John McLaughlin - The Promise

Double 180-gram LP in gatefold jacket with magic-eye graphic

Eight-page insert included

Two black polylined inner sleeves

Part of the Universal Play 33 1/3 Series. All series albums are first-time 180-gram vinyl releases that were first issued as CDs between 1992 and 2010. The English jazz fusion guitartist John McLaughlin (born January 4, 1942, in Doncaster), played with Tony Williams's group Lifetime and then with Miles Davis on his landmark electric jazz-fusion albums In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew. His 1970s electric band, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, performed a technically virtuosic and complex style of music that fused eclectic jazz and rock with eastern and Indian influences. His guitar playing includes a range of styles and genres, including jazz, Indian classical music, fusion, and Western classical music, and has influenced many other guitarists.

"Originally issued in 1996 when he was 54, The Promise offers a summation of all the places John McLaughlin has been in his career, and points directly toward his future. Featuring a wide range of musicians including appearances by the Free Spirits, the Guitar Trio, and an electric version of Shakti, The Promise is easily the most wide-ranging and diverse offering of McLaughlin's long career. Its contents encompass everything from straight post-bop and swinging soul-jazz to fusion to modern takes on East Indian music as it meets the West. As if this weren't enough, there are even moments with spoken word laced throughout, such as a verse of Dante read by Stefania Bombi toward the end of his scorching, funky, soul-jazz number 'Thelonius Melodius' with B-3 organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Dennis Chambers. Ultimately, The Promise stands as one of McLaughlin's towering achievements as a guitarist and leader." — All Music Guide