After that Trilok Gurtu played in Germany with Don Cherie; a fusion of jazz and Indian music. Trilok Gurtu also played with Shankar, Jan Garbarek, Zakir Husain and many others.

A sad event that made a twist in Trilok Gurtu’s career was a sudden death of Colin Walcot in a car crash. Colin Walcott was a well recognized American percussionist and a leader of Oregon, a famous progressive jazz quartet. Band was renamed to The Oregon Trio, since nobody even considered there could be ever a replacement for Colin Walcott’s percussion in the band. After the Walcot’s funeral, present musicians were invited to play in dead man honor. Trilok Gurtu played his part as well and until the evening it was decided that Oregon is still a quartet with a Trilok Gurtu as a new percussionist.

As his reputation grew up Trilok Gurtu was invited by John McLaughlin to play on his tour in 1988. Trilok Gurtu became an part of the John McLaughlin Trio, and recorded Live At The Royal Festival Hall in 1990 for JMT label and Que Alegria in 1992 for Verve.

Trilok Gurtu has studied Euro-African, Brazilian, Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese rhythms and has also learned from many of South Indian percussion masters.

His first solo recording was Usfret in 1988 for CMP label. Featured artists included Shoba Gurtu, Ralph Towner, Don Cherie and L. Shankar. Well ahead of time, album was not successful since critics and fans were confused with Trilok Gurtu’s vision of music.

"Not everyone bowed to his exuberance. In the early '70s, with a recommendation from American jazz star Charlie Mariano in his pocket, he applied to the Berkeley College of Music in the US. They rejected him, so he rejected them. The "Not Accepted" letter was dispatched into the dustbin, and in characteristic style he decided that America wasn't good enough for him and flew off to Germany. Ask him about it and that attitude hits you in the face: "I set out wanting to be like an American drummer, but God ordained that I sound only like Trilok.""

Nandita Chowdhury, "India Today"