World Sinfonia Review

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(More customer reviews)"World Sinfonia", is the first album from Dimeola's acoustic fusion ensemble of different rhythms that combine Latin, African, Tango with Middle Eastern scales and jazz harmonies. The project initiates a new phase in Dimeola's versatile and rich musical career. World Sinfonia is a major departure from the "Al Dimeola Project" and from any solo, duet, or trio efforts he has done in the past. DiMeola teams up with Dino Saluzzi (bandoneon), Arto Tuncboyaci (percussion & voice), Gumbi Ortiz (congas & percussion), and Chris Carrington (classical guitar). The project begins the tribute to Astor Piazzola, the Argentine tango revolutionary and bandoneon master, that will continue in the next two "World Sinfonia" CDs ("Heart of the Immigrants" and "The Grande Passion"). At this time, the Piazzola homage consists of only 3 themes. The first a composition from Dimeola called "Last Tango For Astor", and the other two are covers from Piazzola's main repertoire: "Tango Suite part II" and Tango Suite part III". These two themes are spectacular and the arrangements are very close to Piazzola's ambience and rhythm. As for Dimeola's composition, I have no doubt that Piazzola would have enjoyed very much playing it with Dimeola if he were alive. Other highlights of the album are "Perpetual Change", composed by Dimeola and Lustrine composed by Dino Saluzzi. Both are emotional and moving and a guitar class of technique and scale playing to all modern players. The album also includes a remake of "No Mystery", that is the title of a "Return To Forever" album that won a Grammy back in 1975. The theme has a modern tango ("milonga") flavour on the surface as a result of the use of the bandoneon, but the rhythm and harmonies are free and jazzy because of the percussion used and the chosen guitar scales and style playing. The theme changes into a rhythm of Latin, African, Eastern and Spanish influences. Somehow, this composition summarises a great part of the mood and the ambience of this project. The last two tracks (a Dimeola/Agustin Barrios) offer a calm and melodic finale that initially moves closer to classic guitar playing but with a great melancholic expression a result of the use of the bandoneon. However, the ambience is never sad, because Dimeola lifts up the rhythm and spirit as he moves quickly in and out of the scales with great joy. World Sinfonia is a unique musical experience offered by musicians that continually grow with every project they pursue. I sincerely hope that you decide to share this new music proposal.

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Rite of Strings Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a long-time fan of both Al DiMeola and Jean-Luc Ponty though I didn't know much about Stanley Clarke beyond his glowing reputation.So when the "Rite of Strings" tour paid a visit to San Antonio, I was interested in seeing how the three would work together.Very well, as it turned out and of course they played music from their eponymous album as well as a few extra songs giving each of them a chance to individually shine.I bought the CD at the concert and was very pleased upon listening to it. There is something here for fans of each musician. My favorites are Indigo, which is unabashedly DiMeola, Song for John, a Clarke/Corea composition which is incredibly mellow and relaxing, and Memory Canyon, which has Ponty written all over it. There is no song on the album I don't like but I do wish that Al would have chosen something other than the Chilean Pipe Song, one of the weaker songs from his Orange and Blue CD.I'd rate this a winner as I came away with a higher regard for the musicianship of each of the bandmembers.

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Friday Night in San Francisco - Live Review

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(More customer reviews)I first heard this on vinyl. Properly awed, I promptly listened to all the other instrumental guitar music I could find. Now, twenty years or so later, I'd challenge critics: Name the OTHER acoustic guitar recording that even meets, let alone surpasses, the standard set by "Friday Night in San Francisco." I love Leo Kottke and Allan Holdsworth and Phil Keaggy and all the rest, but this is still the pre-eminent acoustic recording.
Here are two points to consider:
(1) Critics talk about the emotion and beauty being lost in the fireworks. Certainly the fireworks take up the majority of the CD, but listen again to the quiet moment right before the conclusion of "Short Tales of the Black Forest," where one of the guitarists even tells the rowdy crowd, "Shut up, now" (and, by the way, when was the last time you heard a live performer have to tell the crowd to curb its enthusiasm?). Or what about the haunting, eerie melody of the middle section of "Fantasia Suite"? You'll hear it in your dreams.
So, first of all, this recording does have the "beautiful" moments. But that leads into the second response:
(2) Don't miss the point! This is not supposed to be a meditative hour to play in the background while you eat your tofu meat loaf. These three guitarists clearly wanted to have fun with each other, to provoke each other to better performance, and, primarily, to blow away the listener who never thought acoustic guitar could sound remotely like this. If judged by these criteria, "Friday Night in San Francisco" deserves seven or eight stars instead of five.

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The great guitar trio's classic original recording has been remastered.No Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: MCLAUGHLIN/DIMEOLA/DELUCIATitle: FRIDAY NIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCOStreet Release Date: 09/23/1997

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Tour De Force Review

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(More customer reviews)How can you not purchase for less than ten bucks this stellar fusion recording? I wore out my vinyl copy in college, and the tunes only sound better with age. With the glut of watery synth sounds out, I especially enjoy hearing Jan Hammer boil out some rocking runs--better even than I heard him perform with Jeff Beck! But the star is not Hammer, or even Al, but the whole band. This is a great live BAND album. Tempos shift, intensity varies remarkably, all within the same tunes. Skill does not overshadow art, either--Al and company find humor, joy, intrigue, and beauty in their compositions.

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