Trio of Doom

{{Short description|Jazz trio active in 1979}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| image = Pastorius Williams and McLaughlin (Trio of Doom).png

| image_size = 280px

| landscape =

| caption = Montage of the three members of the Trio of Doom (pictured in the 1980s)
From left: Pastorius, Williams and McLaughlin

| background = group_or_band

| origin = New York City, U.S.

| genre = Jazz fusion

| years_active = 1979

| label = Columbia

| past_members =

• Jaco Pastorius
• Tony Williams
• John McLaughlin

}}

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.{{cite web | title= Trio of Doom - Trio of Doom Live | work=Popmatters | url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/trio-of-doom-jaco-pastorius-john-mclaughlin-trio-of-doom-live-the-essential/ | accessdate=5 January 2010}} 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.

They were named by Pastorius.{{Cite web|last=Jazz|first=All About|title=John McLaughlin/Jaco Pastorius/Tony Williams: Trio of Doom album review @ All About Jazz|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/trio-of-doom-john-mclaughlin-legacy-recordings-review-by-doug-collette.php|access-date=2020-12-26|website=All About Jazz|date=5 August 2007 |language=en}} He had earlier called his bass the "Bass of Doom," because of its growling sound.{{Cite web|url=https://denvermusicinstitute.com/jaco-pastorious-and-the-bass-of-doom/|access-date=2020-12-26|title=Jaco Pastorious and the "Bass of Doom."|website=denvermusicinstitute.com}}

Their only live performance was on March 3, 1979, and it is recorded on Ernesto Juan Castellanos's documentary Havana Jam '79.{{cite web | title= McLaughlin/Pastorius/Williams - Trio of Doom | work=MusicTap | url=http://www.musictap.net/Reviews/TrioOfDoomToDCD.html | accessdate=5 January 2010}}

On March 8, 1979, the group reconvened in New York City to record the songs they had played live,{{cite web | title= Jaco Pastorius, John McLaughlin, Tony Williams - Trio of Doom CD review | work=Glide Magazine | url=http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/54293/jaco-pastorius-john-mclaughlin-tony-williams.html | accessdate=5 January 2010}}{{cite web | title= Jaco Pastorius, John McLaughlin, Tony Williams - Trio of Doom | work=Discogs | url=http://www.discogs.com/John-McLaughlin--Jaco-Pastorius--Tony-Williams-Trio-Of-Doom/release/1022409 | accessdate=5 January 2010}} but a dispute broke out between Pastorius and Williams that ended the trio.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hit-channel.com/john-mclaughlin-solomahavishnu-orchestramiles-davis/18283|title=Interview: John McLaughlin (solo, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis)|date=October 8, 2012}}

An album was released on June 26, 2007, on Legacy Recordings, containing five tracks from Havana Jam and five recorded in the studio.{{cite web | title= Trio of Doom overview | work=Allmusic | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1422126|pure_url=yes}} | accessdate=5 January 2010}}