Draft:Rick McLaughlin

Bassist and Composer

As a bassist, McLaughlin has performed and recorded with Mahmoud Ahmed.^[1][2], Mulatu Astatke^[3][4][5], Alemayehu Eshete^[6], and Getatchew Mercurya^{[7][8][9][10]}, Grace Kelly^[11], Joe Lovano^[12], John Medeski^[13][14], Teshome Mitiku^[15][16], Bob Moses^[17] (also as co-producer)^[18], Danilo Perez^[19], and he has been the primary bassist in Grammy-nominated jazz ensemble, Either/Orchestra since 1997^[20][21][22].  Compositions of his can be heard on Either/Orchestra’s 2010 release, Mood Music for Time Travelers^[23], and on his Trio recording, Study of Light^[24][25].  He has performed on stages in four continents, including the Glastonbury Festival in England^[26], Ethiopian International Festival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia^[27], the Knitting Factory, CBGB’s and Lincoln Center^[28] in New York City, the Chicago Jazz Festival^[29] and Chicago’s Green Mill^[30], et al.  In 2025, he co-founded and was co-musical director of the Mandorla Collective, a Boston-based musical collective dedicated to celebrate internationally recognized jazz icons who also had Boston ties^[31]

Author

As an author, McLaughlin has written or DrumPro Magazines, Massachusetts Music News (scholarly journal of the Massachusetts Music Education Association), WBUR.org^[32], and Berklee College of Music’s FUSION Magazine^[33].

Educator

As an educator, McLaughlin was Assistant Chair of the Jazz Department for New England Conservatory of Music’s School of Preparatory and Continuing Education from 2005 through 2017^[34][35].  He has taught at Berklee College of Music in the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department since 2010, earning the rank of Professor in the fall of 2025^[36].  On August 27, 2025, Berklee released "Office Hours: The Power of Harmony in Storytelling", a video in which McLaughlin discusses the importance of functional harmony, modal interchange, and the concept of the harmonic budget.

The Wonder of Stevie

Produced by Higher Ground Media, the Obama Foundation, Audible, Questlove's Two One Five Entertainment, Audacy's Pineapple Street Studios, and Stevie Wonder, The Wonder of Stevie podcast covers the life and work of Stevie Wonder. Initial producer, Anna Holmes involved McLaughlin in the project after learning of his Berklee College of Music course The Music of Stevie Wonder^[37]. Portions McLaughlin's interview with Wesley Morris are included in the completed podcast^[38][39][40].

As leader

Rick McLaughlin Trio

• Study of Light (Accurate, 2002; Altered Music Productions, 2020)^[41][42]

As sideman