Label: Abstract Logix, 2021

Personnel - John McLaughlin: guitar, synth, piano; Gary Husband: keyboards, drums; Julian Siegel: tenor saxophone; Oz Ezzeldin: piano; Roger Rossignol: piano; Sam Burgess: bass; Jerome Regard: bass; Etienne MBappe: bass; Ranjit Barot: drums, voice; Jean-Michel Aublette: drums; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Nicolas Viccaro: drums.

79-year-old guitarist John McLaughlin, a jazz fusion pioneer and breathtaking improviser, puts out Liberation Time, an album whose majority of tunes were composed during the Covid-19 pandemic. This fun-filled multitrack recording features him in various group formats - from solo piano (two short tracks) to trio and quartet (two tracks each) and quintet (one track) - proving his artistry undiminished.

“As The Spirit Sings” is a great piece of fusion and a fantastic opener. Brimming with intense energy and ideas, this thrilling number shows McLaughlin at his best, whether announcing the theme or soloing magnetically on top of a colored rhythmic tapestry offered by keyboardist Gary Husband, bassist Sam Burgess and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. The keyboardist switches to drums, his other instrument, on the title track, the piece that concludes the album on an optimistic note.

“Singing our Secrets” initially suggests a ballad as it is softly caressed by synth guitar and brushed with sensitivity by the drummer Jean-Michel Aublette. The trio, rounded out by the pianist Roger Rossignol, transitions from this gentle disposition to a more energetic blues-rock environment, which serves as a showcase for the bandleader’s blistering licks.

Delivered in five and denoting a positive spirit, “Lockdown Blues” is among my favorite tracks. The foundation is assured by Cameroonian bass player Etienne Mbappe, who astounds in his intervallic expertise and slapping funk technique, and the Indian drummer Ranjit Barot, who also sings in the Carnatic Indian style (konnakol). The quartet is completed with Husband on keyboards.

“Mila Repa” and “Shade of Blue” are two solo piano efforts whose quieter tones break the energetic fusion flow. The former, composed 20 years ago, was first recorded for the album Que Alegria, while the latter is a new creation that reflects our times.

The guitarist lends solid heat to the proceedings on “Right Here, Right Now, Right On”, a passionate post-bop embrace in which he splits soloing duties with the Egyptian-born pianist Oz Ezzeldin and the British tenor saxophonist Julian Siegel. Chorus after chorus, the bassist Jerome Regard and the drummer Nicolas Viccaro provide stable ground, fully supporting the soloists’ journeys.

The music on Liberation Time constantly lures you in, and it’s great to see that McLaughlin didn’t lose a bit of excitement in his playing.