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The first time I met John McLaughlin was in February 1979. Even before I met him, I was convinced that I already know him. This is due to the fact that his music is so articulate, you can safely conclude that whatever features you may find in there will be the features that the music's author can offer to others.
And this turned out to be true. Like his music, McLaughlin is an extremely articulate individual -- his thoughts flow openly with such grace and dexterity that everyone around him cannot help but feel enchanted. There isn't anything fixed or rigid about his personality, and he always seems to be willing, at a drop of a hat, to make a sudden turn and pursue any other venue, no matter how unconventional it may appear to be.
However, this is not sheer wishy-washy
"anything goes" New Age mentality -- everything McLaughlin says and does
is solidly backed by many years of hard, strenuous work. He is one of the
most accomplished erudite that I've met. Not only is he phenomenally versed
in almost any aspect of making music, his knowledge extends to many other
areas of art, philosophy,
science, and culture
in general.