AL DI MEOLA - Egyptian Danza (HAVE YOU HEARD? ) Maestro of the “Staccato” Latin Jazz Fusion

From the Album "Casino" 1978 by Al Di Meola
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#aldimeola

[@NicknLex]

What do you think about Al Di Meola and his amazing style?

[@bradd8937]

I share your appreciation of Al. I was so fortunate to see the Return To Forever Romantic Warrior tour. Needless to say I was blown away by the mastery of those four men. A year or so later I saw him live again for the Elegant Gypsy tour. Thanks for the reminder Nick. Tinnitus is the condition you’re referring to. Pete Townshend suffers from it too.

[@timgrady4630]

A treat Nick . Thanks for the continuing excellence .

[@PhilipPedro2112]

Love him and everything he's done. Al and Jean Luc helped me through the 80's.

[@scottanderson8420]

He has always been a favorite. When I can I will happily make some requests.😀

[@russell2910]

He is known as the Egyptian tony danza and the elephant gypsy. Quite a list. His music is in control of a viking in the middle of the best but cool things to do with the rest of the sound.

[@FURDOG1961]

Al Di Meola is great. I own "Elegant Gypsy" and my favorite off that album is "Flight Over Rio". He seems very down to earth and not full of himself in interviews, and tells it like it is.

[@DarrenSaw]

Al is a real master. I discovered him after hearing that he was an influence on some of metal guys that i listened to and it opened up a whole new path of discovery.

[@mrmogensen]

This is by far one of the most perfect songs ever recorded, both in composition and execution. One big explosion of energy from beginning to end

[@katiemanning3761]

He's one of the greatest guitarists ever!! I saw him, John McLaughlin and Paco Delucia in 1981. All acoustic set, 3 standing ovations.

[@jimled50jl49]

Hi Nick, during a lunch break at work in the late 70's I use to regularly go to a small paper shop for a drink and some chocolate and a daily newspaper. I would have been maybe 22 and a young teenage girl always serving behind the counter I use to chat to. She knew what music I liked, and asked if I had heard of Al Di Meola ? I hadn't. Next time I went to the shop, she had an album, and lent it to me. The album was "Elegant Gypsy" It totally blew me away. I have a few more albums on vinyl and I even bought Elegant Gypsy again on cd remastered decades later. Love his music. "Friday Night in San Francisco" is among my other favourites and especially the track "Mediterranean Sundance" . Wonderful stuff. I have "Casino" Great music. Love the keyboard tones as well. Yes we definitely need more from Al. Thankyou ! Byee Jim X

[@NicknLex]

What a great story!! Whatever happened to that Girl?

[@andrewwallace4481]

@@NicknLex I love the story 👍

[@jimled50jl49]

@@NicknLex I don't know. I got posted to another Bingo Hall [ I was a caller ] and too far from the shop. 😕

[@eaglesrule1415]

Elegant gypsy and Electric Rendezvous are great as well. Good stuff.

[@gazza8127]

Kudos to you Nick for honouring this extraordinary virtuoso. I remember getting into jazz fusion in the late 70's after being blown away by Weather Report's Heavy Weather which led to John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny & Bruford. A muso mate was raving about Al Di Meola & he suggested I check out Casino. I recall it was '79, in a listening booth at a jazz record shop. My jaw dropped to the ground when this came on, absolutely stunning, the precision, power, virtuosity, passion, unforgettable. And to follow it up with "Chasin' the voodoo" & the rest of the album, absolutely sublime, a masterpiece. What a technician, one of the greatest of all time of any genre. Don't get too stressed about these stupid polls, these fools know nothing about good music, the ear is the only judge. Cheers

[@SeaMark782]

What a master, he is stunning. What a band, my college years, on vinyl!

[@hasltisl]

Simply the most crisp, clear, perfect guitarist. I got on board with his first album, Land of the Midnight Sun, and by Casino he had transcended. And he is a Jersey boy! Great song, great reaction. Nick, have you seen the Rick Beato interview? He improvises an amazing acoustic piece. He’s still got it after over 50 years of recordings.

[@trainman5323]

Man! You’ve gotten down the rabbit hole with this master. He played with the greatest jazz fusion band ever. Return to Forever. Wild stuff.

[@fredwakil3141]

You're right! He's truly a virtuoso.

[@MisterWondrous]

I've loved Al since "Romantic Warrior" which was on heavy repeat, and then "Elegant Gypsy", also on heavy repeat. Lots of air instrument performances. Interesting timing this...because when I saw Al, here in Charlotte, he was opening for Renaissance.

[@davidmolina3520]

Al is a freaking monster... 1978 was the first time I saw him., He is the sole reason I picked up a guitar in 1976

[@NicknLex]

Yes I was definitely super inspired to get his alternate picking down. What a player!! Do you still play?

