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Release: 10-2022 (Originally released in 1981)

2022 EU reissue HQ180g vinyl LP

Recorded Onstage in 1980: Nylon-String Guitars, Pointillistic Details, Flamenco Melodies Come to Supreme Life on This Audiophile Pressing.

Three of the world's best guitarists on one fantastic live album from 1981 - that's 'Friday Night in San Francisco'. In three duets and two trios Al di Meola, Paco de Lucía and John Mclaughlin show the full range of their skills, recorded on December 5, 1980 at 'The Warfield Theatre', San Francisco. In a wonderful show, the exceptional guitarists goad each other to top performances, playing inhuman chops and driving flamenco-style rhythms that leave the listener in awe.

In the real recording, the three guitarists actually sat next to each other, but miking using individual microphones and additional room microphones allowed Bernie Grundman to create an extremely wide stage set even on the original LP. Scene applause and frenetic cheering from the audience - hitherto unusual phenomena at acoustic concerts - were also captured on the recording and contribute to a great listening experience. The LP is a classic among live acoustic guitar albums and formative for the genre, the recording is an audiophile 'must have'!

The master tape was reworked by editing legend Bernie Grundman, the very same engineer who was responsible for the original.

Tracks:
A1 Mediterranean Sundance / Rio Ancho ( Composed By – Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia*) 11:31
A2 Short Tales Of The Black Forest (Composed By – Chick Corea) 8:41

B1 Frevo Rasgado ( Composed By – Egberto Gismonti) 7:55
B2 Fantasia Suite (Composed By – Al Di Meola) 8:50
B3 Guardian Angel (Composed By – John McLaughlin) 4:00

Musicians:
Al Di Meola, guitar
John McLaughlin, guitar
Paco de Lucía, guitar
Features:
• 100% analog 180g vinyl pressing from Impex Records
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman and Bob Donnelly from the original analog master tapes
• Plated and pressed at RTI, supervised by Rick Hashimoto
• Only 3000 numbered copies

Jazzheads, guitar freaks, and audiophiles listen up: Here's the iconic 1981 album that virtuoso guitarists Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco De Lucia recorded at The Warfield Theatre on December 5, 1980, in San Francisco. All tracks are live except for the closer, "Guardian Angel," the opening theme from a song that appears on McLaughlin's 1978 album Electric Dreams.

Friday Night In San Francisco is by far one of the most acclaimed guitar albums ever made. DiMeola, McLaughlin, and De Lucia play nylon-stringed classical guitars to absolute perfection in a flamenco/jazz style. From start to finish, the set is as extraordinary as it is influential in the evolution of the acoustic guitar. And now, it sounds positively smashing.

About Impex Records
Impex Records is the exciting audiophile label from the team that brought you Cisco Music. With more than 20 years experience and 150 titles released, Cisco Music developed many of the techniques used by other labels to make the highest quality 180-gram LPs, SACDs and Gold and aluminum CDs. We brought definitive editions Jennifer Warnes' The Well, The Hunter and Famous Blue Raincoat in multiple formats, including a 45 rpm box set that Absolute Sound magazine declared "defines the state-of-the--art in vinyl playback." Other classic reissues we nurtured to fantastic rebirths include the jazz-rock perfection of Steely Dan's Aja, Joan Baez' Farewell Angelina, Nathan Milstein's poetic interpretation of Dvorak's Violin Concerto and four exquisite 45-rpm Three Blind Mice LPs. Evidence of our unwavering recognition of quality, we were entrusted with the distribution and production of The Super Analogue Disc, the original audiophile 180-gram LPs. King Records recognized, from the very beginning, that Cisco Music brought unflinching passion to the music and unflailing dedication to the process of bringing that music to the most discerning listeners in the world.
Now as Impex Records some of the original Cisco staff (Abey Fonn, Robert Pincus and Robert Sliger), along with Robert Donnelly, will follow and expand our own high standards for a new generation of audiophile products. Analog products will always be cut using analog tapes and analog mastering at the finest mastering facilities like Sterling, Cohearent and Bernie Grundman–just as it should be. Gold CD's will always be cut with high-definition digital or analog tape transfers from original sources.
With a singular vision for making the best records anywhere, Impex Records is poised to expand Cisco Music's peerless legacy well into the 21st century. It's going to be quite a journey and we look forward to your joining us. We have committed ourselves, with every new release, to your complete satisfaction.