It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Two students at the Royal Academy of Music – pianist Will Inscoe and saxophonist Zach Sholapurkar – were offered the chance to join legendary guitarist John McLaughlin and his band for a gig in Monaco. Here is their ‘tour diary’.
My name is Will Inscoe and I am a jazz pianist based in London, currently doing a Master’s degree in Jazz at the Royal Academy of Music. I have lived and worked in London as a freelance jazz pianist for the last five years and 11 May was one of the most special days of my career so far. Back in early April, we had an email from our Head of Department, Nick Smart, about an opportunity to go to Monaco to play with John McLaughlin as part of his Young Lions series, where he invites young musicians from conservatoires around Europe to showcase their playing with his band. After submitting two audio clips for the audition process, not for a second did I think I would be chosen. A few days later I got the email from Nick saying that I had been chosen by John. I felt so honoured and overwhelmed with excitement.
Hi, I’m Zach Sholapurkar. I’m from Southeast London, I’m in second year at the Royal Academy of Music, and I’ve been playing alto sax for around 10 years. Ever since I first got into jazz, I’ve been a massive fan of Bitches Brew, In A Silent Way and Jack Johnson, so when I got an email saying that John McLaughlin was holding an opportunity for two young musicians to play with him, I knew I had to apply. The whole experience, from finding out I’d been chosen, to flying out to Monaco, to having dinner with John and the band felt completely surreal.
SUNDAY 11 MAY
WI: After arriving at Stansted to find out there were delays due to the internet being down, it wasn’t off to the best start. There was a small moment where I thought I might miss the flight after hearing how long it took Zach to get through security. Luckily, I got through just in time and it was then where I really thought: “Oh my god, I’m flying to Monaco to play with John McLaughlin!”
ZS: Upon landing, the warm weather and palm trees of the French Riviera put us at ease and set the tone for the evening’s gig. We started the whole experience with lunch with Gary Husband (drums), sat by the beach with delicious food. I couldn’t wait to start playing with the all-star band and luckily, it wasn’t long before John, Kiki Aublette (bass) and Jany McPherson (piano and voice) came for a rehearsal.
WI: John is such a wonderful, charismatic person and really made us feel at home from the get-go. As soon as the band started their soundcheck with John’s tunes, it made me remember why I do music. The groove and hook-up between Gary and Kiki were unmatched and when you put John and Jany within that you really can’t go wrong. Jany played and sang every melody at the same time with John which created the most amazing texture, as if there was another front-line instrument. There was an immediate inspiration that sparked for me compositionally and the ensemble playing was magical.
ZS: I couldn’t believe how vivacious John was. He was so enthusiastic about the music and orchestrating on the fly – it all felt so organic, as if we’d been playing together for years. After dinner with the whole band against the picturesque background of the sea and cliffs, we got ready for the gig.
John’s band started with a few originals. The band’s experience was on full display as they navigated tricky originals, ranging in styles from Latin to R’n’B to fusion. I loved the atmosphere in La Note Bleue – everyone in the audience was having a great time and cheering on the soloists. I played an up-tempo Cherokee, with John encouraging me the whole time and egging me on to play faster and harder. The backing from Kiki, Jany and Gary perfectly struck a balance between giving me ideas and building upon my phrases. Will and I also played Straight No Chaser with the band. John was coming up with backings and riffs for us to play behind the soloists, smiling the whole time.
WI: As Zach said, the atmosphere at La Note Bleue was a totally new take on a jazz club. The idyllic location opening out onto the beach, where passers-by could stop for a listen as well, was amazing to experience. As for the playing experience, it’s hard to put in words. John was so supportive in his playing and leadership and to just ride over the feel of Kiki and Gary was just so comfortable in my two tunes Tangerine and Matrix.
ZS: My favourite part of the night was the blistering drum battle between Kiki (originally a drummer) and Gary in the second set. We played a few more tunes, including Milestones, before hanging out after the gig until the club shut. John was very gracious in entertaining my questions about Miles, and I couldn’t believe how welcoming the whole band were to us.
WI: I must back Zach and say that the drum battle between Gary and Kiki was like nothing I’d ever seen before. An absolute masterclass in drumming from both.
MONDAY 12 MAY
ZS & WI: The next morning, we got an opportunity to explore Monaco. The buildings spring up out of nowhere against the dramatic backdrop of the coast – I’ve never seen anything else like it. After a quick trip to the casino, we returned to London still slightly in shock from the experience.
We’d both like to say a huge thank you to John, Jany, Kiki and Gary for playing with us, Kathy Brown and Arthur Tanzi for looking after us so well, and to Nick and John for the opportunity. It’s an experience both of us will never forget and a core memory to last a lifetime.