[@davidmolina3520]

@@NicknLex In fact I still do , but slight bouts of arthritis and tendonitis . Before I warm up, I soak my left hand in hot water for about 8 to 10 minutes. It helps a lot with loosening the tendons and muscles. I play a lot of acoustic , and I have a collection of electric guitars as well.

[@victormendez8811]

Nick , Al Di Meola has Tinnitus. I have suffered from Tinnitus for years. Tinnitus is the reason I stopped going to concerts Luckily enough I attended over 250 concerts in my life but I can still able to listen to music every day using high-quality inside-the-ear headphones. I was lucky to see Al Di Meola in 1980 as well As Return to Forever in concert in 2008.

[@jayhpaq]

I’m in the same boat Victor,and have had tinnitus for a long time. I rarely go to live shows anymore as I have to wear earplugs or my ears will ring loudly for days on end. Wearing the plugs ruins the experience so I don’t bother. Shows are outrageously expensive now anyway. I blew my ears out when I was young going to many very loud concerts standing close to those Marshall stacks, and from bartending in bars and clubs that featured live music. I have friends who have done the same and have no issues with their ears so I guess its the luck of the draw. Fortunately day to day mine is not that bad and I only notice it when I am in a very quiet space, and then the ringing can get quite loud, so I have to sleep with a white noise machine. Otherwise my hearing seems to be ok and can enjoy music with headphones though I keep the volume reasonable.

[@victormendez8811]

@@jayhpaq I was lucky enough to see almost all my music heroes! I agree with you I refuse to pay a huge amount of money to see a live show and there are just a few young artists that I feel are worth my money. Tinnitus does not affect my normal life. I wear 2 hearing aids since I am legally deaf but with them, I am just fine. I use inside the ear high-quality earphones every day to listen to music and I am still in search of new artists to discover. JHP nothing can stop the power of music. Take care ........Peace

[@jayhpaq]

@@victormendez8811 I am very glad to hear that you are still able to enjoy your music Victor! I couldn’t imagine life without it!

[@victormendez8811]

@@jayhpaq No music no life!!!!!

[@jayhpaq]

@@victormendez8811 🔈📻📀🎻🎷🎤🎸🎻🎺👂🔥

[@DavidSmith-wd4mx]

First Al Di Meola reaction I've seen. Bought this album when released. Fantastic guitarist and a fantastic album. More, please!

[@jibaropelu9212]

Love Al Di Meola! I remember how he blew everybody’s mind when he first came out back in the 70’s. Excellent choice!

[@cslloyd1]

In 1979, one of DiMeola’s albums had his address on the album cover. So I wrote him a letter, and he wrote me back. Well at least I assume it was him and not his publicist. I really didn’t expect a response, so I really appreciate it. Good times

[@yancyduncan]

This stuff was the companion music we had to Progressive Rock in the 70s. Everyone I knew who were YES fans, loved Return to Forever, and all the Jazz Fusion groups. It was simply SMART MUSIC, and we all loved smart music. It made you feel "smarter" for liking it...

[@coachhannah2403]

Fusion and Prog were similar in many ways, attacking the space from different directions!

[@jmpmusva]

I was so happy when I first heard this album. Ya never know what you're going to get with a new album. You look at the list of musicians and figure it has to be great. But it's not always great. He was my favorite guitar player for decades. Seen him many times live, the first with RTF. He opened his tour with this song. Many thought my friends and I, were music snobs. Maybe we were. I had no time for the latest Styx or Bad Company (for example)releases. Stanley who? Al who? Ponty who? .....Whatever. Now decades later, I've grown more fond of melody. Mark Knopfler is my fave for his playing AND songwriting skills. I still use Al as a litmus test to know who I'm talking to. Maybe I'm still a music snob! Still looking forward to Bang Bang and Summertime by Angelina.....

[@jayhpaq]

I grew up a rocker and then a punk rocker and then slowly morphed back into just an all around rocker over time lol so I never got into fusion rock/jazz. Nice to hear now what my younger self, who knew everything, would have refused to listen to. Will check out the albums as well.

[@alberthaust4542]

In the 1970s I was in high school and a rock fan. Then one day a local rock radio station played Al's entire Elegant Gypsy album and I became an instant fan. Around the same time I found out about Alan Holdsworth and John Mclauglin. I like Al's later albums--The Grande Passion, the Infinite Desire, Flesh on Flesh, Pursuit of a Radical Rhapsody, Orange and Blue and his first two World Sinfonia albums more than his earlier work. I also like the Rite of Strings album he recorded. The albums he did during his Manhattan years are also good. I have seen him in concert 5 times.

[@dhfenske]

I love Al's '70s albums, as do a lot of Yes fans. Thanks for sharing this, Nick. I haven't listened to it for a long time. Fantastic stuff!

