John McLaughlin

★★★ The Montreux Years BMG. CD/DL/LP

Live performances from the Swiss jazz festival compiled by the guitarist.

Radio Activity from 1984 features the final version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, its speedy syncopated groove punctuated with garish keyboard and horn stabs. Then McLaughlin solos ecstatically, combining a stratospheric technique with the manic over-the-topness of a metal guitarist, and showing the door to his legions of imitators. At the time, he was experimenting with new-fangled guitar synth technology but on Nostalgia its dribbly sound blunts the attack that makes his guitar playing so extraordinary – though saxophonist Bill Evans puts in an impressive shift. McLaughlin takes a different approach with The Free Spirits on Sing Me Softly Of The Blues, from 1995, which gearshifts between a bluesy lope and jazzy walking basslines. The spontaneous applause at his jaw-dropping solo is well deserved. The two lengthy acoustic duets with Paco De Lucia from 1987 offer little light relief as both are delivered with mind-boggling speed and dexterity.