WORLD SINFONIA: PURSUIT OF RADICAL RHAPSODY

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.