AL DI MEOLA

One of the best jazz fusion albums ever

Al di Meola has been regarded, both in jazz rock and elsewhere, as one of the best guitarists of all time. Even though I could see that he was a very talented guitar player listening to the (few) Return to Forever albums I own, having a perfect technique and flawless musicianship, Return to Forever's music would, in one way or another, eventually turn me down. I just can't quite put my finger on it, maybe because of the huge amount of things that aren't right, but sometimes I just get awestruck as to how such a competent and talented group of musicians could compose some tunes that are, in my opinion, straight up boring.

Long story short, if Al could not pull it wile together with three other equally talented musicians, I doubted Mr. di Meola could put out better music by himself. Well, at least that was how I though up until putting my hands on Elegant Gypsy.

Indeed, Elegant Gypsy, in my opinion at least, rights many things that were wrong in Return to Forever, such as focus and proper melodic progress, which Al does perfectly here: he creates / comes up with a certain line of melody and develops it to the point it becomes perfect. Another thing which he does way right here and that doens't go quite as smoothly in Return to Forever is that everything gets its due space; there isn't a million things happening at the same time and when that happen they are the center of everything and every other instrument work around that thing (mostly guitar or keyboard lines).

As one might expect from a solo album of a guitarist, Elegant Gypsy is mostly about the guitars, but not exclusively. Yes, the guitars do play a huge part here, but so do the keyboards, that, at times, work together with the guitars in a call and response style. However, most the album revolves around the stringed instrument. Al here presents us with a barrage of unbelievable guitar lines and strikingly impressive ideas and motifs.

In spite of the whole album being filled with them, there are three in particular that amaze me every single time I listen to them: the guitar lines in Flight Over Rio, which make us feel like we are indeed inside an airplane (and the solo is just mind blowing); the speeding melodies of Race With Devil On Spanish Highway, which perfectly translate the feeling of being behind a racing car, the speed, the competition, the meandering curves. . . It feels exactly like you are in a speeding automobile; and the impressive layers of guitar music in the Elegant Gypsy Suite, which, by the way, is the song that sounds the closest to traditional progressive rock.

The other songs are quite good as well, but they don't have such memorable moments as those three in particular. Midnight Tango is, as the name implies, a tango inspired song where Al uses his proficient guitar abilities to merge the Latin rhythm with jazz rock, resulting in a very interesting combination of both. Mediterranean Sundance, on its turn, tries and mixes Spanish guitar to already spicy mix of jazz and Latin American combination employed in Elegant Gypsy.

There are some down points, however, even though these points actually account for what isn't in the album. First, despite the references to Brazil in some song titles, there is no musical reference to the country; Al limits himself to Latin American music, which in no circumstance includes the South American country.So instead of just mentioning Brazil it would be positive to actually mention it musically. Second (and this is more of a personal thing), I think this album could have been stretched or more songs could have been added to it in order to make it more musically diverse. In any way, these "problems" do not actually interfere in the album's overall quality.

Rating and Final Thoughts

Even some 50 years ago, doing something new with solely a guitar was a difficult thing. Al di Meola, however, managed to do that here. Merging jazz rock, Latin and Spanish music and, occasionally, progressive rock, Elegant Gypsy accounts for one of the most impressive albums recorded in the jazz fusion genre.

If you want to listen to an album that will definitely not let you down, with impressive guitar work and guitar-led compositions, look no further: Elegant Gypsy is what you most certainly need.

I was drawn to this merely due to the high rating it has received and the plethora of reviews that rave eloquently at what a masterpiece this is. I have never heard of the man myself but it was a pleasant journey whole it lasted. As soon as 'Flight Over Rio' begins I know immediately this is very nice music that appeals to me as a form of relaxing after hearing too much ELP, Gentle Giant and Eloy. It is such an organic album that moves smoothly from one musical arrangement to the other. Parts remind me of Santana meets Hackett and it is certainly a unique sound that is created.

The guitar work is beautiful, particularly on 'Midnight Tango' with lovely Spanish flavours, and some wonderful piano augmentations. The symphonic strings are a serene nuance that resonates with my senses, and it gets quite wild at the end with African congas and bongos in a short burst of inspiration. 'Mediterranean Sundance' is permeated by Spanish Flamenco guitar vibrations, playing off some amazing speed picking. Meola and Paco De Lucia are obviously accomplished guitar virtuosos and this tune proves their ability. It makes a nice break on the album after the dense musicianship previously. The crystal clear guitar tones echo in the eardrums and provides a relaxing experience, but one will be astonished at the extraordinary dexterity of the guitarists especially towards the end when the pace quickens.

