ELEGANT GYPSY

With Elegant Gipsy and its acclaimed follower you'll be carried into intense musical experience. A fabulous journey to the lands of acoustic and electric guitars immersed in the southern europe seas. A strong mediterranean flavour (also latin in the sense of latin american) is all around the six compositions as the songs' titles emphasize.

Al Di Meola offers you all his capabilities he had already showed during the collaboration time with the jazz- rock glory RETURN TO FOREVER. Now all is mainly based on guitars (even tasteful mandolin when it's up to Italy imagery) but you will find also excellent keyboards' parts thanks to a certain JAN HAMMER on electric piano and minimoog.

The general mood of the album is a perfect balance between rational technicality and sincere passion, compeltely instrumental and enjoyable since the very first listening. Even in the quieter parts you will feel excited due to the meticulous work of Di Meola. Race with Devil on Spanish Highway is a personal favourite of mine and truly terrific! Above all a wonderful sound's production, very sharp and very clear. No doubt it has been voted the best guitars' based album for 1977.

Maybe it's not a prog masterpiece strictu sensu but along with Casino is certainly one of the most inspired records I've ever listened to. Far from being pretentious as many other so called classics tend to.

Worthy of special mention the collaboration with PACO DE LUCIA on ... acoustic guitar (what else?).

4.5 stars: highly recommended, an essential record in your discography.