2015 · Album
Black Light
Recorded March 2015 in London and Monaco · Abstract Logix · Released: September 2015
The 4th Dimension Finds New Light
Black Light shows McLaughlin and his band moving with purpose and confidence, making this a solid addition to their catalog.
By the time John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension recorded Black Light (2015), McLaughlin had spent decades exploring the intersection of jazz, rock, and world music. This album lands as his third record with the 4th Dimension, which means the band had already found their footing together. That matters — there's no wasted time on Black Light, no awkward setup. These musicians know how to play together, and you hear it immediately.
The sessions took place across London and Monaco, which gives you a sense of the scale and resources at play here. This isn't a spare trio in a church basement. It's a fully realized group with space and time to work. The result is an album that feels deliberate without sounding stiff. McLaughlin's guitar remains the focal point, but the band moves around him with real breathing room. They're not chasing novelty or trying to prove anything — they're playing music they've clearly earned the right to play. For anyone interested in where McLaughlin's work sits in the 2010s, this is a direct answer.
If you're already familiar with his earlier 4th Dimension records, this continues in the same direction without feeling repetitive. It's not a reinvention or a comeback story. It's a working band at a certain point in their life together, making an album that matters to them and hopefully to listeners who care about McLaughlin's ongoing work. That's really what it is — solid, purposeful, honest. Not every album needs to be earth-shaking to be worth your time.
