ELEGANT GYPSY

Thank you ProgArchives for this album, which I would not have found without you! Rare is the album that I enjoy EVERY time it comes on: this is great Latin and jazz rock, perfect if you are concentrating on something else and simply want something to keep up your spirits, or excellent if you want to listen closely and hear as tight a group of musicians as you can find. Great job, Al di Meola and company for this spectacular collection of music.

Flight Over Rio. Bookended by a great funky groove, the middle is dominated by wonderful synth and guitar interplay. Not to be forgotten is the percussion--liveliness and originality without detracting from the other elements.

Midnight Tango. From the title and opening melody, you may think this is the mellow tune of the album. Not so! The whole song is highlighted by stately and captivating bass tones, with a great guitar harmony to close things out. I really don't know what the percussion deal at the end is for, but I don't mind it. Possibly the album's one flaw.

Mediterranean Sundance. A mesmerizing duet between Meola and Paco De Lucia, this tune is very repetitive and wears thin over time with repeated listens, but you can't deny that awesome melody and astounding playing.

Race With Devil on Spanish Highway. Here the band is tight as they can be: fast, furious, slow, and all the while foot-tapping and memorable. An odd song structure, but memorable all the way through.

Elegant Gypsy Suite. The boys saved the best for last. This seems a bit aimless, but even though it's not necessarily building to a grand finale, the process of getting there is wonderful. Staccato guitar and keyboard sometimes, and tasteful sustains and vibrato in others, with perfectly effective percussion throughout, this is an absolute gem.

If you have any inclinations for great guitar that is well-integrated into the music played by talented musicians, you simply need this album. Ditto if you enjoy jazz or Latin-influenced rock.