Al Di Meola Across the Universe (2020)

From allaboutjazz.com

Al Di Meola’s Across The Universe reaffirms how ideally the music of The Beatles translates into the eclectic style he forged early in his career. It’s not as if the multi-instrumentalist/composer hadn’t already made the point with All Your Life (inakustik, 2013), but this second, similarly conceived album is not only worth savoring repeatedly on its own terms, but as a reliable point of departure to rediscover both the source material and Di Meola’s own discography.

The mix of acoustic and electric guitars on this ideal opener, “Here Comes The Sun,” hearkens all the way back to Di Meola’s third solo record, Casino (Columbia, 1978). And just as he had broadened upon the instrumental foundation of Land of the Midnight Sun (Columbia, 1976) and Elegant Gypsy (Columbia, 1977), so does he achieve the same end here with the addition of percussion on “Golden Slumbers (Suite).” The segues of the multi-part composition from Abbey Road (Apple, 1969) has long been a major stylistic component of Di Meola’s work, dating back to work with Return to Forever on Romantic Warrior (Columbia, 1976). As are those Spanish elements he injects into “I’ll Follow the Sun” via his flamenco guitar as well as Randy Brecker’s trumpet.

There are even more subtle mixes of concept and execution here, the nuances of which come through perfectly clearly in the pristine audio of Across The Universe (kudos there to Katsuhiko Naito for all the engineering). The expansive take on “Norwegian Wood,” for example, courses with a variety of Indian motifs the likes of which were so prevalent in latter-day Beatles records via George Harrison. But in addition to the precision picking of Di Meola’s and the tabla work of Amit Kavithar, that arrangement features a diversity of instruments including brass played by members of the New Jersey Philharmonic.

Through that very same texture, this time courtesy a horn section of Derek Wieland’s, this cut dovetails smoothly into “Mother Nature’s Son,” in so doing becoming of a piece with this rendition as well as the quiet original on The Beatles, a/k/a The White Album (Apple, 1968). Al Di Meola displayed a definite measure of courage in his selection of Liverpudlians’ material on the album preceding this one and he performs bravely here too: opting to record “Strawberry Fields Forever” allows him to illuminate not just the unusual changes in the song’s structure, but the alternately lovely and disquieting melodic themes.

In contrast, the layered guitars amplify the bittersweet air of “Yesterday.” while the gentle touch Di Meola applies to the strings is evidence of his reverence for this tune of Paul McCartney’s. That said, over the course of these fourteen cuts, Di Meola betrays no real preference for the individual composers within the Fab Four: even Ringo Starr is represented here, appropriately enough with Di Meola’s three-year-old daughter singing on a brief nod to “Octopus’s Garden” at the close of this roughly one-hour playing time. Nevertheless, there’s no mistaking the implicit homage to John Lennon in this front cover photograph: it’s an image similar to that which adorned his LP Rock ‘n’ Roll (Apple, 1975). And then there’s designated title of this very album, named for one of the Lennon’s tunes circa Get Back/Let It Be (Apple, 1970).

Suffice it to say, however, that those dual gestures of affection, telling though they may be, are in fact the least of the deeply memorable impressions left by Across The Universe. On songs such as “Hey Jude,” Al Di Meola maintains a supremely artful balance between that which is familiar and his novel expansions on that groundwork, the end result of which should be equally moving for listeners who know this music by heart as well those music lovers for whom the record will constitute a different kind of epiphany altogether.

Al Di Meola All Your Life – A tribute to The Beatles (2013)

From glidemagazine.com

All Your Life may be the loveliest album Al Di Meola has ever done. His affection for the Beatles material that comprises the album was no doubt amplified by recording at Abbey Road Studios where the iconic foursome did the bulk of their work.

In producing this tribute to the Beatles, Di Mieola remains true to his previous recorded efforts by working in the acoustic vein within which his flamenco skills allow him to find nuance in melodies like that of “In My Live” and “And I Love Her.” Yet however much he embroiders upon the melody and rhythm at the heart of such great songs, all selections are almost immediately recognizable and Di Meola never succumbs to technique for its own sake. In fact, it’s only in the wordy essay inside the digi-pak where he overstates his enthusiasm for his subjects.

The choices of Lennon-McCartney tunes here (none are George Harrison’s) all make good sense in terms of the concept of All My Life and while some, such as “Blackbird” and “If I Fell,” are perhaps too obvious, it may be true those selections proved irresistible to the guitarist for that very reason. Still, Di Meola doesn’t play it safe here: alongside “Michelle” and “Eleanor Rigby” (where he takes the chance of including sparse strings similar to the orchestration on the original Revolver cut), he demonstrates both courage and ambition by recording “A Day in the Life” and “I Am the Walrus, ” two of more complex pieces of music, not to mention studio arrangements, the Beatles ever attempted; yet Di Meola’s technical skill, as with the restraint he displays elsewhere All Your Life, stands him in especially good stead within the two contrasting sections of the former number, while this rendition of the latter is no less memorable: to imbue such a cerebral song with so much warmth is indicative of this musician’s approach to this project.

