al di Meola

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."

The sticker on the disc's cover states that this is "a return to his solid-body electric guitar," and while that may be true in parts, Consequence of Chaos is still pretty far from the tense, nonstop electric sizzle of di Meola's first three albums, which are landmarks in the jazz fusion genre. And while there is plenty of electric guitar here - and a musical reconnection with Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, and Barry Miles, all of whom have previously worked with di Meola - this is still dominated by the world music and more subtle framework that have characterized the guitarist's playing for the last few decades. The performances are uniformly excellent, and even though the approach shifts from prog to acoustic to electric and world, di Meola's distinctive style and classy approach congeal the music with authority…

Talk about ambitious. This two-LP set finds guitarist Al di Meola performing with his quintet of the time (featuring keyboardist Philippe Saisse), with studio musicians, solo, in a reunion with pianist Chick Corea, singing a love song, and welcoming veteran Les Paul for a version of "Spanish Eyes." Most of the music works quite well and it shows that di Meola (best-known for his speedy rock-oriented solos) is a surprisingly well-rounded and versatile musician.

Despite the aggression its title implies, Kiss My Axe is the work of a softer, more reflective Al di Meola, who had become greatly influenced by Pat Metheny's subtle lyricism, but still had a very recognizable and distinctive sound. Di Meola's new approach was perfectly summarized when, in 1991, he told Jazz Times he wanted to be "enchanted" by the music instead of dazzling listeners with his considerable chops. Di Meola still has fine technique, but avoids overwhelming us with it, and shows more restraint than before.

"Anthology" contains all the 'classic' tracks like "Land Of The Midnight Sun" (swinging and dynamic with splendid interplay between guitar, electric piano and the rhythm section, an exciting percussive break and a captivating duel between the Minimoog and guitar), "Race With Devil On Spanish Highway" (spectacular propulsive rhythm and catchy guitar riffs and swirling interplay between guitar and keyboards), "Elegant Gypsy Suite" (wonderful Spanish flavor with acoustic guitar and string-ensemble from Al Di Meola), "Medley: Short Tales Of The Black Forest/Fantasia suite for two guitars" (virtuosic interplay between acoustic guitar, marimba and electric piano), "Alien Chase On Arabian Desert" (spectacular Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer sound and a sultry climate delivering a sensational duel between the guitar and Minimoog), "God Bird Change" (swinging and dynamic rhythm with again great interplay between electric guitar, keyboards and percussion and an exciting percussive break on conga's from Mingo Lewis), "Electric Rendezvous" (sensational atmosphere, very catchy and dynamic featuring howling electric guitar and flashy Minimoog flights from Jan Hammer), "Egyptian Dance-live" (also very dynamic and exciting) and "Crusin'-live" (sounds like The Mahavishnu Orchestra delivering splendid work from Al Di Meola and Jan Hammer). The track "Sequencer" features fiery electric guitar and Jan Hammer on the famous Fairlight computer delivering a catchy sequencer sound, this evokes the time that Jan Hammer worked with Jeff Beck on "Wired". On the short "Bianca's midnight lullaby" Al Di Meola plays romantic acoustic guitar. This compilation includes four previously unreleased tracks, the final two on CD2 are recorded in Holland in 1982.

With the help of new generations of guitar synthesizers and samplers, The Infinite Desire finds a mature, lyrical, more expressive Al di Meola casting his lot with Telarc, which until the late '90s had concentrated its attentions upon aging acoustic jazzers. Indeed, he makes marvelously musical use of the new devices, creating sensuous, exotic layers of sound that lie easily upon the ear, without much of the usual harshness of digital instruments generated by those who haven't bothered to master them. "Shaking the Spirits" in particular is a fascinating piece, loaded with dazzling Middle Eastern and African colorations, and the sampled trumpet sound he gets on "Valentina" is astoundingly lifelike.

Paco de Lucia , Al Di Meola & John McLaughlin - The Guitar Trio (1996) {2010 Nueva Integral Box Set CD 24 of 27}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 279 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 124 Mb
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© 1996, 2010 Verve / PolyGram / Polydor / Universal Music Spain | 533-215-2
Jazz / Flamenco / International Jazz / World Music / Guitar

New version of the Paco de Lucía Integral, 27 CDs his complete work remastered. "Cositas Buenas", his last album, comes as a new in this new Integral. Now in a new economic format. This collection is a unique tour of the work of Paco de Lucia from 1964 to 2004. Flamenco is not improvised: everything is carefully rehearsed. Every falseta, every step of the dance, although it may appear spontaneous is based on conscientious preparation. Flamenco artists are not fans of improvisation in their public performances; only in the dance are small spaces left. In the singing and above all the guitar there is no place for improvisation.

This was an interesting phase for Mr. Di Meola. It was the 1980s after all, not an easy time for any musician who'd been around as long as he, and he found himself adapting to that brave new musical world the best way he could.