LA MELODIA LIVE IN MILANO (AL DI MEOLA WORLD SINFONIA)

I listened to this music live just few months after this concert was recorded in Milano. Al Di Meola bring his new World Sinfonia (same line-up as on this album) to Kaunas Jazz Festival (during his La Melodia Live ... promotional tour). Even songs track list during concert was the same as on album. So I have rare possibility to compare live recording with real live concert (no the same but very similar). And I can say - I like them both!

Al Di Meola is known for years as very technical jazz-fusion guitarist, but his glory days often are connected with his musicianship in RTF and some early electric albums. I absolutely agree with the opinion that he is great electric guitarist, but I like some his acoustic music as well. OK, his collaboration with McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia on "Friday Night In San Francisco" is well-known and highly rated as well. But he has all range of interesting solo acoustic works as well.

Every opinion on each musician's work depends on listener's taste, for sure. I know, that many listeners don't like acoustic albums, especially guitar acoustic albums. I think one of the main reason is it was a long period, when great ( and not very great as well) guitarists tried to demonstrate more their techniques, than musicianship, recording acoustic guitar albums. So very often, even very excellent in technical sense, these albums are not too attractive musically and for often listener are even boring. And Al Di Meola has some of that kind of albums as well.

But when in 2000 he founded his world fusion acoustic band World Sinfonia, situation changed. Using less technique demonstration but much more emotions and melodies ( usually based on great Latin-Mediterranean music legacy), this project's albums are more different and not boring at all.

On reviewed album his new-line up World Sinfonia plays mostly songs from different previous World Sinfonia albums, but some his known solo songs as well. Album (and concert) opener is "Infinite Desire" , taken from his solo album of the same name."Cinema Paradiso" is based on Ennio Morricone movies themes and "Mediterranean Sundance" came from his most popular album "Elegant Gypsy". "Turquoise" combines Sardinian melodies with Al's lyrical guitar playing. All the band (accordion, second acoustic guitar and percussion) plays both passionable and very romantic. But Al's guitar will never let the music became just lounge easy listening.

Even far from technical masterpiece, this album contains great warm and emotional musicianship, no acoustic Latin-world-jazz-fusion lover should miss it! Around 3,5, but rounded to 4.