Recorded over the course of two days within a comparatively protracted nine-month period, All Your Life nevertheless boasts a readily discernible continuity. Simpler solo performances are interwoven within the track sequencing alongside those that contain additional percussion and/or more ornate playing. As a result, the complementary picking meshing across the stereo channels during “She’s Leaving Home” becomes an absolutely perfect denouement to the record as the closing number of fourteen tracks (coincidentally or deliberately, the same number as on the Beatles own albums), all of which are even more vividly picturesque than the glossy color photos that adorn this package inside and out.

Al Di Meola Elegant Gypsy & More Live (2017)

From hissandhum.com

When the experiment of combining rock and jazz music originally took place, the two genres were placed in the test tube, given a stir and a violent explosion took place. One of the by-products of this controversial chemistry was the formation of harmonically advanced virtuoso guitarists who weren’t afraid to stomp on the distortion pedal. Of course, there had been many technically outstanding guitarists before this point in jazz, rock, classical and other musical styles. But now the world had musicians pushing the limits of technical and harmonic capability while reaching a large audience with powerhouse riffing. One of these guitarists is Al Di Meola. 

As time has moved on, jazz has fused with new styles such as hip-hop and electronica. However, it is hard to match the visceral excitement caused by a guitarist bending, tapping, sliding and infusing our DNA with electricity. Not many guitarists on the planet can do this like Al Di Meola. 

The album kicks straight in with a driving rock riff, propelled along by the rolling snare drum. Di Meola winds fluid lines over the relaxed feel of the bass and piano. The band execute tight ensemble passages and instantly display their rhythmic confidence. Subtle details in the compositions really stand out in this live setting, such as call and response figures between the keyboard and guitar. 

Señor Mouse begins with muted funk guitar dancing playfully over a rock solid drum rhythm. Two minutes in and the band have seamlessly stitched three genres of music together. The guitar and keyboard enter a musical dialogue that, combined with the Latin feel, evokes images of a heated but amiable coffee shop debate. As the debate reaches its climax, the two musicians steam off together, still as friends but with raised blood pressure. 

Di Meola plays a sentimental melody on Adour, flowered with hints of darkness in the piano counter lines. Switching between clean and distorted sounds, Di Meola builds his solos to frantic climaxes before letting them dissolve back into moments of reflection. 

Babylon opens with atmospheric and evocative Eastern improvisations before breaking into an odd-time groove. There is increasing tension resulting from the busyness of the rhythm section. Things takes a light hearted turn when the bass takes a chordal break with the audience cheering along. The bass continues to use chords underneath Meola’s lightning fast picking and elegantly melodic legato phrases. 

On Chiquilín De Bachín, Di Meola responds to percussive hits with a thinking time that would impress a fighter pilot. The James Bond-esque chord sequence proceeds to take on a heroic metalicism that would make a rousing superhero soundtrack. 

Up to this point, each composition has contained unfathomable amounts of composed material, so it’s all the more relaxing when the band sit on a groove. Flight Over Rio is played half time by the drums until it is doubled up for the bright, restless melody line. Such is the unbridled joy of the technical virtuosity on show, we can even forgive the short Careless Whisper quote. There is a chance for the percussion to shine in a short break but frankly, the performance of the rhythm section is astounding through the album. 

Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog is given a brief outing with the vocal lines taken by the violin. However, it is often Di Meola’s guitar that uses manipulated notes to produce a singing quality. The use of extreme dynamics are a big part of the ensemble sound. Midnight Tango reduces to a whisper before landing a hammer blow to the head with an unexpected ensemble hit. 

The album concludes with the devastating riffage of Race With Devil On Spanish Highway. Semiquavers scuttle over the massive sounding rhythm section like a shoal of fish toying with a blue whale. 

Al Di Meola is a master of the guitar but he is much more than this. He is a sophisticated composer, an exciting performer and this album should not just be listened to by devoted students of the guitar. It is should be heard by anyone who wants to experience unbridled joy in audible form. 

Al Di Meola Electric Rendezvous (1982)

From progarchives.com

Review by Gatot

The way I interpret this album by the time it was released it’s a reincarnation of the first album “Land of The Midnight Sun” or even I can also say that it’s a combination of the first two Al’s albums: “Land of The Midnight Sun” and “Elegant Gypsy”. My reason is simple: in terms of styles and composition this fifth studio album is similar with the first two albums with minor differences in the musicians involved. Mingo Lewis is the only musician that stayed the same from the debut album. Paco de Lucia, Jan Hammer and Anthony Jackson (playing bass guitar, not guitar) also appeared at “Elegant Gypsy” album. On compositions, Al gave chances to Mingo Levis, Jan Hammer (whom I have been familiar with his collaborative effort with Jeff Beck) and Philippe Saisse to compose one song each.