'Race With Devil On Spanish Highway' has an enigmatic title and is flavoured with a pulsing bassline, hi hat work, and a muscular guitar riff as bongos are played at a frenetic pace. This is my favourite track on the album feeling like the type of music heard in the 70s where twanging guitar is layered with hyper paced percussion. The guitar picking gets frenetic later and there is a soaring lead break that spins wildly out of control, and leaves me breathless. This is a master class performance and one that should be heard by all progheads.

'Lady Of Rome, Sister Of Brazil' is a short piece after the last frenetic explosion of power. Here we can relax again with twin acoustics playing very melodic romantic music. The album closes on another epic 'Elegant Gypsy Suite' clocking 9 minutes. It opens with some quirky time sigs and a jazz fusion feel. The guitars hold onto the melody and at times get funky, and there is a really nice finger picking thing with some speedy work and a wandering bassline that consistently maintains the rhythm. The guitar work is astounding and is relentless in creative styles, from speed picking to soaring string bends, the man is a master.

"Elegant Gypsy" is an incredible album of showmanship guitar work and needs recommendation. I didn't expect it to blow me away as it did but it is so good it is impossible to ignore. Good things come in small packages and although this is short it is certainly an excellent example of instrumental jazz fusion.

"Electric Rendezvous" is as aptly a title one would ever conjure up for this original jazz-rock maestro, we would all only wish Al would do this kind of "rockier" album one more time, as too many years have passed relying on his rather mellower side. While "Land of the Midnight Sun" and "Elegant Gypsy' remain for many the acme of DiMeola's career, I have a very special spot for this more Santana-esque endeavor partnered by an awesome line-up of master musicians such as synthesizer whiz Jan Hammer (who never sounded better!), Anthony Jackson on galloping bass, Mingo Lewis on percussion and the monstrous Steve Gadd on drums, with Paco de Lucia (the dense duet on "Grace, Passion and Fire") and Philippe Saisse on board as soloists. The ease and the finesse with which these cats perform are totally exhilarating.

"Bird Dog Cage" fulminates as an opener, blasting into the free zone with little strain, giving ample room for Hammer and DiMeola to show off their rather considerable talents. The rhythm section is so tight, it will make one cringe with delighted respect. Smooth and fast, like a torrential rainstorm of talent.

The title track is even sprightlier, all kinds of frayed nerve endings in the fingers, if you see what I mean. Different styles all packed into one seamless parcel. A faint serenity begins to grow in stature, very much like classic Ponty, evolving into a series of detours, veers and contrasts. Things get even slightly dissonant for a while, swerving back into yet another mood once again, the guitar getting heavy and fiery. Sudden blasts of brass synth consecrates Hammer's complete genius in my mind, but when he dishes out a duel with Al, it's just bloody merciless. Even Anthony Jackson plays the game with style and velocity. This is so good , its absurd!

"Cruisin" has that California cool and suntanned swagger, as the bass and drums set down a groove for both Hammer and the Dman to lay down some preposterous ideas, a playful and bright melody fueled up like a shiny red Cadillac rolling down Sunset Strip, the car stereo blaring.

"Black Cat Shuffle" is the highlight here, a catty, smoldering and sweaty groove anchored tout de suite by the rhythm section, showing a terrific sense of jazzy rock and roll as Al and Jan trade electric goose bumps. And if you ever had a doubt about Al's Latin side, well its all there on display with "Ritmo de la Noche". I am pretty sure when Carlos Santana first heard this, his knee-jerk reaction would have been to call a lawyer, suggesting plagiarism but within seconds, yielding to the beauty of the melody and the tremendous playing by all involved. This is my all-time favorite DiMeola composition, loved it to death for decades. The solemn acoustic gem "Somalia" is no slouch, a deeply sad and melancholic guitar tour de force, serves a perfect segue to the previous jewel.

