'The Guitar Trio' ; Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola

Of course the technical ability is still astounding, but there is less of an emphasis upon this aspect of the music and after a number of listens one appreciates the underlying simplicity of many of the tracks. Of all 3 albums by the trio this is the one that I find I can listen to straight through from beginning to end, over and over again without tiring of, and without wishing that certain tracks had been omitted.

A superb album, highly recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in acoustic guitar music.


The passion lives on   September 18, 2001
 31 out of 31 found this review helpful

This is the latest in a series of recordings by three of the leading guitarists of their generation. It is a more substantial offering than the previous two, running at over 53 minutes, with 9 tracks in all. Two are written by De Lucia, with three-a-piece by McLaughlin and DiMeola. The music displays the fire and grace which we have come to expect from this trio, but there is also a sense that both the writing and playing of the trio have become a little less frantic and more focussed than on previous occasions.And, dare I say it, more melodic. When the listener has got over the awe inspired by the sheer technical mastery that each of these players has of his instrument, one is left with the simple beauty of the music. It was considered hip in the days of punk (itself nearly thirty years old) to refer to music of this kind as 'self indulgent', 'irrelevant' and worse. Anyone who categorises this music in that way is doing each and every one of us a disservice. This is pure music. Three men and three acoustic guitars, what could be simpler. The one standard' on the album, Manha De Carnaval (credited here to Luis Bonfefa but elsewhere to Luis Bonfa)is a beautifully relaxed rendition which remains faithful to the spirit of the original theme yet allows the soloists (DiMeola and McLaughlin) room to breathe. The original tunes each reflect the clear identities of their composers; afficianados would have no difficulty identifying the composer of each tune without consulting the detailed notes which accompany the cd. In my experience, repeated listening to this recording is llkely to reveal new vistas each time and your favourites are likely to change as you travel deeper into the music but I guarntee you will never become bored. The recording quality is even better than both the original recordings and remastered versions of 'Friday Night in San Francisco ('81)' and 'Passion Grace and Fire ('83) with clear and consistent definition between each of the three players. Whether this is a result of 13 years of advancements in recording technology or not is academic. The results are a sound for sore ears. In short, if you are a fan of this trio, or of any or all of the players involved, I would urge you to invest in this recording. I still listen to the previous two recording 18 or more years after purchasing them when they were first released. The many hours of listening pleasure you will have with 'The Guitar Trio' will make this a valued investment.