The album kicks-off with a hard driving rhythm section, mainly dominated by percussion work, “God-Bird-Change” (3:51) composed by Mingo Lewis. I think Al wanted the percussion dominated song at the intro of his album to give another texture of Al’s music. And he did no wrong at all as this song is composed wonderfully with high energy and upbeat tempo. The interlude part with percussion work is really interesting.

“Electric Rendezvous” (7:47) brings back the music to Al’s classic style where the jazz and rock unite in excellent composition featuring great acoustic and electric guitar work, inventive drum work by one of the best jazz drummers Steve Gadd (who also contributed to Peter Gabriel’s “Up” album), dynamic bass guitar interlaced with dazzling keyboard. The song itself is rich in styles and tempo changes. It reminds me to the “Song of The Midnight Sun” from the debut album. It’s really an excellent music!

If in “Splendido Hotel” there was a song titled as “Two To Tango” featuring duet work between Al on acoustic guitar and Chick Corea on acoustic piano, this albums offers “Passion, Grace and Fire” (5:34). This time, the duet is between Al and Paco on their acoustic guitar and their sounds were recorded at different channels of your stereo set. It’s a wonderful duet of two guitar heroes in a great composition.

“Cruisin'” (4:16) was composed by Jan Hammer and it contains his exploration of keyboard throughout the song, augmented with guitar. The song’s beat is relatively stable with minimum tempo or style changes. This song is like a break as the composition seems very straightforward and accessible to different ears, I think.

“Black Cat Shuffle” (3:00) was composed by Philippe Saisse and as it happens with previous track “Cruisin'” this one contains keyboard solo augmented with electric guitar solo. “Ritmo de la Noche” (4:17) starts off with a kind of latin music with electric guitar fills and percussion work as main rhythm section. The music produced is so relaxing with relatively simple arrangement. The organ solo during interlude is really stunning. The song turns complex and it finally returns to the intro part.

“Somalia” (1:40) is a very nice acoustic guitar outfit followed with “Jewel Inside a Dream” (4:02). This concluding track begins with an acoustic guitar work combined beautifully with keyboard in an ambient opening. The rest of the song contains great combination of acoustic guitar and keyboard.

This album should not be missed by those who like jazz/rock fusion type of prog music. Recommended.

Al Di Meola Splendido Hotel (1980)

From progarchives.com

Review by Gatot

Whenever this album is mentioned I always refer to two songs featured here that characterize this album: “Two To Tango” and “Isfahan”. The former is basically a musical venture between two geniuses: Al Di Meola on acoustic guitar and Chick Corea on acoustic piano. When I remember the first time I listened to this song, it grew very slowly to my listening pleasure as I was at that time more into rock music than jazz/rock fusion kind of composition. The more I spun the CD the more I felt attached with all chords and notes produced by Al and Chick – it’s so terrific. The song is performed with minimum number of instruments but it produces great harmony between these two instruments from start to finish. For me, the sound of acoustic piano played by Chick always creates great emotion even on his jazzy style like in “The Mad Hatter” album. “Isfahan” uniqueness appears vividly through the eastern nuance produced by the music which comprises Al’s work on acoustic guitar, mando-cello interlaced with harmony produced by violin, cello and piano. The Columbus Boychoir work strengthens the eastern nuance. The song moves quite slowly and it gives a music very rich in textures and nuance.

It’s too simplistic saying that only these two songs worth listening as the opening track “Alien Chase On Arabian Desert” (8:59) gives us a treat of heavy jazz/rock fusion which in a way similar with the style of Return To Forever. The long stunning electric guitar solo has enriched the composition. You may compare this with a song “Compadres” featured in Chick Corea’s “Touchstone” album. Yes, it’s basically that kind of music. I love this track personally because it has frequent tempo and style changes. The following track “Silent Story In Her Eyes (7:35)” is another good one to observe and enjoy as it demonstrates Meola virtuosity even though through this track it is shown quite modestly. “Roller Jubilee” (4:44) has a pop music style with jazz through Al’s acoustic guitar work combined with marimba.

“Al Di`s Dream Theme”(6:50) starts off quite simple with a medium tempo and guitar fills as opener. But at minute 1:18 the song turns into a high energy and faster tempo outfit with stunning electric guitar solo accompanied with excellent rhythm section dominated by drums, percussion and keyboard. The fast speed guitar work by Mr. Meola is very unique and brings the music into upbeat tempo and frequent tempo changes accompanied by keyboard work. It flows to the next track with a faster tempo: “Dinner Music Of The Gods” (8:33). This track is my best favorite one from this album. It has a complex arrangement and frequent and dynamic tempo changes with electric guitar / keyboard solo harmony. It’s really a great track!

