“Sakhi” is a marvelous song, but so are all the others. It is truly a milestone in my life both personally and musically.

The only thought and effort put into the album came directly from love of beauty, love of music and love of each other. The album Is That So is a true work of love. John McLaughlin: To work and play with Zakir bhai and Shankar ji is not only one of the greatest joys of my life, it is one of the highest honors. How special is this collaboration (and the song and the album) for you? In this exclusive interview, the three titans of music reflect on their legacy and share their thoughts on the ever-changing music industry. Indian music and jazz share the fundamental element of spontaneous improvisation,” he says. Hussain continues to be in awe of his longtime ally: “John bhai has found a new way to harmonize and voice and the chordal arrangements, representing the union of both jazz and Indian music without disturbing either sensibilities.” For McLaughlin, Indian music has been one of the paths to what he considers enlightenment. “What more does an artist want when he gets to collaborate with one of the greatest musicians of this world,” he says. Mahadevan feels collaborations like these are rare and precious. Is That So? is also uniquely endearing because all three musicians serve as each other’s enablers it’s almost as if you can sense their need to drive the other to excellence even as they shine bright independently. The six-track album is remarkably vast and layered, revealing a new facet upon every play. His latest album Is That So? from his super trio featuring tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and celebrated vocalist Shankar Mahadevan is yet another testament to that quest. Since the Sixties, McLaughlin’s musical hallmark has been his indomitable pursuit of innovation that sees no boundaries between genres, cultures or styles. Black Light featured icons like Gary Husband (keyboards and drums), Etienne Mbappe (bass) and Ranjit Barot (drums).

So we all have freedom even in a structured way,” said the English guitarist and composer. In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone India in relation to his band 4 th Dimension’s newly released album Black Light, John McLaughlin had shared a secret to ensuring how any song can be a beautiful collaboration between artists no matter who is driving it: “When I give the scores to the musicians, I tell them that I don’t want to hear what they think I might want to hear I want to hear what they want to play, I want to hear that person and how strongly they feel about what they are doing musically. What makes a great collaboration in music? Given that the word collaboration is so oft used these days, one might even wonder what the ambit of a true collaboration is.

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