Shame, shame, shame on the individuals at Warner Brothers responsible for the fact Belo Horizonte was not released on CD until more than 15 years after it was out on vinyl in 1982! Belo's original claim to fame was that McLaughlin played acoustic and the rest of the band played electric. This was apparently a new technological breakthrough! (There was even a big sticker on the outside of the record cover). Ironically, this claim was actually quite dubious as for much of the album everyone is playing acoustic anyway!

          With that marketing nonsense out of the way, Belo features some of the best compositions John McLaughlin has ever written. It also showcases some of the greatest guitar playing ever put onto record. "Stardust On Your Sleeve" should be required listening for anyone who wants to know what a guitar player can really do with the instrument. It is an outstanding piece which ranks among the higher moments of guitar history. This is not hyperbole. Along with John, the standout players are Tommy Campbell on drums and Katia LaBeque on piano and synth. The tunes range from the acoustic/electric Weather Report-like "One Melody" to the completely joyful "La Baleine". The pure sound of McLaughlin's guitar is a pleasure to behold and the presence of LaBeque does give the music a slight classical feel. A guest-starring Paco DeLucia is thrown in for good measure.

          The Translators, which is what this band was to become known as on the road, also included Francois Couturier on keyboards and Jean-Paul Celea on acoustic bass. Both have a strong European jazz following based upon their own releases, but here, they clearly provide support.



          Walter Kolosky
          smsi@attbi.com


          Walter Kolosky is a businessman and jazz fan who lives in South Natick, MA, USA