Liberation Time

Liberation Time is a studio album by British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. The album was recorded in various locations and released on 16 July 2021 via Abstract Logix. The album's personnel includes members of McLaughlin’s current ensemble named 4th Dimension: Gary Husband on drums and piano, Etienne Mbappé on bass, Ranjit Barot on drums and Konokol vocals—in addition to invited musicians.^[8]

Liberation Time
Studio album by John McLaughlin
Released	16 July 2021
Studio	Monaco, Paris, London, Cairo, Los Angeles
Genre	Jazz
Length	36:55
Label	Abstract Logix ABL 65
Producer	John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin chronology
Black Light (2015) Liberation Time (2021)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	80/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
All About Jazz	[2]
AllMusic	[3]
Classic Rock	[1]
DownBeat	[4]
Jazz Journal	[5]
Jazzwise	[6]
Mojo	[1]
The Wire	[1]
Tom Hull	B+[7]

Reception

Michael Ullman of The Arts Fuse stated, "The disc is his defiant, even occasionally joyous, response to the Covid lockdown. In his notes, the guitarist is determined to be positive."^[9] Elliot Marlow-Stevens of Jazz Journal wrote, "Drawn from inspiration found during the isolation of the coronavirus pandemic, McLaughlin’s latest album demonstrates his enduring skill as one of fusion’s most important figures."^[5] James Hale of DownBeat commented, "A sub-40-minute John McLaughlin recording that includes two solo piano tracks by the leader is bound to be frustrating. Add a pair of band recordings that echo vintage Mahavishnu Orchestra rave-ups, one of which includes a guitar solo filled with ridiculous technique, and you have a recipe for considering what might have been."^[4]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"As the Spirit Sings"	Sam Burgess, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Husband, John McLaughlin	5:22
2.	"Singing our Secrets"	Jean Michel Aublette, John McLaughlin, Roger Rossignol	5:13
3.	"Lockdown Blues"	Ranjit Barot, Gary Husband, Etienne Mbappé, John McLaughlin	7:19
4.	"Mila Repa"	John McLaughlin	2:29
5.	"Right Here, Right Now, Right On"	Osam Ezzeldin, John McLaughlin, Jérôme Regard, Julian Siegal, Nicolas Viccaro	7:26
6.	"Shade of Blue"	John McLaughlin	1:33
7.	"Liberation Time"	Sam Burgess, Gary Husband, John McLaughlin	7:49
Total length:			36:55

Personnel

• John McLaughlin – guitar (tracks 1-3, 5, 7), piano (tracks 4, 6)
• Julian Siegel – tenor saxophone (track 5)
• Gary Husband – keyboards (tracks 1, 3), drums (track 7)
• Oz Ezzeldin – piano (track 5)
• Roger Rossignol – piano (track 2)
• Sam Burgess – bass (tracks 1, 7)
• Etienne Mbappe – bass (track 3)
• Jérôme Regard – bass (track 5)
• Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (track 1)
• Jean-Michel Aublette – drums (track 2), bass (track 2)
• Ranjit Barot – drums (track 3), Konokol vocals (track 3)
• Nicolas Viccaro – drums (track 5)