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Since the late '60s, John McLaughlin's name has been synonymous with electric fusion guitar. But McLaughlin is equally accomplished on the acoustic guitar; he has a long history of excelling on that instrument, which he plays exclusively on Thieves and Poets. This 2003 release, in fact, isn't fusion in the amplified jazz-rock sense but rather acoustic-oriented post-bop with Euro-classical leanings. Thieves and Poets finds McLaughlin joining forces with two of Europe's classical outfits: the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie (with Renato Rivolta serving as conductor) and the much smaller, guitar-oriented Aighetta Quartet. The former appears on the title track, a lavish, three-movement, 26-minute orchestral work that has hints of Spanish flamenco at times. Meanwhile, Aighetta joins McLaughlin on four standards, all of which are dedicated to pianists he admires; the British guitarist acknowledges Bill Evans on "My Romance," Herbie Hancock on "Stella by Starlight," Chick Corea on "My Foolish Heart," and Gonzalo Rubalcaba on Luiz Eca's "The Dolphin." But he certainly does so in a personal, introspective way. Yes, "My Romance," "Stella by Starlight," and "My Foolish Heart" are warhorses that have been beaten to death over the years -- great songs that have been recorded so many times that some jazz enthusiasts feel there should be a moratorium on them in the 21st century. But McLaughlin is such an accomplished, distinctive musician that he's allowed a warhorse or two (or three). Besides, he plays beautifully on these standards, and his lyricism is extremely individualistic. Hearing McLaughlin (who turned 60 in 2002) embracing Tin Pan Alley songs with a classical guitar group is hardly the same as hearing some 19-year-old, knee-jerk Sarah Vaughan wannabe attempting to squeeze the last drops out of blood from them. It's the difference between mindlessly going through the motions and saying something personal -- and on this memorable CD, McLaughlin's playing is undeniably personal. ~ Alex Henderson
Principally recorded at Officine Meccaniche Studio, Milan, Italy in June 2002. Includes liner notes by John McLaughlin.
Personnel: John McLaughlin (acoustic guitar); I Pommeriggi Musicali Di Milano; The Aighetta Quartet.
John Mclaughlin Thieves And Poets Songs Thieves And Poets Music Review Average Rating: (4.2 out of 5 stars)  Excellent
I really like this music. It has echos of Leonard Bernstein, flamenco, Aaron Copland, Rodrigo and others. Lovely work and amazing guitar riffs.
Submitted by r_entin (Hayward, CA) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  WORK OF ART
This is a true work of art, and arguably the finest recording John McLaughlin has ever made.He seems to be at the peak of his artistic development. The suite (thieves and poets) is a wonderfully conceived and performed emotional roller coaster of classic musical styles. Throughout, John's playing is immaculate. The four standards are beautifully arranged for acoustic guitar group (as were the pieces on the Bill Evans tribute a few years back). Here again, the playing is superb. The only criticism I could level is that on My Romance the tuning is not quite right during the melody statement, but on the other hand John's solo on this selection is exceptionally strong with some boppish phrasing that reminds us of (one of)his roots. (Remember his fine cameo performance in the Round Midnight movie with Dexter Gordon et al)
So if you like guitar music of the highest taste and quality--don't hesitate. Get this. It's one of those recordings which improves with repeated listenings and will be judged a classic in future years.
Submitted by a reviewer (Liverpool England)
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Beautiful Guitar Music
John McLaughlin's journey on his long and winding musical road continues to surprise and impress. This time he gives us a beautiful concerto for guitar with low-key string backing by a string orchestra, plus for standards played by five guitars. Victoria Mullova on violin is an added attraction on the concerto, and I would have liked to hear more of her. Maybe next time some duos by these masters of guitar and violin. (1) I approached the concerto with some apprehension, as sometimes works like these can get a bit pretentious. That's not the case here. The orchestrations have been done with great taste and they support the soloists effectively. (2) the guitar quintet pieces are familiar to those that have heard Time Remembered, same quartet supports McLaughlin here. Fans of acoustic guitar will find a lot to enjoy in this disc.
Submitted by a reviewer (Washington DC)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  A little disapointing
I bought his because of the song selection and my love of the track "The Dolphin" but the rest of the album is less than I would have hoped it to be.His playing is brilliant as it usually is but the interpretaion of a couple of tracks left me wondering why he bothered with them.Overall it left me nonplussed I think Martin Taylors version of the same standards is far, far better.
Submitted by guitar.mad (Sydney,NSW, Australia)
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Recommended
Far removed from Extrapolation and Mahavishnu, this CD is simply excellent, with John showing no signs of slowing down! Very good indeed.
Submitted by a reviewer (Wimborne Minster, UK)
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