John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years revealed

A new collection of the legendary guitarist's performances from Montreux Jazz Festival has been released

Author: Alastair SteelPublished 19th Jan 2022
Last updated 4th Mar 2022

The next instalment in The Montreux Years series has been released by Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG - John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years.

Curated and compiled by the legendary guitarist John McLaughlin, the album is a collection of his finest performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1978 and 2016, all of which have been beautifully restored and mastered.

Ranked in Rolling Stones magazine’s list of ‘100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time’, John McLaughlin became a long-time friend of the Montreux Jazz Festival, having played at the iconic Swiss festival many times.

The performances in this collection are curated from six shows between 1978 to 2016 with the various ensembles of The Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Heart Of Things, The Free Spirits, The 4thDimension and his fellow virtuoso and close friend Paco de Lucia.

John McLaughlin performing with The Mahavishnu Orchestra at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1984

Fans of the jazz-fusion pioneer can immersive themselves in the superb and classic material that defined McLaughlin’s career, which includes the track 'Acid Jazz' from the album The Heart of Things. Further exploring McLaughlin’s impressive repertoire, John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years includes the tracks 'Sing Me Softly Of The Blues' from 1994’s After the Rain and 'El Hombre Que Sabia' from McLaughlin’s studio album Black Light (see below for the full tracklist).

Talking about the album, John McLaughlin said: “To speak about The Montreux Jazz Festival brings back so many wonderful memories. But since my association goes back to 1971, we are looking at 50 years of history...Montreux is a big part of my life’s musical and personal history and to share this selection of my performances on this recording makes me truly happy.”

As one of the greatest guitar players in music history, John McLaughlin has been cited a major influence on many 1970s and 1980s artists, including the likes of Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, Mike Stern and more. In 2018, McLaughlin won a Grammy for 'Best Improvised Jazz Solo', for his solo on Miles Beyond from his album Live at Ronnie Scott’s.

Launched in 2021, The Montreux Years is the embodiment of the spirit of the Montreux Jazz Festival and the legacy of its much-loved founder, Claude Nobs. Like previous releases of the series, John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years will be accompanied by exclusive liner notes by McLaughlin himself and previously unseen photography.

John McLaughlin performing at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1984

John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years is the fifth instalment of The Montreux Years series, which began with musical titans Nina Simone and Etta James, followed by Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters. Having received critical acclaim worldwide, Nina Simone: The Montreux Years, debuted at #1 on the UK Official Jazz & Blues Chart in 2021.

When is John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years set to be released?

John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years was released on 4 March 2022 via Montreux Jazz Festival/BMG.

The album will be available as an audiophile heavyweight vinyl, CD and streaming services in HD audio.

Mastering has been performed by Tony Cousins at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios, incorporating MQA to capture the original sound of the special live performances.