Al Di Meola — Opus (February 23, 2018) |
Al Di Meola — Opus (February 23, 2018) •≈• Spellbinding jazz guitarist who is revered for his blazing, complex fretwork in the vein of jazz fusion, Latin fusion, and acoustic styles. Location: New Jersey, USA
•≈• Al Di Meola — the brilliant, virtuosic multi~instrumentalist, composer and arranger, who is considered to be one of the most innovative musicians and a living legend — is a pioneer of blending world music and jazz. His ongoing fascination for complex rhythmic syncopation combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony has been the heart of his music throughout a celebrated career that has spanned over four decades. The Grammy award winner achieved worldwide fame for both, being a solo artist and for his collaborations with Chick Corea, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Jean Luc Ponty, Stanley Clark, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul Simon, Phil Collins, Santana, Steve Winwood, Herbie Hancock, Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder and many more.
Location: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
Genre: Fusion, Jazz Rock, Guitar Virtuoso |
Album release: February 23, 2018
Label: EARMUSIC
Duration: 58:29
Tracks:
01 Milonga Noctiva (feat. Kemuel Roig) 7:56
02 Broken Heart 5:24
03 Ava’s Dream Sequence Lullaby 10:03
04 Cerreto Sannita (feat. Kemuel Roig) 5:43
05 Notorious 5:05
06 Frozen in Time 3:24
07 Escapado 4:03
08 Pomp 1:42
09 Left Unsaid 4:21
10 Insieme 5:45
11 Rebels (feat. Kemuel Roig) 5:03
℗ 2018 Edel Germany GmbH. earMUSIC is a project of Edel.
Editorial Reviews
•★• With a curriculum vitae rich of exciting musical moments and incredible works, Al Di Meola is still challenging himself and his music but with a more relaxed way to see things. Over the last few years he has literally started all over, reinventing himself in both, his private life and music, and his brand new studio album “OPUS” truly reflects all of this. ‘With “OPUS” I wanted to further my compositional skills as I think that the evolution of this part of my persona has labeled me more composer/guitarist than guitarist/composer’, says Al. ‘At the same time this record also marks a new era in my life. For the first time in my life, I have written music being happy, I’m in a wonderful relationship with my wife, I have a baby girl and a beautiful family that inspires me every day. I believe it shows in the music.’ Available on CD, 180 gram Vinyl and Digital.
•★• Guitarist Al Di Meola first rose to prominence as a blazing jazz fusion artist before his playing matured and he began to conquer other styles, such as acoustic Latin music. Born on July 22, 1954 in Jersey City, New Jersey, Di Meola briefly studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston during the early ‘70s before accepting a job replacing guitarist Bill Connors in fusion trailblazers Return to Forever (a group that also included monster instrumentalists keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, and drummer Lenny White) in 1974. It was with Di Meola that Return to Forever enjoyed their greatest commercial success, as such releases as 1974’s Where Have I Known Before, 1975’s No Mystery, and 1976’s Romantic Warrior cracked the U.S. Top 40 before Di Meola jumped ship to launch a solo career.
•★• What followed remains some of the finest jazz fusion guitar~based recordings ever: 1976’s Land of the Midnight Sun, 1977’s Elegant Gypsy (which would eventually earn gold certification in the U.S.), and Casino, plus 1979’s Splendido Hotel. Di Meola then united with fellow guitar greats John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía for 1980’s Friday Night in San Francisco. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, he racked up numerous accolades (including earning yearly top honors in Guitar Player magazine polls), kept on issuing solo releases on a regular basis, and played with others, including releases by Stomu Yamashta, Paul Simon, Stanley Jordan, and David Matthews, as well as further work with such former bandmates as Corea, Clarke, de Lucía, and McLaughlin.