[@scottanderson8420]

I love that you’re playing more selections from Al Di meola. You will always have a dedicated listener with me when you play jazz fusion guitarists. Some of my favorite music. When I think of Al Di meola I always think of Elegant Gypsy first, because it was my first experience. I played that album to death. Then I explored the earlier work and then Casino came out.😎 I got it immediately. There are so many good Al Di meola albums in the big fan of Orange and Blue, World Symphonia, Diabolic inventions, Kiss my Axe. It’s hard to stop with Al Dimeola he is so good. Great reaction Nick, also you’re killing me with Content. I just can’t keep up. 👍 It’s a great challenge. ♥️♥️♥️

[@rmac8008]

I’ve been lucky to see Al live several times RTF twice Paco John and Al live in 1980 Marvellous is right 🎶🎸❤️

[@coachhannah2403]

I love the change of tempo.

[@sammybeck7794]

Al Di Meolas best album in my opinion is Elegant Gypsy. Every song on that album is like a hit after hit

[@sidecardog5244]

This was great! I'm not a huge jazz fusion fan but this was totally accessible and a pleasure to listen to. It almost sounded like a movie score. I can definitely hear his influence on modern progressive rock music (Dream Theater, Neal Morse, Wobbler, IQ).

[@michelemichele3375]

A master. Thank you 🙏 😊

[@fords_nothere_100]

Thanks Nick. Like many here I've been a Dimeola fan for decades. I'd recommend checking the rarely discussed Splendido Hotel. A tour-de-force to be sure. Loved it!

[@andrewwallace1376]

Always loved his incredible playing Nick’ He has quite a tan on the album cover. I have this album tucked away for know saving it for a rainy day lol hope it’s rains tomorrow 😀🎸 I love the Guitar trio albums’seeing the first shows with Larry Coryell McLaughlin & Paco they were great. But I felt Coryell was not as well suited to the first Incarnation of the trio format as Al Di Meola was. I have three trio recordings Passion grace & fire Friday night in Sanfrancisco & the later Peter Gabriel studio recordings as-well as several Return to forever albums all mint condition. He maybe has some sort of tinnitus ?🙏 you need to watch John McLaughlin playing with Shakti live in the 1970’s all tracks are incredible especially The Track what need have I for this-what need have I for that- I am dancing at the feet of my lord all is bliss all is bliss👍its 29.03secs minutes long lol. I love it 🫶🏻

[@katiemanning3761]

I have the Elegant Gypsy album. Absolute masterpiece!!!

[@leddygee1896]

"Casino" came out in 1978. The album U.K. - U.K. with Allan Holdsworth came out in '78. It's hard for me to pick a favorite for that year, even though Van Halen also debuted in 1978... I gotta give it up for Allan... I know Eddie would give it up for Allan. Eddie loved Allan!!😊

[@sandraandmichaelfield1602]

As a Holdsworth fan, I trust you will enjoy the following short clip of Allan recorded during a live show at Alvas Music in San Pedro CA on April 2017, only two weeks before his passing (RIP). Outstanding virtuosity! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXemoqObo82Hb5o Enjoy! With Peace and Love to all!

[@jimhardiman3836]

Steve Gadd was so strung out at this session that Al had to prop him up behind the drums. And then he delivered this performance. 🔥🔥

[@artbagley1406]

Your listing of this Al Di Meola song took me back to my college days, around 1979; my roommate was the experimental album buyer and he had a particular liking for Mr. Di Meola. One of his other "discoveries" that tickled his, as well as my, ears was LEO KOTTKE (cot-key); I'd call him a eccentric but accomplished guitarist. Wonder if you've got time to do a couple songs of Leo's; maybe off of the "Dreams And All That Stuff" album (clown-face character on the album cover).

[@MrFtoudalk]

Always been a fan of Hotel Splendido, but this is just as great.

[@stevious7278]

Check out his 'Elegant Gypsy' album; in particular the tracks ' Mediterranean Sundance' for its outstanding flamenco, and 'Race with The Devil On Spanish Highway' for some blistering electric jazz playing. peace from Australia

[@woodyoffmark7944]

I saw RTF after Romantic Warrior came out, around this same time.

[@mrysedeers]

YES FINALLY someone is reacting to the guitar maesttro!...just sayin':)

[@russell2910]

This is a good idea to get rid of the Italian tony danza. What if Tony danza was Egyptian?

[@yancyduncan]

It's called Tinnitus, constant ringing in the ears.

[@NicknLex]

Thank you for the info my friend!

[@yancyduncan]

@@NicknLex I have it, and it's awful... Very common among people exposed to loud sound for extended periods of time.

[@2407paul]

if you like this, I do too, please listen then to Dixie Dregs (Steve Morse) odyssee

[@pfdfcc]

Nick heres a dude you've got to check out. KZbin "Eric Steckel Solid Ground". I know you're a guitar nut so this is right up your alley. It's bluesy, Bad Company-esque metal that just kicks ass!