01	Mediterranean Sundance	Paco De Lucia & Al Di Meola					11:28
	02	Short Tales Of The Black Forest	Al Di Meola / John McLaughlin					08:41
	03	Frevo Rasgado	John Mclaughlin & Paco De Lucia					07:52
	04	Fantasia Suite						08:43
	05	Guardian Angel						03:59

(p) 1981 Phonogram International B.B., Baarn, The Netherlands(c) 1981 CBS Inc.


Tentative Review #37
John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola & Paco DeLucia
Friday Night In San Francisco
(released 1981)

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Track: Rating:
1. Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho
2. Short Tales Of The Black Forest
3. Fevro Rasgado
4. Fantasia Suite
5. Guardian Angel

Personnel:
John McLaughlin: acoustic guitar
Al Di Meola: acoustic guitar
Paco DeLucia: acoustic guitar

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Comments:
With the advent of the Three Tenors, it is probably healthy for any superstar trio to be met with a fair degree of skepticism. For much of the last three years, the unholy Pavarotti/Domingo/Carreras axis has taken the form of a juggernaut, devaluing both classical music in general and the artistic legacy of the three culprits themselves -- even approaching the form of such a juggernaut must be created with suspicion. Furthermore, one might take pause at the fact that McLaughlin/DiMeola/DeLucia actually put on an appearance at the Pavarotti And Friends concert some time ago -- the mere association with the Triple Tenor Entente may be enough to taint even the brightest talents.

I cannot speak for the artistic merit of the recent M/D/D "guitar trio" projects, as I have not actually heard them. Nevertheless, the listener may be most thankful to know that Friday Night In San Francisco is not an artistic tragedy on the level of the current operatic disgraces. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

In the music industry, the line where art and craft meet at their highest level is reached by very few performers. This album is an exception. The three guitarists present a flawless show on this recording, mingling unbelievable speed, unbelievable dexterity, and generally compelling musicality. This guitar trio is one of the rare treasures of the progressive jazz-fusion movement, and this album may very well be their highest achievement.

The opening track is performed by AD and PD, the second by JM and AD, the third by JM and PD. The other two tracks are recorded by all three, with the latter being a studio creation.

The album begins on an immediate high to "Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho", which commences with a fast, accurate, and wonderfully Spanish guitar performances, with DiMeola seemingly taking the lead role. The "Rio Ancho" section of the work comes off as slightly less "ethnic" than does the introductory section, but certainly as no less brilliant. Those individuals who would refer to music of this variety as "soulless" probably have a rather hackneyed definition of "soul", as mood and precision are equally matched throughout most of the piece. The fast changes of the work are a strong testimony to the skill of the artists; the various "duel" sections at the end are quite good as well. An excellent introduction.

"Short Tales Of The Black Forest" begins with a few sustained notes and tone colours, with the melody eventually emerging from this basis. An absolutely incredible section of soloing follows this. This piece features an extremely diverse canvas of styles: some sections provide harmonious sections, others provide rhythm-based work, and others provide the "picking" style of playing; all are equally brilliant. This work also contains the inevitable "crowd pleaser" section, wherein the two guitarists play the Pink Panther theme and a 12-bar blues scale (which the audience loves, for some reason). Immediately after, of course, they return to more skilled playing. It might be tempting to liken this crowd-pleasing section with the "Singing In The Rain" section of the Three Tenors's performance; thankfully, though, it is an ironic exception rather than a tragic rule.

"Fevro Rasgado" features more South European flavourings, with a fast "picking" section towards the beginning. Eventually, it develops into something of a stately jazz piece, becoming more active again as the work develops (any fears of "lite-jazz" which may emerge on occasion are quickly dispelled). With McLaughlin seemingly the leader, this is another unbelievably impressive piece.

The crowd recognizes "Fantasia Suite" from its opening notes, and responds with much applause; their reaction was quite understandable. The origins of this piece seem to be more English (and thus, perhaps, more appealing to a progressive audience) than the others, featuring picking with a different purpose (if you will). As the title might imply, this is a more atmospheric, textural work than the other pieces rather, including an absolutely amazing ascending passage partway through the work. The guitarists manage to make their acoustic instruments seem electric here, which is no easy feat. The triple lead towards the end is quite good as well.

"Guardian Angel" has a rather lyrical guitar intro; this is less of a "workout" piece than are the other creations here, and is such a more tranquil work. It does get a bit faster as it develops, however, and contains some truly impressive melodies. As strange as it may be for a mostly live album to end with no applause whatever, the decent into total silence at the end of the musical performance is quite appropriate.

This album is strongly recommended for guitarists and casual progressive listeners (with jazz leanings, of course) alike. The only possible problem with this work is that the performances are so good that they can only be fully digested in short doses, at times.

(Note: if I had to lower the rating of one of the tracks here, it would be "Guardian Angel".)

The Christopher Currie
(review originally posted to alt.music.yes on 9 September 1997; revised 22 September 1997)