John McLaughlin is one of the most revered and pioneering guitarists in music history. He spoke to Sean Rocks on RTÉ Arena about his fascinating and varied career - listen above.
Beginning his career in the 1960s, he played with the likes of Georgie Fame, Tom Jones, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. While also finding time to give guitar lessons to a young guitarist by the name of Jimmy Page.
Moving to the United States, he found himself jamming with Jimi Hendrix before going on to be drafted by Miles Davis to record on his groundbreaking fusion albums, including In a Silent Way, and Bitches Brew.
Watch: John McLaughlin plays Stella by Starlight & My Favorite Things live at Berklee Valencia Campus
In the 1970s, McLaughlin went on to found the legendary Mahivishnu Orchestra, breaking further ground in the field of jazz rock fusion. And his acoustic guitar work with guitar titans, Al di Meola and Paco de Lucia, is still admired and acclaimed by guitarists worldwide.
On May 26, 2022, Irish audiences will get a chance to see John McLaughlin live at the National Concert Hall, playing with his electric fusion quartet, Fourth Dimension - find out more here.
Tune into to RTÉ Arena live nightly from Mon-Fri on RTÉ Radio 1 from 7 pm - or listen back here.