“Splendido Sundance” (4:51) demonstrates excellent acoustic guitar solo work with different style at left and right channels. Excellent composition. “I Can Tell” (4:01) is the weakest part of this album as it deviates from typical AL’s work – it’s a poppy R&B song. “Spanish Eyes” (5:11) has relative stable tempo featuring guitar fills. “Bianca`s Midnight Lullaby” (1:54) concludes the album with AL’ acoustic guitar solo work.

Al Di Meola’s early works are so unique that whenever you knew the style, you can identify any other song you had never heard before – especially the way he plays the guitar. In my opinion, there is no guitar player that plays similar to Al. You still can enjoy this style through this album as many songs show the style I’m referring to. This is an excellent addition to any prog music collection.

Al Di Meola Land of the Midnight Sun (1976)

From progarchives.com

Review by Chicapah

This guy symbolizes a perfect demonstration of the adage “never judge a book by its cover” because if you met the bearded Al on the street you’d most likely think he was a math professor at the local college rather than one of the best jazz rock/fusion guitarists ever. Maybe if he looked more like John Petrucci he’d be more of a recognizable icon but that’s beside the point. Those of us who heard and marveled at his playing on the various Return to Forever LPs in the early 70s knew he was a super-talented musician who didn’t seem to have any limitations on what he could do so, when he released his first solo album in 1976, most of us expected to be completely blown away. Turns out that he hadn’t quite found his footing yet but for a debut effort “Land of the Midnight Sun” was more than satisfactory, to say the least.

Surrounding yourself with primo personnel doesn’t hurt one bit and the opening song by Mingo Lewis, “The Wizard,” wastes no time in setting a torrid pace with Mingo slapping the conga skins like greased lightning and none other than the fabulous Steve Gadd kicking serious tail on drums. Lewis provides the decent keyboard work, as well. It’s one of the most melody-driven tracks on the album and it gives Al ample opportunity to show he can shred the fretboard with the best of ’em. This boy is FAST! The tune works well as an introduction number to grab the listener’s attention, that’s for sure. The nine-minute “Land of the Midnight Sun” has the familiar feel of Return to Forever due in no small part to the participation of Lenny White on drums. As do all excellent jazz-motivated rock tunes, this cut has mood-shifting dynamics throughout with very smooth passages gliding between the busier segments. Al demonstrates his swift muted-string technique flawlessly on his first ride, then cranks it up to deliver a fierce, screaming solo reminiscent of John McLaughlin’s attacking style on his second. Overall it’s a highly intricate, involved piece of music that’s very impressive.

Next comes a 180-degree change-of-pace as DiMeola performs Bach’s “Sarabande from Violin Sonata in B Minor” on the acoustic guitar. It’s a brief but effective way to show his ample versatility. “Love Theme from ‘Pictures of the Sea'” is another short composition where he reveals his calmer, more sensitive side. Other than Stanley Clarke on bass, Mingo Lewis on percussion and Patty Buyukas’ ethereal background vocal it’s all Al from the multiple guitars to the synthesizers to the lead vocal and even the chimes. Unfortunately it’s also the weakest tune on the album so the fact that it’s less than two and a half minutes in length is one of its strong points.

“Suite – Golden Dawn” is more along the lines of what we paid our hard-earned moola to hear. The rocking beat and complex riffs of “Morning Fire” and the lighter touches of “Calmer of the Tempests” quickly lead you into the wild, impossibly funky groove of “From Ocean to the Clouds” where the clever interplay between Al and bassist extraordinaire Jaco Pastorius will spin your head around in circles. A hot jam session ensues with DiMeola sparring back and forth with keyboard man Barry Miles but it’s quite obvious that the latter hasn’t a snowball’s chance in Hell of keeping up with Al’s speed-of-sound licks. When they transition into a section where Barry gets to solo by himself on his Mini-Moog he fares much better. After more muted-string action Al opens up his guitar’s tone and dispenses a blistering lead that is awesome. This dude is on fire! A droning, deep note from the synthesizer flows in and serves to gracefully segue from that fury to the exquisite “Short Tales of the Black Forest” where DiMeola on acoustic guitar and Chick Corea on piano perform a scintillating duet. It’s an ever-flowing, inspired piece of art that builds and builds to a beautiful crescendo. The only way for me to describe it is to say that it’s two exceptional virtuosos speaking the same cosmic language that can only be translated as gorgeous music. Al saved the best for last.

While the album has a few minor lapses along the way, it’s important to bear in mind that this was DiMeola’s first and it was a learning experience in more ways than one. If you enjoy the guitarisms that he is famous for then you’ll find plenty here to gleefully absorb.

