Review: John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension Impress at the Sheldon

Legendary guitarist John McLaughlin is a special talent, and he brings a real sense of passion and spirituality to his live performances. From the opening notes of his concert at the Sheldon (November 19, 2010), the audience was immediately spellbound by his hypnotic, and often challenging, musical landscapes, which act as a kind of framework for an incredible assemblage of musicians, known collectively as the 4th Dimension, to deconstruct and make anew via their own solo excursions. This was jazz in its purest form, with the melodies and progressions taking on new forms and rhythms as each instrumentalist took their turn interpreting and reshaping them.

The 4th Dimension is a band that's positively brimming with chops, with pianist/percussionist Gary Husband offering up particularly deft work on keyboards, as well as the occasional drum duel with Mark Mondesir, who held down the beat in solid fashion throughout, smoothly adapting to the various shifts in tempo and mood. And then there's Etienne M'Bappe, a striking figure on the five-string bass, nailing furious flurries of notes while wearing black, silken gloves, and providing tangible proof of McLaughlin's lofty estimations of his considerable talents.

Of course, it was McLaughlin himself who charmed the audience the most, as the ageless wonder enthusiastically directed the band, encouraging them and tastefully backing them as they took off on their own flights of fancy. McLaughlin's fleet-fingered fretboard wizardry didn't go unnoticed either, with his sweet, slightly over-driven tone, ringing loud and clear from his Godin guitar inside the acoustically-friendly confines of the Sheldon. His perfectly picked passages may draw some of their inspiration from the saxophone playing of John Coltrane, but he's not mimicking a master, instead he's acting upon a long tradition of exploration and experimentation.

A fiery and intense set blended more recent material like "Raju" and "Recovery" (from 2010's To the One, and a blistering showcase for bassist M'Bappe) with older compositions like "Unknown Dissident", and "Mother Tongues", and provided a particularly lyrical and soothing encore with the Pharoah Sanders number, "Light at the End of the World".

An extremely appreciative response from the packed house at the Sheldon did not go unnoticed by McLaughlin, or the band, and as anyone in the theatre could easily tell, we were all enjoying ourselves immensely, absolutely floored by the impact of this outstanding performance. It's been a long time since this gentleman guitarist has graced the St. Louis area with his presence, and it was a rare treat indeed to catch him in peak form as he led this splendid ensemble through a number of entertaining and engaging pieces, while covering a suitably broad range of his iconic career.