FRIDAY NIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO

If you want non-stop speed that pumps you full of adrenaline but drowns out most nuances then this is the one. The track that gets most people to buy this album is the first one where Al outdoes even his own fastest playing and takes it to a level of blur that's, frankly, astounding. However, none of the tracks here are as effective, in an overall sense, as "Orient Blue Suite" on their studio record or Al and Paco's studio version of "Mediteranean Sundance" on "Elegant Gypsy," which doesn't turn into "Rio Ancho." A few more records that top this in terms of overall wear factor: Paco's record with his sextet "Live, One Summer Night"--a mindblower that perfectly balances nuances with extreme virtuosity, if you can get used to the wild gypsy singing. Mclaughlin's "Live at Royal Festival Hall" with his unbelievably telepathic trio, if you like a jazzier, more progressive, rhythm driven acoustic sound. And Larry Coryell's magnificent "Bolero" record which features a cornucopia of styles from classical improvisations to flamenco barnstormers to funkified country rock, all played with maximum sophistication and attention to nuance.