di Meola al

Recorded shortly before Al di Meola decided to de-emphasize his electric guitar in favor of his acoustic counterpart, this live set does a fine job of summing up his first six years of recordings. Four of the six numbers (all but "Nena" and "Advantage") were previously recorded by the pacesetting fusion guitarist. With strong and stimulating contributions made by keyboardist Jan Hammer, electric bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Steve Gadd, percussionist Mingo Lewis, and second keyboardist Victor Godsey (some additional keyboards and percussion were overdubbed later in the studio), di Meola is typically stunning on such originals as "Elegant Gypsy Suite" and "Race with Devil on Spanish Highway."

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……

Al Di Meola - Splendido Hotel + Electric Rendezvous (2010) [2CD] {Remastered Reissue}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 665 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 245 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 46 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2010 BGO Records | BGO CD927
Jazz / Fusion / Guitar

A pair of early 80s fusion sets from Al Di Meola – 1980's Splendido Hotel and '82's Electric Rendezvous – in a single package! Splendido Hotel is one of the most stylistically sprawling fusion efforts we can think of – with a vibe that stretches from spacey atmosherics, to muscular riffing, to Latin and Middle Eastern influences – and that's just the in the opening track! The personnel is pretty amazing – with Eddie Colon, Jan Hammer, Les Paul and Chick Corea contribution. Includes "Alien Chase On Arabian Desert", "Silent Story In Her Eyes", "Two To Tango", "I Can Tell", "Spanish Eyes", "Bianca's Midnight Lullaby" and more. Electric Rendevous is another wildly eclectic and far reaching fusion groover from guitarist Di Meola – with a number of players from the Slendido Hotel set, including Jan Hammer, Philippe Saisse, Steve Gadd and Anthony Jackson. Titles include "God Bird Change", "Electric Rendezvous", "Cruisin'", "Ritmo De La Noche", "Jewel Inside A Dream".

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.

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. His "Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars," featuring di Meola accompanying himself via multi-tracking, is beautiful and dramatic, and hints at the guitarist's later all-acoustic works such as Friday Night in San Francisco.