ELEGANT GYPSY

Elegant Gypsy stands as a fan favourite here and it's no mystery to see why. In a baffling 37 minute short album, Al Di Meola gets more balls rolling then most bands would in an entire career.

Flight Over Rio kicks off with a meditative eastern flavour before turning into a surging jazz rock attack that any fan off the genre will instantly devour. The battle between Hammer's dashing keyboards and Al Di Meola's virtuosity is absolutely stunning. After the astounding opener, the album continues through 4 equally pleasing extended pieces. It covers all fusion ground you can think off: jazz rock, flamenco, tango, salsa. The lot.

The most amazing aspect of it all is how classy this is all done. For music of this intensive virtuosity, things are never overcooked. You won't hear any 20-notes a second wizardry unless it has to be there; fast sections are balanced against more laid back parts; heavy rock merges with nearly cheesy mellowness. But it never crosses the line where sophistication becomes kitsch.

Rarely does an album both have this kind of virtuosity and elegance. Hearing this back after so many years I really wonder how I could neglect this album for so long. It's not that I was tired of fusion, I must just have completely forgotten about it. Shame on me!

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