•★• During the ‘90s, Di Meola turned his back almost entirely on fusion to concentrate more on acoustic~based world music, as evidenced by such releases as World Sinfonia, Di Meola Plays Piazzolla, and Heart of the Immigrants, among others. During the 2000s, Di Meola continued this eclectic approach with releases like 2003’s Revisited, 2006’s Consequence of Chaos, 2007’s Diabolic Inventions and Seduction for Solo Guitar, Vol. 1: Music of Astor Piazzolla, and 2008’s live album He and Carmen with flutist Eszter Horgas. In 2011, Di Meola delivered the Latin and world music~infused studio album Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody, featuring bassist Charlie Haden and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
•★• The lushly textured fusion effort Elysium followed in 2015. Two years later, Di Meola delivered the concert album Morocco Fantasia, recorded live at the Mawazine Festival in Rabat, Morocco. Along with Di Meola’s band, the show featured guest appearances by Moroccan musicians oud player Said Chraibi, violinist Abdellah Meri, and percussionist Tarik Ben Ali. ~ Greg Prato
Description:
•★• Al Di Meola is a pioneer of blending world music, rock and jazz. His ongoing fascination for complex rhythmic syncopation, combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony, has been the heart of his music throughout a celebrated career that has spanned over four decades.
•★• The Grammy award winner achieved worldwide fame for both, being a solo artist and for his collaborations with Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Jean~Luc Ponty, Stanley Clarke, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul Simon, Phil Collins, Santana, Steve Winwood, Herbie Hancock, and many more. Al Di Meola holds the highest amount of Guitar awards in different categories from Guitar Player magazine (US).
•★• With a curriculum vitae rich of exciting musical moments and incredible works, Al Di Meola is still challenging himself pushing his music towards new boundaries but with a more relaxed way to see things. Over the last few years he has in fact literally started all over, reinventing himself in both, his private life and music.
•★• “With OPUS I wanted to further my compositional skills as I think that the evolution of this part of my persona has labelled me more composer/guitarist than guitarist/composer” — says Di Meola — “at the same time this record also marks a new era in my life. For the first time in my life, I have written music being happy, I’m in a wonderful relationship with my wife, I have a baby girl and a beautiful family that inspires me every day. I believe it shows in the music.”
Label: http://www.ear-music.net/
Website: https://www.aldimeola.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aldimeolamusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlDiMeolaMusic
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Al Di Meola — Opus (February 23, 2018) |
Al Di Meola — Opus (February 23, 2018) •≈• Spellbinding jazz guitarist who is revered for his blazing, complex fretwork in the vein of jazz fusion, Latin fusion, and acoustic styles. Location: New Jersey, USA
•≈• Al Di Meola — the brilliant, virtuosic multi~instrumentalist, composer and arranger, who is considered to be one of the most innovative musicians and a living legend — is a pioneer of blending world music and jazz. His ongoing fascination for complex rhythmic syncopation combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony has been the heart of his music throughout a celebrated career that has spanned over four decades. The Grammy award winner achieved worldwide fame for both, being a solo artist and for his collaborations with Chick Corea, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Jean Luc Ponty, Stanley Clark, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul Simon, Phil Collins, Santana, Steve Winwood, Herbie Hancock, Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder and many more.
Location: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
Genre: Fusion, Jazz Rock, Guitar Virtuoso |
Album release: February 23, 2018
Label: EARMUSIC
Duration: 58:29
Tracks:
01 Milonga Noctiva (feat. Kemuel Roig) 7:56
02 Broken Heart 5:24
03 Ava’s Dream Sequence Lullaby 10:03
04 Cerreto Sannita (feat. Kemuel Roig) 5:43
05 Notorious 5:05
06 Frozen in Time 3:24
07 Escapado 4:03
08 Pomp 1:42
09 Left Unsaid 4:21
10 Insieme 5:45
11 Rebels (feat. Kemuel Roig) 5:03
℗ 2018 Edel Germany GmbH. earMUSIC is a project of Edel.
Editorial Reviews
•★• With a curriculum vitae rich of exciting musical moments and incredible works, Al Di Meola is still challenging himself and his music but with a more relaxed way to see things. Over the last few years he has literally started all over, reinventing himself in both, his private life and music, and his brand new studio album “OPUS” truly reflects all of this. ‘With “OPUS” I wanted to further my compositional skills as I think that the evolution of this part of my persona has labeled me more composer/guitarist than guitarist/composer’, says Al. ‘At the same time this record also marks a new era in my life. For the first time in my life, I have written music being happy, I’m in a wonderful relationship with my wife, I have a baby girl and a beautiful family that inspires me every day. I believe it shows in the music.’ Available on CD, 180 gram Vinyl and Digital.
