JOHN MCLAUGHLIN — Extrapolation (review)

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN — Extrapolation album cover Album · 1969 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Abraxas
John McLaughlin's 1969 solo debut, Extrapolation, shows the guitarist as one more of the many capable jazz guitarists of its time, his style had still not fully developed. Also noticeable in his playing in In a Silent Way, also from 1969, which is very subtle and there's no way one can anticipate the fiery style he would later develop.

However, the album is still surprisingly good, mainly because of the compositions which are exciting post-bop led by John's primitive jazz guitar style and the looser sax of John Surman.

What surprises me even more is the similarity between this rather rock-less session and the rock-headed British fusion band, Nucleus, and its debut, Elastic Rock from 1970. Both have a lot in common, the absence of distortion (or any other effects) in the guitar, the simple though memorable riffs, the extensive sax soloing and the active rhythm section. It makes Extrapolation look like an early fusion record, although it really isn't.

Free jazz influences are heard throughout Surman's sax playing, and McLaughlin's guitar style isn't safe either. But there's nothing on Extrapolation I would really call free jazz all through, it's in the edge I'd say, so fans of John and of post-bop can handle this album easily.

Extrapolation is overall a very enjoyable forgotten album led by a still developing McLaughlin who shows us his jazz roots.

It is in his second album, Devotion, where you can hear John experimenting with rock and his guitar is full of effects. But still, Extrapolation is an equally good, though very different, album to its successor. Recommended.
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