Speaking of which, "Jewel Inside a Dream" puts this majestic performance to bed, a soothing lullaby that showcases DiMeola's clear sense of sonic wizardry

Oh yeah, love that cover art, suits the music inside to a Tee

5 gatos negros electricos

Big Al's foray into the vast and oftentimes dreadful world of holiday music shows him in an appropriately yet uncharacteristically light mood. For many Di Meola fans, this does not bode well. What I like about it though, is his unique latinesque stamp, even if it does tend towards the mellow rather than the passionate. He gives us a mix of Christmas classics, both contemporary and traditional, and some original tunes, four of them titled as Winterludes. I am not sure if that is clever or pedestrian. The all-too familiar tunes include Carol of the Bells, Greensleeves, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The First Noel, and Ave Maria. He gives fair treatment to these and makes some of them his own. There are a couple of songs that I have never associated with the season or the holidays: Scarborough Fair, where glittering tones and a delicate treatment of the melody create the impression of starlit snow and frost, making this the highlight of the album, and an excellent instrumental version of Peter Gabriel's Mercy Street. The remaining four tracks are original and naturally sound more like what we are used to hearing from this great guitarist, that is, for his quieter side. Al is found playing percussion, keys, and harp as well as acoustic guitar. Helping out is Hernan Romero on percussion and guitar and Roman Hrynkiv on the Ukrainian bandura, one of the most spectacular and beautiful instruments ever created. It is the inclusion of this that gives the album its most unique qualities. If you have never seen one, it is like a combination of a lute and a harp. Or maybe an autoharp with a guitar attached to it. Hrynkiv also composed three of the four Winterludes (which I think are really improvisations). Overall, the album is pleasant, yet ultimately one dimensional. The final effect is atmospheric. When it is over, the listener will remember the mood and tone more than the music or any of the songs. Big Al's playing at times shows his trademark intricacy but most of what is going on here is atmosphere and melody. The music is more Cielo y Terra than Elegant Gypsy. It is difficult to find a completely original holiday album, and this one fits somewhere in the middle. For an Al Di Meola album, it fits somewhere more towards the bottom.

I'm rating this with only three stars because for me personally this was not exactly what I enjoy in fusion. It's only the third Di Meola album I've listened to, so I'm very green to rate his albums anyway. But I did enjoy the other two more.

The playing is doubtlessly fine, the top jazz guitarist (who served in Return To Forever in the 70s and is among the most respected in jazz / fusion world) is accompanied by an accordionist, two percussionists, another guitarist and someone playing "acoustic upright baby bass" (what? an instrument for dwarfs?). None of those band members are familiar to me, unlike guest musicians such as bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Peter Erskine. Well, maybe the accordion, and a sort of World Music flavour in general, is the first feature I'm not liking much. And another is the notable Latin feel, including busy percussion, in the music. Most tracks are quite restless in rhythm instead of being melodious. This was not so much the case with my other Di Meola hearings.

I liked about 50 % of the album, among the more enjoyable tracks were those not composed by Di Meola: 'Strawberry Fields' (the Beatles tune) and 'Over the Rainbow'. If you like rhythmically hectic Latin-flavoured guitar fusion, check this one out. 15 tracks, over 72 minutes.

I only have this album in cassette format and I only had a chance to play this after I finally got a wonderful cassette deck player made in Norway: Tandberg TCD-440A (produced in 1978) - yeah! It's a vintage player and I really love the sound quality; it's natural and it has a powerful basslines. No wonder I find true joy playing the cassette of this album which opens beautifully with Beijing Demons (6:25). Even though it's not in similar vein with legendary album 'Land of Midnight Sun' or 'Elegant Gypsy' or 'Splendido Hotel' I really enjoy the music. It flows nicely in ambient mode demonstrating Al's stunning guitar work. The second track Arabella (7:14) is also another good track with vocal and latin music style. Well, actually I do not expect Al plays this style of music and initially I did not quite favor this kind of music. But when I really forget how Al's music started at the beginning in the 70s, I then realized that the music is very good and enjoyable. I can find the stunning guitar that flows beautifully throughout some tracks featured here.

I can say that Smile from a Stranger (5:43) has its roots with legendary style of Al Di Meola especially when it reaches the collaborative work of guitar and keyboard. Rhapsody of Fire (5:05) continues with another music style.

Overall, I consider this as a very good album and I recommend those of you who love jazz-rock fusion kind of music would enjoy this album. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

For Elegant Gypsy, Di Meola carries a similar line-up over from his first album and produces a more consistent record. While it follows a similar pattern in structure and sequencing, it's more satisfying overall. If the songs are much the same texture-wise, using percussion, a tight rhythm section and speed-driven guitar work, along with often atmospheric keys - it's no surprise that he choose to refine the successful sound from Land of the Midnight Sun.

