John McLaughlin’s fusion ensemble Shakti announce first studio album in 46 years

Shakti – the fusion ensemble co-founded by UK jazz master John McLaughlin – has announced its first studio album in over four decades.

This Moment, due June 23, will be Shakti’s first studio LP since 1977’s Natural Elements, and arrives 50 years after the informal jams between McLaughlin and Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain that first sparked Shakti into life.

For the record, McLaughlin and Hussain will be joined by vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan and percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakram, all of whom will collaborate for what has been dubbed “a work of immense depth and radiant optimism”.

Rather than releasing a single, a six-minute teaser clip of This Moment has been shared by Shakti, with the sprawling sonic journey highlighting McLaughlin and Hussain’s unwavering musical chemistry through deft interplay and shared, in-the-pocket melodies.

From a guitar perspective, there’s plenty to get excited about, not least from the snippets of McLaughlin’s silky solos, vocal-like phrasing and jazz chord progressions, which are, of course, treated to some suitable Shakti sonic spice.

When This Moment arrives, it will be only Shakti's third studio album, following Shakti with John McLaughlin (1976), A Handful of Beauty (1976) and Natural Elements (1977).

It will also be McLaughlin's first since his 2021 lockdown-recorded effort, Liberation Time.

News of the new album is accompanied by the announcement of a comprehensive live show slate, which includes Shakti’s first US tour in 18 years. Set to kick off in Boston on August 17, the live shows will see Shakti receive support from the likes of Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck, Bill Frissell and John Scofield.

Shakti’s US tour will conclude on September 16 in Austin, Texas, before which Shakti will visit the likes of New Jersey, Tennessee, California, Illinois, Ohio and more.

For more information, head over to Shakti’s website.

John McLaughlin is also set to appear at this year’s Crossroads Festival, which might offer the greatest lineup of guitar talent ever assembled.