Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, Paco DeLucia: Passion Grace & Fire

John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, Paco DeLucia: Passion Grace & Fire

By Walter Kolosky
November 20, 2002
Sign in to view read count

John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, Paco DeLucia: Passion Grace & Fire

Never has an album been so justly deserving of its title. In 1983, the guitar super trio of John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola and Paco DeLucia followed up their phenomenal live acoustic album Friday Night in San Francisco with this masterpiece of a studio recording. 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 and Fire. Its greater dependence upon melodies may even make PG&F the superior release.

Each guitarist contributed two compositions, and all pieces feature the Trio playing written out parts and improvising over a theme. No player dominates, as the format does not provide for contests or duels. And best of all, the acoustic guitars are recorded flawlessly.

"David" is an enchanting John McLaughlin composition where he delivers a haunting and seemingly time-defying lead performance. McLaughlin is the very rare (or perhaps unique) musician who quite literally is able to bend or suspend time in his playing. It is really quite unexplainable.

DeLucia's brilliance is clearly heard in his piece "Chiquito", in which he expands the language of Flamenco into all sorts of open spaces. DiMeola's strongest moments occur during his composition honored as the title piece. Timed in at just a little over 30 brief minutes, Passion Grace and Fire could have included a few more tunes, but it's still a masterpiece.

The live tour in support of this album featured a giddy Steve Morse as the opening act. You could sense his joy as he joined his heroes for the encores.

Track Listing

Aspan; Orient Blue Suite (Part I,II,III); Chiquito; Sichia; David; Passion, Grace and Fire

Personnel

John McLaughlin

guitar

John McLaughlin- guitar; Paco DeLucia- guitar, Al DiMeola- guitar

Album information

Title: Passion Grace & Fire | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Columbia Records

< Previous
Fo(u)r Being(s)

Next >
Natural Elements

Comments

About John McLaughlin

Instrument: Guitar

Tags

For the Love of Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.