While he has stopped touring the US due to arthritis in his hands, legendary guitarist John McLaughlin has not been sidelined from being creative. He’s turned his “weakness” into a strength, replacing rapid fire chops for space and lyricism as he uses his guitar, guitar synth and orchestrations to team up with the tablas of Zakir Hussain and vocalist Shankar Mahadevan to put together a passionate and pastoral piece of electrical Central Asian sounds with Western tones.
The mix of Mahadevan’s passioned voice and McLaughlin’s warm, pastoral and restrained guitar and drapery works well on “Kabir” and the reflective “Sakhi” all the more so as Hussain’s tabla’s pulsate and resonate the music forward. Vocal echoes haunt “Tara” with subtle strings while “The Search” is a meditative improvisation on all three fronts. Hussain steps out in front on “The Guru” with Mahadevan with McLaughlin staying in the background, but like the sun and stars, you may not notice them, but you are affected by their presence. Such is this charming session.