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Al Di Meola - World Sinfonia: Pursuit Of Radical Rhapsody CD (album) cover

WORLD SINFONIA: PURSUIT OF RADICAL RHAPSODY

Al Di Meola

 

Jazz Rock/Fusion

3.38 | 43 ratings

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snobb
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars First Al Di Meola's new studio release in last almost four years didn't bring any surprises. He plays with his busiest during last years project New Sinfonia, just powered it with some high class guest jazz musicians.

I'm familiar with almost every Di Meola's album and saw him playing live three times during last five years (twice with New Sinfonia, and once - with RTF incarnation), so this album sounds absolutely as I expected it should sound. Lyrical and romantic world fusion with great tunes, mix of Latin ,Mediterranean ,Middle East and Eastern European elements with mid tempo relaxed jazz fusion roots. Di Meola's New Sinfonia with Latin percussion,great accordion (bandoneon) player and second guitarist is almost excellent team if you like Piazzola, Southern European relaxed breeze and very warm atmosphere, but want to avoid boring smooth jazz. The only project's problem is they found great formula and exploit it year after year without changes,so music becomes more and more predictable. This release didn't avoid same problem, but at least few additions refreshed the sound.

Main difference is many classy guests,collaborated on this recording.Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine, great bassist Charlie Haden, Havana-born pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba between others didn't change Di Meola's musical direction, but each added plenty of small details to music,making it more sophisticated.Hungary's Sturcz String Quartet plays on some compositions, and - Al Di Meola switches to electric guitar time to time as well.

Not like music is much different from previous New Sinfonia releases, but it sounds as essential mix of all their previous experiences.Very different from Di Meola's early fast and cold electric guitar fusion works, this album is possibly one between most quality world fusion releases of some last time around.

My rating is 3,5,rounded to 4.

snobb | 4/5 |

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