Al Di Meola Elegant Gypsy (1977)

From progarchives.com

Review by Zitro

It is short, but it is easily my favourite jazz-fusion record and the best guitar driven solo effort. I give it five stars not only because it is a masterpiece, but also because it would really appeal to prog fans. Why? Because of the musicianship!!!!! All the musicians in this record are at least excellent (pay close attention to the drummers), and Al Di Meola is a guitar God. Most of the songs are in fast tempos and have plenty of solos. There is also an epic, although a bit short, to satisfy fans of long duration songs. I couldn’t believe this was sitting on the shelf until I listened to it in August. (my father dislikes this album (and jazz- fusion in general) I just couldn’t believe my ears when I heard it for the first time!

Note : This album is instrumental.

1. Flight Over Rio : Probably the best song in the album. I say probably because the album itself has this amazing quality of musicianship, technique, and songwriting. The song begins with a slow guitar riff, builds up in a jazz-fusion rhythms, and explodes in an accelerated musical nirvana in which a synthesizer and a guitar duel each other. Do you remember Wakeman and Steve dueling on the 2004 Yes tour? That’s nothing compared to this!!! The song continues in a latin rhythm with latin percussions (kind of Santana-like) and finishes in the same way it started. 10/10

2. Midnight Tango : This is another song with latin touches in its percussion and rhythm. However, it is fusioned to jazz with amazing results. The guitar is absolutely phenomenal here and the keyboard behind that guitar (jazzy) gives what the song needs to sound with perfection. There is also a distorted guitar (or bass) riff that really shines. After some great soloing, another fabolous riff melts you, gives you a thousand goosebumps, and floors you. I just can’t believe how powerful the music in this CD really is! The song ends with a good drum duet which wasn’t really necessary (but it does not really hurt the quality of the song) 9.5/10

3. Mediterranean Sundance : This is a song in which guitar virtuoso Paco De Lucia harmonizes his acoustic guitar with Meola’s one. The song sounds almost like flamenco with its extremely fast acoustic guitar playing style. This is one of my father’s favourite songs of all times and I see why : try to find an accelerated acoustic song with this quality. It is a flawless showcase of Meola’s talents. 10/10

4. Race With Devil On Spanish Highway : The song begins with a fast bass riff riff played with latin percussions and is sometimes interfered with lighting speed guitar runs. After that section is over, the music is more relaxing and is led by a guitar solo. The bass playing in here is pretty good and loud. The next sections involved in extremely fast drumming and riffing until a beautiful leaping guitar lick begins what is known as a masterful guitar solo. After that is over, the song takes yet another shift with similar riffs and themes but in different rhythms and continues to shift back and forth with noticeable differences and more guitar soloing until it ends with a fadeout. This has to be the most dynamic and unpredictable song on the record and a beautiful one, even if it is not a highlight of the album. 9/10

5. Lady Of Rome Sister Of Brazil : An acoustic track that lets you room to breath before you get to the epic (The most challenging song of the album). This little piece is outstanding and is as good (if not better) as Horizons from Genesis. 9/10

6. Elegant Gypsy Suite : This song may be prog rock/jazz because of the creativity, strangeness, length, style, and technique. The beginning of the track is majestic a bit playful, and obviously very complex. The riffs are very weird and interesting here, as well as the guitar sounds produced with whatever pedals he had used. After a riff repeated a big number of times, the song transform into an atmospheric section in which an amazing (and extremely strange) synthesizer solo dominates for over a minute and leave you surprised a synthesizer can sound so GOOD! The song later gets very jazzy and continues with more unusual riffing that sound very good and interesting after repeated listens. I especially love that muted guitar riff that occurs after a heavy riff somewhere close to the end of the song. The song ends very unexpectedly, but it is a good ending. 10/10

Stop reading and get this album!!

Al Di Meola Casino (1978)

From progarchives.com

Review by Cygnus X-2

Al Di Meola’s third solo album after the masterpiece of Elegant Gypsy was a trying effort, and it was a large success in my eyes. But still, it didn’t match Elegant Gypsy in quality, but it came close. Hiis highly technical and ridiculously speedy guitar antics are complimented wonderfully by his backing band (as is usually the case) who play at the same vigorous and relentless pace as Di Meola himself. What you should expect for all Di Meola albums is a heavily Spanish influenced foray into the realms of jazz rock. While it’s not really a masterpiece, this is an excellent album that all aspiring guitarists and musicians alike should listen to solely because of the exceedingly impressive chops that all of the musicians have.

