John McLaughlin Al Di Meola Paco De Lucia
PASSION GRACE & FIRE
"Some of the most perfectly beautiful and emotionally intense music ever recorded!"
In 1983 the guitar super trio of John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucía reunited for another set of acoustic guitar trios. Unlike their first album the phenomenal live acoustic performance Friday Night in San Francisco this masterpiece consists entirely of studio sessions.
Passion, Grace & Fire is a mix of flamenco, fusion, jazz, latin and classical music, bathed with beauty and compassion. It is simply three mindblowing musicians that united to produce the last word in acoustic guitar music and an unbelievable chapter in the history of music. But this album is not only incredible for guitarists, it is fantastic for everyone because the songwriting is amazing. Each guitarist contributed two compositions, and all pieces feature the trio playing written out parts and improvising over a theme. Every tune is the perfect sequel to the one that preceed it. It seems as it has been written by one single pen. No player dominates, as the format does not provide for contests or duels.
This guitar summit lives up to its title. The playing is ferocious and these speed demons do not let up. The performances are almost unbelievable and yet they portrays such color, nuance and emotion. Best of all, this album is a fantastic audio experience - the acoustic guitars are recorded flawlessly.
The prevailing opinion at the time was that the raw excitement of the original live recording could never be matched in the recording studio. Delightfully, the trio answered all those who had questioned its potential with Passion Grace & Fire.
