di Meola al

Comparing early Al di Meola dates like Land of the Midnight Sun and Casino to his albums of the 1990s, it's clear how much his playing has softened. The exceptional World Sinfonia, an entirely acoustic CD, makes it clear that what hasn't changed is his unpredictable, spontaneous nature. Di Meola's right-hand man throughout this highly introspective date is the soulful bandonean player Dino Saluzzi, with whom he enjoys an undeniably strong rapport. A long-time lover of world music, di Meola incorporates South American, Spanish, and Middle Eastern elements, and makes Argentine tango a very high priority.

"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.

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…

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.

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.

Al Laurence Di Meola is an American jazz, jazz fusion, and world music guitarist. Albums such as Friday Night in San Francisco have earned him both critical and commercial success with fans throughout the world.

Paco de Lucia , Al Di Meola & John McLaughlin - The Guitar Trio (1996) {2010 Nueva Integral Box Set CD 24 of 27}
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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.