John McLaughlin vocal and guitar, Gary Husband keyboard, Etienne M’Bappe bass, Nicolas Viccaro drums

An appointment with a living legend of world music

It would be unfair to describe John McLaughlin as a guitarist merely. He is the leading representative of a musical culture spread across the globe. McLaughlin has proven to be a true master of music through his vastly diverse collaborations, such as those with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Santana, Zakir Hussain, and Wayne Shorter. He has inspired guitarists from a wide range of genres, from jazz fusion to metal, and was also the guitarist on Miles Davis’ album Bitches Brew that is considered a milestone in music history. McLaughlin’s recording of the Friday Night in San Francisco concert with Paco De Lucia and Al Di Meola continues to be one of the most listened guitar albums since the 1990s. McLaughlin won our hearts with his many concerts for the events of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts events, and will be the festival’s guest again for the 50th anniversary of the Foundation. Audiences are invited to witness John McLaughlin, who has introduced jazz and rock guitar to three different generations during his career, liberally pushing the boundaries of music with his band, The 4th Dimension, at Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre on June 29. The 2022 Istanbul Jazz Festival Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Hayati Kafe before the concert.