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The Trio of Doom was a short-lived jazz fusion power trio consisting of John McLaughlin on guitar, Jaco Pastorius on bass, and Tony Williams on drums. They were brought together by Columbia Records in 1979 to play the Havana Jam festival in Cuba alongside Billy Joel, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, and others.

Their only live performance was on March 3, 1979, and it is recorded on Ernesto Juan Castellanos’s documentary Havana Jam ’79.

On March 8, 1979, the group reconvened in New York City to record the songs they had played live, but a dispute broke out between Pastorius and Williams. An album was released on June 26, 2007, on Legacy Recordings, containing five tracks from Havana Jam and five recorded in the studio.

“Trio of Doom, the CD, may seem more insubstantial than it really is precisely because, as it stands, the music contained herein would barely seem to scratch the surface potential of this personnel alignment. Nevertheless, whether you find this package satisfying for its very existence or disappointing for its less-than-expansive results, Trio of Doom, the band, remains an exhibition of fundamental musical values in contemporary jazz. It will no doubt continue to be the launch point for fusion music (and beyond) that carries on for some time to come.” – Doug Collette/AllAboutJazz.

“… fans of the fusion era, and those interested in any of these personas, will be much edified by what is found here. If only there were more of it.” – Thom Jurek/AllMusic.

Track listing:
“Drum Improvisation” (Tony Williams) – 2:46
“Dark Prince” (John McLaughlin) – 6:36
“Continuum” (Jaco Pastorius) – 5:11
“Para Oriente” (Tony Williams) – 5:42
“Are You the One? Are You the One?” (John McLaughlin) – 4:51
“Dark Prince” (John McLaughlin) – 4:11
“Continuum” (Jaco Pastorius) – 3:49
“Para Oriente” (alternate take one) (Tony Williams) – 1:05
“Para Oriente” (alternate take two) (Tony Williams) – 0:20
“Para Oriente” (Tony Williams) – 5:28

Tracks 1-5 were recorded March 3, 1979, at the Karl Marx Theater, Havana, Cuba. Tracks 6-10 were recorded March 8, 1979, at CBS Studios, New York.

Personnel:

• John McLaughlin – guitar
• Jaco Pastorius – bass
• Tony Williams – drums

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Released: June 26, 2007
Recorded: March 3 and March 8, 1979
Venue: Karl Marx Theater, Havana, Cuba
Studio: CBS, New York City, U.S.
Length: 39:39
Label: Columbia Legacy
Producer: John McLaughlin Richard Seidel (exec.)