John McLaughlin Music for Abandoned Heights Hybrid Stereo SACD

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John McLaughlin has one of the richest artistic legacies in modern music, not only due to his unmatched technique, but also his boundless curiosity. From early masterpieces Extrapolation and Love Devotion Surrender (with Carlos Santana), to the genre-bending invention of Mahavishnu Orchestra and the blistering acoustic explorations with Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucia, John has always sought for the new and transcendent. His work reaches out for a profound spiritual connection. Now, he has brought his singular vision to the world of film music with his score Music for Abandoned Heights.

Compositionally, McLaughlin poured his imagination into the film's script to craft a rich blend of hot fusion and pensive ballads. He describes his writing process: "In my mind I would interact with the different personalities and situations and wait for my imagination to come up with themes, atmospheres and emotional 'colors' that echoed the drama and action." The resulting musical explorations give the album a muscular, turbulent beauty reminiscent of McLaughlin's electric fusion classics Inner World and To the One.

McLaughlin's searing electric and mellifluous acoustic guitar lines are assertively supported by virtuosic performances from frequent collaborators Gary Husband (drums/keyboards), Julian Siegel (saxophone), Misha Mullov-Abbado and Etienne Mbappe (bass). These industry vets gracefully spark fire on heavier tunes like "The Scene" and introspective delicacy on the ballad "Nathaniel and Christine."

Impex Records is delighted to bring you the newest incarnation of John McLaughlin's storied career, as he continues his quest for the sublime.

I love this album. John's songs are so beautiful and the playing is strong and sensitive. An album you can listen to over and over as you find new corners and performances to admire.

McLaughlin isn't revisiting old ground — he's still exploring, still refining, still pushing into expressive territory that feels unmistakably his. Music for Abandoned Heights stands on its own as a compact, thoughtful, and surprisingly emotional statement from an artist who continues to create with purpose.

The result is ten tracks that reflect McLaughlin's multifaceted artistic phases—from his time with Miles Davis to the experimental years with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and the acclaimed acoustic recordings with Paco de Lucía and Al Di Meola. The album combines jazz-rock, fusion, and jazz ballads so richly layered that it reveals new details even after multiple listens.

We had been waiting a long time to release this music, which Jack had by 2019. Abey Fonn from Impex Records and I decided that the music had to come out whether or not there is a film. I love this album. I love the way the musicians played together. The Impex vinyl sound is just outstanding.

I can't think of a jazz-inspired 'soundtrack' audiophile release in recent memory that can match the dizzying heights of this release.

There is no filler on this record; every track is either touchingly emotive, propulsively dynamic, or incredibly entertaining, with a level of sterling musicianship that one rarely encounters with the consistency displayed on Music For Abandoned Heights.

The HQ-180 gram LP from RTI was about as close to perfection as it gets, with perfectly flat sides and no appreciable surface or groove noise. Both LP and CD versions offered a superb representation of the recorded acoustic, with the players all clearly delineated in the wide and deep soundstage. Music For Abandoned Heights ticked every box for me in terms of providing an emotional connection to the music, with tracks that run the gamut from impassioned, mellifluous poignancy to thrillingly dynamic, all-out jazz-rock fusion.