit Ravi Shankar, with whom he studied under during the mid-1970s; and the composition "El Hombre que Sabià" is dedicated to the late flamenco musician Paco de Lucia. McLaughlin also noted that this album may be his final one.[9]
Reception
John Fordham of The Guardian wrote "They’re calling this latest album by the implausibly youthful 73-year-old guitar tornado John McLaughlin the work of “the Mahavishnu Orchestra of the 21st century” – a reference to the cult band McLaughlin formed in the 1970s to blend jazz, Indian music and high-energy electric fusion. His nine years with the 4th Dimension quartet – featuring the British pianist Gary Husband, bass guitarist Étienne M’Bappé and percussionist Ranjit Barot – have also had plenty of flying guitar breaks, anthemic themes, chattery Indo-scat and pin-sharp unison licks, but Black Light's emergence in October heralded a new maturity and even a rare spaciousness.... It's not just a guitar buff's album, but 4th Dimension's best work yet."[3]
John Garrat of PopMatters stated "It’s a studio album so it’s bound to be a tamer animal. But McLaughlin can still let his fingers fly with remarkable dexterity while hanging onto a melody. The 4th Dimension remain as professional and precise as ever, particularly drummer Ranjit Barot who debatably has the most precarious and thereby the most important job of the band by keeping all the elements tied together."[6]
Ira Kantor of Elmore Magazine noted "Throughout the album, as on Now Here This, you get the image of McLaughlin with his head bobbing, a smile on his face as his fingers work their magic. “El Hombre Que Sabia” is a tribute to flamenco giant Paco de Lucia, featuring fast-flying fingers across an acoustic guitar. It's also the softest track on the album and sounds like McLaughlin is trying to conjure up beautiful Friday Night in San Francisco vibes of yore... As a whole, Black Light brings more meat to McLaughlin's repertoire. It's great knowing his Mahavishnu Orchestra leanings will never fully disappear."[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by John McLaughlin.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Here Come the Jiis" | 6:29 |
| 2. | "Clap Your Hand" | 6:02 |
| 3. | "Being You Being Me" | 5:43 |
| 4. | "Panditji" | 6:18 |
| 5. | "360 Flip" | 6:37 |
| 6. | "El Hombre Que Sabia" (The Man Who Knew) | 5:39 |
| 7. | "Gaza City" | 4:18 |
| 8. | "Kiki" | 5:56 |
| Total length: | 46:57 | |
Personnel
Band
- John McLaughlin – electric and acoustic guitar, guitar programming, synthesizer
- Gary Husband – synthesizer, piano, drums, percussion
- Étienne M’Bappé – electric bass
- Ranjit Barot – drums, vocals
Production
- George Murphy – recording engineer
- Marcus Wippersberg – mixing, mastering
- Beat Pfaendler – cover design, logo
References
- Kantor, Ira (15 September 2015). "John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension Black Light". Elmore Magazine. elmoremagazine.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- Colette, Doug (September 15, 2017). "John McLaughlin Goes The Distance On 'Live at Ronnie Scott's (ALBUM REVIEW)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- Fordham, John (17 December 2015). "John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension: Black Light review – a new maturity and spaciousness". The Guardian. theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- Larkin, Cormac (14 October 2015). "John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension: Black Light, Album Review". The Irish Times. irishtimes.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- Stubbs, David (October 30, 2015). "John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension: Black Light". Louder Sound. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- GARRATT, JOHN (8 October 2015). "John McLaughlin, Black Light". PopMatters. popmatters.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- "John McLaughlin – Black Light". Discogs. discogs.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- "John McLaughlin Releases New Album: Black Light". PRS Guitars. September 21, 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- Waring, Charles (8 October 2015). ""I'm not dead yet!" Guitar legend John McLaughlin talks to SJF about life, death, retirement and his brilliant new album, 'Black Light.'". Soul and Jazz and Funk. soulandjazzandfunk.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.