The album opens with the overly arabic influenced Egyptian Danza, which begins with a very ambient and dissonant organ. From the get go, the fast paced and unison bass/guitar riffing is complimented by some stellar drumming and some great underlying keyboard work. It’s the song that inspired me to get the album because I had heard it before and I loved every second of it. Chasin’ the Voodoo begins with rapid percussion and a groovy bass line before becoming a solid foundation for Di Meola’s nice mixture of chords and machine gun soloing. Dark Eye Tango is a nice contrast to the first two tracks, with a much more laid back and mellow environment. It’s not as brilliant as the first two pieces, but it’s a solid piece that doesn’t really detract or lower the overall quality of the album. Señor Mouse is a Return to Forever song (or Chick Corea, not sure) that gets a nice rendition on this album. It has a nice steady beat and some very creative percussion giving it a very smooth latin flavor. Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars is a wonderful acoustic piece with a nice majestic feel and a great pace, as well as some fantastic guitar work. It really shows Di Meola’s versatility on both electric and acoustic guitars. Casino ends the album on a high note with sensational riffing from Di Meola and a stellar bass performance from Anthony Jackson. The track has a nice flow and it really evolves and regresses well all within a nice 9 minute time frame.

In the end, Casino is a great starter for those looking into Al Di Meola. Although it wouldn’t be his best album, there is a lot to like here and any aspiring musician or fans of guitar oriented music will surely feel right at home with this album because again Di Meola is a stupendous guitarist who’s chops never cease to amaze me. 

Review by Flucktrot

Di Meola continues his evolution, and the results are for the most part positive. It seems that there is considerable consensus so far on this album (myself included): Casino is a solid album, but it just isn’t quite as catchy, energetic, or charming as his masterpiece, Elegant Gypsy. That should by no means keep you away from this album if you like Mediterranean-style and flamenco music. However, di Meola is clearly moving away from rocking fusion, and for some that is an improvement–for me, Casino represents a movement toward generally less progressive (and less interesting) music.

Chasin’ the Voodoo. This is really the only rocker on the album, and of course that means it’s the highlight for me. Beginning with some Santana-esques congas leading to a thunderous riff and staccato picking, this tune is a great mix of up-tempo fusion between Miles’ keys, the drum/conga percussion duo, and di Meola’s energetic guitar.

Egyptian Danza, Dark Eye Tango, Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars. These are all quite solid numbers, and each feature unique qualities that add nicely to the album’s overall diversity, from the tempo changes in Egyptian Danza, the beautiful guitar vibrato in Dark Eye Tango, and the lively guitar interplay in Fantasia Suite. However, for reasons that I can’t quite articulate, they usually fail to hold my attention the way some of di Meola’s previous work does.

Senor Mouse. If there is a microcosm of di Meola’s maturation, it’s this. Here he takes a Return to Forever classic, and actually slows it down (possibly in response to some of his anti-shredding critics). Needless to say, I prefer the frenzied interplay of the original, and this version just seems tame (boring even) by comparison. I’m pretty sure a younger di Meola would not have taken this cautious approach.

Casino. At nearly ten minutes, and as the album closer, I had high expectations for this one. In hindsight, probably too high. A promising opening and subsequent build around a familiar Latin bassline leads to some misplaced slow parts that just don’t do it for me. Sure, there’s a nice, energetic finish, but any momentum has long been extinguished by that point. Pleasant and somewhat catchy, nothing more.

Overall, a well-produced and performed album. For me, things are just a bit too polished and restrained (read: less actual fusion created). It would be one thing for this to be a blip on di Meola’s radar, but unfortunately (for me at least), this trend toward restraint and “professionalism” would only increase.

Stomu Yamashta’s Go (1976)

From prognaut.com

Stomu Yamashta up to this point had gained great respect for his compositional skills in various styles of music ranging from Soundtracks to Jazz to Classical to Rock. In 1976 he formed this group with a line up that reads like a who’s who of jazz and progressive rock musicians. Traffic’s Steve Winwood, Tangerine Dream’s Klaus Schulze, Michael Shrieve from Santana, Return to Forever’s Al DiMeola… This is almost like a jazz progger’s dream team!

The mood is a little less jazzy and more space rock than expected, considering the players involved. Orchestration from Paul Buckmaster contributes to this aspect of the piece greatly. Originally two sides of vinyl listing songs separately but merged together, the album is a full-blown concept piece that is superbly performed.

Vocalist Steve Winwood is in fine form here, predating his later mega successful solo career. Al DiMeola’s guitar work is amazing as always. Michael Shrieve kicks some major drums all over the place and seems responsible along with DiMeola for the Latin-influenced Santana-like passages here and there. The keyboard players, Yamashta and Schulze, are the real stars here as the spacey nature of the piece is naturally driven by the synthesizers.

There are passages that play games with time signatures (a 4/4 gets arranged to a 3/8, 3/8, 2/8 triplet, very worthy of note) and it gets funky at times like good jazz-fusion of the period (ie: Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jeff Beck). I have only one complaint about the way that the songs work into one another. Instead of finding a way to make the segues work from song to song, the band often just chooses to fade out and fade in the next song at the same time. This does not make it as cohesive a progressive rock epic as it could have been. I also understand a decision was made to make the second half of the piece the first part of the album. This may make better musical sense, but makes the story (such as it is) a lot harder to follow. They of course remedied this in concert, but to me it is a gaffe that is forever unrectifiable.