After the steady opening of 'Flight Over Rio' with its nice tempo shift in the middle, we have the more contemplative 'Midnight Tango' which is probably the highlight of the album. Smooth but still surprising, it's graced with evocative solos from both guitar and piano, and seems to be a step forward in arrangement for Di Meola. Here he gives the song a lot of space, choosing his moments on electric guitar carefully, while also incorporating more acoustic playing.

'Mediterranean Sundance' continues the acoustic theme - in the form of a duet between flamenco legend Paco de Lucía and Di Meola. It's stunning (and I do have a soft spot for flamenco guitar) perhaps not simply for their dazzling fretwork but the way it so effortlessly brings Spanish imagery to mind, it's one of those pieces (a little like 'Lady of Rome...') that transports your mind. While it would be revisited and expanded years later on Friday Night in San Francisco, this version is still wonderful.

Following the duet is 'Race With Devil on Spanish Highway' a menacing track that features drummer Lenny White's second fine performance on the album, and one that again displays the speed we've come to expect from Di Meola by now. 'Elegant Gypsy Suite' is a little more of a mid-tempo piece and a satisfying conclusion to the album, its bass and key sound hinting at material that would be covered on Meola's follow up 'Casino.'

Another fantastic album of Latin Jazz fusion, four stars.

Al Di Meola uses Spanish and Latin musical influences to provide a texture to this expansive exploration of his guitar skills. To my ears, it's a pleasant but not brilliant listen, and I think this might partially because it's very much a product of its time; the Latin-flavoured fusion approach here had already become pretty tired at the hands of Santana and since then has become very well-explored, and the production quality feels dated to me even though I imagine if you listened to it at the time it would have felt very modern. On top of that, I just don't find Al's guitar playing very revolutionary, and I'm sure that's because a million and one guitarists have taken up his ideas and popularised them, but I've already heard those other guitarists and I (and most music listeners my age) can't un-hear them before coming to this album.

I had some trouble with acoustic and world fusion works of AL DI MEOLA, as it was the first 70's jazz fusion stuff that attracted me in the first place. I've grown to like a lot of the stuff though, even if my ratings don't really show off around here because I think his easy listening or ambient work can't be rendered as masterpieces of fusion but make for excellent lounge music.

This one though does nothing for me and it's the only time in his career I think where AL collaborated with so many pop singers, and what this album brings out is AL in more R&B, rap or hip-hop format, I don't really know anymore cause the lines of these genres are a bit blurred for me here, you might call some of it jazz pop I guess. There are 3 instrumentals which are kind of ok, but I have plenty of other and better AL's work to choose from if I'm gonna be in need of easy listening music. It's not horrible music, but seeing as there is so much more in his catalogue I can't really recommend this to someone who is AL's fan or someone who is looking for jazz fusion that will blow him away, everyone else is welcome to enjoy it I guess but why bother buying it if you're gonna probably hearing this kind of stuff on the radio all the time for free.

Di Meola returns to a smaller format.

After his ambitious double album, Splendido Hoteland live album Friday Night in San Francisco the fusion wizard strips back his cast, song length and compositional scope for the more straight forward Electric Rendezvous.

By 1982 he'd been playing with most of his band for a fair while (Gadd, Lewis and Jackson for five albums with Hammer appearing on several dates at least) and it sounds as though the writing and execution of the songs comes easy. And if not too easy, it still results in a record that plays it too safe, perhaps keeping it conservative after the mixed results that his double album seemed to elicit. The pieces here are classic Di Meola, which is part of the problem and part of what is welcome. There are no big risks but there are some great songs, like opener 'God Bird Change' or the title track with its prominent keys and almost threatening guitar, which is followed by another excellent collaboration between Di Meola and flamenco star Paco de Lucía, on 'Passion, Grace & Fire.'

Elsewhere there is some fairly slick pop from 'Crusin'' and the dated synths of 'Black Cat Shuffle' and the by now perhaps obligatory slow tango-esque piece - 'Ritmo De La Noche.' It's followed by a short acoustic piece and 'Jewel Inside a Dream' which is a ballad backed by warbling keys.

It's a highly uneven effort, but still classic fusion, even if the genre's heyday was some years behind by now. Collectors of Al will want this for the opening three songs alone, but if you're new to Di Meola you will be better served by any of his first three, or the live 'Friday Night...' if you enjoy fast acoustic guitar.