"John McLaughlin" is a powerful, driving track from Miles Davis’s 1970 album Bitches Brew, named after and inspired by the English jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, who also plays on the album. Though it’s one of the shorter pieces on the record—clocking in at just over 4 minutes—it packs an intense, electric punch, capturing the raw, experimental energy of the Bitches Brew sessions. The track serves as both a tribute to McLaughlin and a showcase of the aggressive, genre-defying fusion sound that Davis was forging at the time.

Musically, “John McLaughlin” is built around a gritty, repetitive bass groove and layered polyrhythms that push the piece forward with hypnotic urgency. Davis’s trumpet slices through the mix with sharp, urgent bursts, while McLaughlin’s guitar work is fast, edgy, and slightly chaotic—reflecting his background in rock as much as jazz. His angular lines and distorted tone bring a fierce energy that was rarely heard in jazz before this era. The track sounds spontaneous and unpolished in the best possible way, with a loose, jam-session feel that emphasizes texture and mood over structure.

The piece is emblematic of the revolutionary direction Davis was moving in: away from traditional jazz forms and into something more open, electric, and visceral. By naming the tune after McLaughlin, Davis was not only acknowledging the guitarist’s unique contribution but also signaling the growing importance of rock and funk influences in his music. McLaughlin would go on to become a giant of jazz fusion in his own right, forming the Mahavishnu Orchestra shortly after Bitches Brew—a group that pushed the fusion genre into even more virtuosic and explosive territory.

“John McLaughlin” stands as a bold statement within Bitches Brew—a moment of compressed intensity that encapsulates the spirit of the entire album. It’s a tribute not just to a collaborator, but to the electric future of jazz itself. Through this piece, Davis and McLaughlin helped redefine what jazz could sound like, breaking down the boundaries between genres and paving the way for decades of fusion innovation.

John Mclaughlin by Miles Davis from Bitches Brew Track 4 on Columbia Legacy Records # BPM 04:26 Jazz