Guitarist John McLaughlin burst onto the jazz scene in the 1960s as a member of Miles Davis' cutting-edge electric groups. On famed works like "In a Silent Way," "Bitches' Brew" and "Jack Johnson," his guitar work very much helped define Miles' sound. Then in the early '70s, his own jazz-rock fusion group, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, became immensely popular and highly influential through melding together musical concepts from various genres. And McLaughlin's playing was loud, fast and intense. He became, in short, the electric guitarist to listen to.
After these successes, though, McLaughlin became fascinated by Indian music and formed an acoustic group with Indian instruments. Leaving behind the powerful electric sound he pioneered, his acoustic guitar blended with the complexities of Indian rhythm and melody on extended Indian-style improvisations. Defying his record company, the group, Shakti, released their self-titled album in 1976, a release that became a landmark in world music. Along with tabla player Zakir Hussain, McLaughlin has performed with Shakti for over 35 years.
Though Shakti's original mridangam (Indian drum) player T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram returned to India to run his family's music school, one of his sons has now taken his place in the group. In a rare visit to Japan, Shakti will play in Tokyo tomorrow night, Jan. 31. McLaughlin took time during the Indian leg of the tour last week to talk by phone from his Madras hotel. He spoke with warmth, enthusiasm and a certain humility about the music he has devoted himself to.