•★• Guitarist Al Di Meola first rose to prominence as a blazing jazz fusion artist before his playing matured and he began to conquer other styles, such as acoustic Latin music. Born on July 22, 1954 in Jersey City, New Jersey, Di Meola briefly studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston during the early ‘70s before accepting a job replacing guitarist Bill Connors in fusion trailblazers Return to Forever (a group that also included monster instrumentalists keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, and drummer Lenny White) in 1974. It was with Di Meola that Return to Forever enjoyed their greatest commercial success, as such releases as 1974’s Where Have I Known Before, 1975’s No Mystery, and 1976’s Romantic Warrior cracked the U.S. Top 40 before Di Meola jumped ship to launch a solo career.
•★• What followed remains some of the finest jazz fusion guitar~based recordings ever: 1976’s Land of the Midnight Sun, 1977’s Elegant Gypsy (which would eventually earn gold certification in the U.S.), and Casino, plus 1979’s Splendido Hotel. Di Meola then united with fellow guitar greats John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía for 1980’s Friday Night in San Francisco. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, he racked up numerous accolades (including earning yearly top honors in Guitar Player magazine polls), kept on issuing solo releases on a regular basis, and played with others, including releases by Stomu Yamashta, Paul Simon, Stanley Jordan, and David Matthews, as well as further work with such former bandmates as Corea, Clarke, de Lucía, and McLaughlin.
•★• During the ‘90s, Di Meola turned his back almost entirely on fusion to concentrate more on acoustic~based world music, as evidenced by such releases as World Sinfonia, Di Meola Plays Piazzolla, and Heart of the Immigrants, among others. During the 2000s, Di Meola continued this eclectic approach with releases like 2003’s Revisited, 2006’s Consequence of Chaos, 2007’s Diabolic Inventions and Seduction for Solo Guitar, Vol. 1: Music of Astor Piazzolla, and 2008’s live album He and Carmen with flutist Eszter Horgas. In 2011, Di Meola delivered the Latin and world music~infused studio album Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody, featuring bassist Charlie Haden and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
•★• The lushly textured fusion effort Elysium followed in 2015. Two years later, Di Meola delivered the concert album Morocco Fantasia, recorded live at the Mawazine Festival in Rabat, Morocco. Along with Di Meola’s band, the show featured guest appearances by Moroccan musicians oud player Said Chraibi, violinist Abdellah Meri, and percussionist Tarik Ben Ali. ~ Greg Prato
Description:
•★• Al Di Meola is a pioneer of blending world music, rock and jazz. His ongoing fascination for complex rhythmic syncopation, combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony, has been the heart of his music throughout a celebrated career that has spanned over four decades.
•★• The Grammy award winner achieved worldwide fame for both, being a solo artist and for his collaborations with Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Jean~Luc Ponty, Stanley Clarke, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul Simon, Phil Collins, Santana, Steve Winwood, Herbie Hancock, and many more. Al Di Meola holds the highest amount of Guitar awards in different categories from Guitar Player magazine (US).
•★• With a curriculum vitae rich of exciting musical moments and incredible works, Al Di Meola is still challenging himself pushing his music towards new boundaries but with a more relaxed way to see things. Over the last few years he has in fact literally started all over, reinventing himself in both, his private life and music.
•★• “With OPUS I wanted to further my compositional skills as I think that the evolution of this part of my persona has labelled me more composer/guitarist than guitarist/composer” — says Di Meola — “at the same time this record also marks a new era in my life. For the first time in my life, I have written music being happy, I’m in a wonderful relationship with my wife, I have a baby girl and a beautiful family that inspires me every day. I believe it shows in the music.”
Label: http://www.ear-music.net/
Website: https://www.aldimeola.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aldimeolamusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlDiMeolaMusic
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