Guitar icon John McLaughlin will feature on the cover of the May issue of Jazzwise magazine – out on 29 April – and talks exclusively to Stuart Nicholson about his fiery new quartet album with his 4th Dimension band. Featuring the twin drum attack of Mark Mondesir and Gary Husband (also on keyboards on the album) the band now features newly recruited Cameroonian bassist Etienne Mbappé, who's best known for his work with Salif Keita and Joe Zawinul. They'll be playing music from new album, To The One which draws on the spiritual approach taken by John Coltrane on A Love Supreme. The results are impassioned jazz-rock that sounds like it's come direct from McLaughlin's days with Tony Williams' Lifetime via Mahavishnu Orchestra.

About the new album McLaughlin says: “The inspiration behind this recording stems from two sources: Firstly from hearing the recording A Love Supreme by John Coltrane in the 1960s, and secondly from my own endeavours towards ‘The One’ throughout the past 40 years”

The band also sets out on an extensive European tour throughout April and May, including two UK dates – Barbican Hall, London (11 May) and Norfolk & Norwich Festival (12 May) and the big Jazzahead Expo in Bremen on 23 April followed by a US tour this autumn.