Vinyl Vault—Passion Grace & Fire

Guitars, guitars, guitars! This week on the Vinyl Vault it’s a trio of the finest guitarists to ever pick up that instrument. John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucia had recorded “Friday Night in San Francisco” in 1981 and it met with wide acclaim. “Passion, Grace & Fire” was the follow-up studio recording in 1983 and it’s on tap this week on the Vinyl Vault.

Each player is a guitar virtuoso in his own right and together they lay down one stunning performance after another. The recording gives each player his own space with Di Meola in the left channel, De Lucia in the right channel, and McLaughlin in the middle. Be ready to keep your own box score. Of the six original compositions on the album, each guitarist contributed two.

The album is all acoustic with the guitarists drawing from classical, jazz, and flamenco traditions. “Passion, Grace & Fire” is indeed an appropriate title because it sums up the playing throughout the session.

Check out the fiery playing on Tuesday, June 22, at 8:30 pm on the Vinyl Vault. Only on KUVO JAZZ!

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