Let’s see… who to recommend this to… Jazz fans of course will want to hear DiMeola and Shrieve at the top of their game. Fans of spacey music like Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream will want to hear this certainly. Rock fans that enjoy Winwood’s gorgeous tenor will like this as well. Appeals to some or none, depending on your preference of music. It definitely appeals to me.

Al Di Meola Splendido Hotel (1980)

From jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com

Splendido Hotel is an album by Italian-American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist Al Di Meola released in 1980 as a double LP, and later CD.

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. 

 A lot has been said about Al Di Meola and his music outside of Return To Forever. Overall he tends to be viewed as a musician of extremes. He either embodies what are viewed as fusion’s best or most unflattering qualities. And there’s a lot of truth on both ends. He is a master musician with an ability and playing dexterity, from mild to wild that you could believe. On the other hand his music could be overly technical and sometimes presented him more as a musicians musician than anyone out to entertain or be intensely creative.

Debates aside he entered the 80’s at a time where even in fusion poppier, more compressed musical sounds such as the type Bob James and Quincy Jones were starting to pioneer became the acceptable standard. The question was would Di Meola, one of the purveyors of the most pyrotechnical variety of fusion be able to adapt to the change. Actually he did an excellent job and delivered one of the strongest albums of his career.

This albums eleven songs find Di Meola moving through a series of songs in many different styles, mostly showcasing his more flamenco style of guitar playing as opposed to the rockier variety and, by and large avoiding anything too melodramatic. “Alien Chase On The Arabian Desert”, “Dinner Music Of The Gods” and the slower “Isfahan”, all between 8 and 11 minutes a piece all have a strong late 70’s/early 80’s latin rock flavour similar to the kind of music you’d find on Santana’s Marathon or Zebop from the same era.

Since leaving Return To Forever, Al Di Meola has gradually developed a reputation as of the most accomplished (and tasteful) guitarists in the contemporary jazz field. In the present age, the consensus seems to be that his more questionable mannerisms of earlier times (which often led to the accusation that his playing was completely without emotion) are a thing of the past. Di Meola clearly rates among the best guitarists in his field, and has the respect (if not always the direct admiration) of most members of the interested public.

Splendido Hotel, however, is an album from an earlier time. A product of the age of jazz-fusion, it straddles the period of time separating his “early” and “late” careers. A case could be made that it leans more towards the former than the latter.

This is not, of course, to be necessarily regarded as a bad thing. If his early works are sometimes criticized for self-indulgence, his more recent endeavours (like those of John McLaughlin, his occasional musical companion) have often been regarded as too “safe” — achieving respectability at the cost of some of the original creative spark that originally set his career in motion.

Splendido Hotel has moments of daring musicality, matched with occasional moments of unfocused rambling. The good generally prevails over the bad, but there are some moments in which the struggle is about even – there’s also one complete misstep, but we’ll get to that later. For the most part, this is an ideal jazz-fusion album for those wishing to make somewhat of a risk in their purchasing habits — it’s not a complete triumph from the first note to the last, but those “highs” which do exist more than make up for the “lows”.

The album begins with “Alien Chase On Arabian Desert” (a title which might seem vaguely familiar to owners of a previous AdM album). After a brief “sci-fi” introduction on keys, AdM unfolds a work of rather extreme internal diversity, shifting from one “scene” to another in a rather rapid manner (as per the “film” connotations of the title, I suppose). The track “proper” begins with overtly “Arabian” guitar and percussion lines (only an expansive musical setting, presumably not unrelated to desert imagery). This then leads to a “chase scene”, which generally sets the basis for the rest of the work. The guitar lines are impressive throughout, and the Zappa-esque percussion from Colon is a nice touch. After an “ascending” guitar section (vaguely similar in form — and perhaps content as well — to “The Fountain Of Salmacis”), the chase scene begins anew, leading eventually to a surprise ending on a more conventional fusion arrangement. This is, in sum, a curious montage of numerous themes related more by visual/plot matters than actual musical themes. Still, it’s extremely impressive throughout, and works as a coherent whole. The second-best song on the work.

This leads to “Silent Story In Her Eyes”, the second “extended suite” in a row. This one, sadly, is held back somewhat by one of its component parts. It begins in a promising enough manner, with a somewhat classically-oriented acoustic guitar performance. This, sadly, leads to a somewhat “dinner music (and not of the gods)” section, with fairly light accompaniment on drums and percussion to a lead melody that, on its own merits, isn’t really of much note. Di Meola is still in good form throughout this section, but the arrangement leaves much to be desired. Then, a third section of the song emerges, revealing a switch to more substantial fusion themes (including a strong keyboard presence) with enough quirkiness to generally save the track. AdM provides another virtuoso performance here, and Corea does his part well. The track then adopts a somewhat soft-sell “conclusion”, quickly reprising with (sadly) the mediocre second section of the song (albeit with this of the irritating percussion). This one is a bit trying at times, but there’s ultimately enough quality material here to justify the high rating.

