John McLaughlin

English guitarist John McLaughlin, 55, performed at the Forum Karlín in Prague on March 5, 2017. John introduced his bandmates to the nearly packed audience at the very beginning, shortly after 8 o'clock. The band 4th Dimension is definitely worth more than just a mention. Cameroonian bassist Etienne M'Bappe (53), playing a five-string bass in black cloth gloves, displayed virtuoso technique during several technically demanding solos. The Indian drummer Ranjit Barot (61), who shone in two tracks with an excellent scat, is a solid foundation of the rhythmics of the "Fourth Dimension". The British keyboardist and drummer Gary Husband (56) is a chapter unto himself. This multi-instrumentalist not only plays a bravura right-handed unison with John's guitar, but sits down behind the other drum kit when needed and demonstrates not only an extraordinary understanding of percussion, but also a sense of punch dynamics and rhythmic invention. Together, these gentlemen are equal partners for the headliner, one of the world's foremost guitarists, John McLaughlin.

The light-saving set, the pleasant sound of the band, the good resolution of the individual instruments, the great solos and the visible and audible harmony of the musicians are the benefits of the whole concert. John, in the white shirt, tight to his neck in the first part of the show, stands at times with his back to the audience, enjoying the interplay. This mature matador, who has played with Miles Davis, Paco De Lucia, Al di Meola and Larry Coryell, delivers his typical lightning runs across the guitar fretboard, involving a minimum of plucked notes but all the more feeling for jazz harmonies. New and older pieces are heard throughout the nearly two-hour concert. There's even room for a tribute in the form of El Hombre Que Sabia (The Wise One) to Paco De Lucia, who died three years ago. Love and Understanding has a vocal part that all the musicians participate in, but Barot pulls the main line. Here Comes the Jiss, for example, impresses with its brilliant interplay of rhythms, while the most chamber-like piece, in which Barot and M'Bappe just stand by, is Light at the Edge, where John and Gary's sensitive tone production, composition and jazzy harmonies stand out.

After a brief encore, John McLaughlin bids farewell to Prague. He doesn't forget to say that we have a beautiful city, thanks his teammates with words and a bow and disappears backstage. Next stop is Germany.