Elegant Al Di Meola

As filmed in November 2006, the music release Al Di Meola: Speak a Volcano - Return to Electric Guitar finds jazz-rock musician Di Meola onstage before a live audience in Leverkusen, Germany, in an electric guitar set accompanied by drummer Gumbi Ortiz. Here, Di Meola performs thirteen tracks including "Hypnose," "Red Moon" and "Azzura."

Al Di Meola - Casino (1978)
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© 1992 Sony Music / Legacy / Columbia | CK 47482
Jazz / Fusion / Jazz Rock

Following up the superb Elegant Gypsy was no mean feat, but Al di Meola gave it his best shot with the similarly styled Casino, released in 1978. Featuring a core band of Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, and Barry Miles (whom di Meola came up with before the guitarist was invited to join Return to Forever), the playing is sharp and fiery, matching the youthful intensity of the leader. Di Meola is a good composer in the fusion idiom, and the four original compositions on Casino, although clearly bearing the mark of Chick Corea's influence, are strong.

Al Di Meola's "Twentyfour," is a testament to creativity. Conceived during the tumultuous times of the pandemic, what started as a simple acoustic project evolved into something much grander. Al's initial intention to craft a reflective acoustic album on the challenges of the time expanded exponentially as he found himself unable to resist the allure of boundless musical exploration.

Following the much ballyhooed Return To Forever reunion tour of 2008, guitarist Al Di Meola began refocusing his energies on his World Sinfonia band. Live in Seattle and Elsewhere documented his tightly-knit chemistry in concert on a 2009 tour with his acoustic ensemble of accordionist Fausto Beccalossi, second guitarist Kevin Seddiki, bassist Victor Miranda, drummer Peter Kazsas and Di Meola's longtime collaborator Gumbi Ortiz on cajon and assorted hand percussion. Di Meola's rhythmically-charged flamenco and tango inspired originals revealed his knack for advanced harmonies along with his embracing of simple, beautiful, alluring melodies. And although he may be a romantic at heart, he showed that he is still very much capable of flashing those legendary chops that graced his `70s classics like Elegant Gypsy and Casino.

Too some, Al di Meola is best known for is shredding guitar work as part of Return to Forever, and also his early solo albums. But di Meola has always had an interest in flamenco styled acoustic playing ("Mediterranean Sundance" off of Elegant Gypsy, anyone?) – which is the six-string style that he fully embraces on his 2007 release, Diabolic Inventions and Seduction for Solo Guitar, Vol. 1: Music of Astor Piazzolla. Like its title says, the album is comprised solely of renditions of tunes by Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla, who is best known for trailblazing the nuevo tango style (which contained traces of both jazz and classical). And di Meola has no problem offering up a fine tribute, especially on such tracks as "Campero" and "Romantico."

Al di Meola continues to broaden his musical horizons with Flesh on Flesh, his fourth release for the Telarc recording label. The great guitarist is joined by two members of his World Sinfonia acoustic group – Gumbi Ortiz on percussion and Mario Parmisano on keyboards – in addition to such stellar musicians as Gonzalo Rubalcaba, flutist Alejandro Santos, and bassist Anthony Jackson, who recorded with di Meola on his best-selling Elegant Gypsy album in the mid-'80s.

Loose and spontaneous, this (mainly) live album is a meeting of three of the greatest guitarists in the world for an acoustic summit the likes of which the guitar-playing community rarely sees. Broken up into three duo and two trio performances, Friday Night in San Francisco catches all three players at the peaks of their quite formidable powers.