Saisse’s “Roller Jubilee” is far from the most essential thing here. A xylophone introduction leads to a full band arrangement (led by acoustic guitar). From here, a fairly interesting jazz-era-Zappa melody develops … or, rather, it should develop, but ultimately becomes weighed down by its repetition. There’s nothing terribly wrong with the track, but it never really “breaks through” with a strong statement of its potential musicality.

“Two To Tango” is better, a Di Meola/Corea duet featuring a haunting melody which is not disturbed by AdM’s displays of technical virtuosity throughout. I don’t really have terribly much else to say about this piece — it’s quite good, and shows both musicians in impressive form.

And then we come to another “montage” track. “Al Di’s Dream Theme” begins in a manner oddly reminiscent of the infamous second section of “Silent Story In Her Eyes”, albeit somewhat better — cocktail jazz, and not really all that essential. Perhaps this was simply meant to represent the artist’s slow journey into a state of dreaming — an abrupt shift leads to further “sci-fi” musical themes, thereupon leading to a soaring guitar line over equally impressive bass and percussion lines. This “actual dream theme” lasts considerably longer than the middling first section, and features some extremely good guitar soloing (as well as some sparse moments). The lead melody is quite good. Di Meola deserves credit for this one.

“Dinner Music Of The Gods” begins with a deliberately jarring guitar line (proto-prog-metal?) over another appearance of the aforementioned FZ-esque percussion. The guitar leads which emerge as the first section develops are quite impressive. A slight shift brings Landers’s bass to a more dominant position (the bass and the drumming, I might note, are quite good throughout as well). AdM’s picking techniques on the Fylde acoustic are worthwhile, as is the harpsichord-esque section in mid-track. Though some might accuse the artist of self-indulgence on this piece, it’s ultimately one of the best things here. As with previous long works on the album, this is somewhat of a “montage” work.

“Splendido Sundance” begins with an acoustic passage which struck me, upon the listening session for this review, as being strongly rooted in Mediterranean traditions. Not surprisingly, the piece from there onwards turns out to be an alternate version of “Mediterranean Sundance” (from AdM’s Elegant Gypsy album). This version, of course, has some very impressive moments, though one might wonder if (i) AdM places a bit too much emphasis on rhythm guitar accents, and (ii) if it’s really necessary. Still, another well-performed version of AdM’s trademark tune isn’t much to complain about.

After this comes the tragedy of the album. “I Can Tell” features only AdM and Saisse as contributing musicians; it would not be beyond reason to suggest that it would have been difficult to “sell” the piece to the other musicians on the album. The piece is, essentially, the negation of everything else on the album — a sub-mediocre pop-fusion track that might be best described as “Steely Dan gone horribly, horribly wrong”. The attempts at mingling jazz and pop themes sound terribly hackneyed, the cliched vocals are an embarrassment, and AdM’s limited vocal skills suggest that the very idea of the track may have been doomed from the start. A brief instrumental section is tacked on at the end of the work; it’s good, but not enough enough to seriously improve the rating of the song. This is the sort of track for which “skip” buttons are made.

Things improve again with a version of “Spanish Eyes”, featuring a guest appearance from Les Paul (by the way … no matter what the credits say, I can clearly hear Paul’s distinctive guitar stylings coming from my right speaker, making me wonder if I have a slightly defective copy … oh well …). As a “song-oriented” jazz track fashioned in the style of turn-of-the-decade fusion, it’s fairly enjoyable; as against this, the arrangement could probably have been improved somewhat (not much seems to be holding the track together).

The triumph of the album is “Isfahan”, a track co-written by Corea. The work begins with the Columbus Boy’s Choir singing the Arabic love song (in English, of course) without musical accompaniment. After this, a string quartet emerges, accompanied by Di Meola and Corea. The choir eventually returns, after which the musicians shift to more distinctly Arabic themes. While a mere description of the song’s structure cannot clearly convey the merit of this track, it is easily the best number here — befitting of the jazz-fusion tradition at its best while partaking in completely different forms as well. One might wonder if this really can be considered an “Al Di Meola track” per se, but it’s no less beautiful one way or the other.

And, finally, the album ends with “Bianca’s Midnight Lullaby”, a brief acoustic guitar solo from AdM. This is a rather gentle piece, somewhat classical in structure (as befits the title). This seems an appropriate way for the album to end.

While this album won’t appeal to everyone, it would certainly be appreciated (for the most part) by those interested in the jazz-fusion genre. Recommended as such.