If you're not listening to Al DiMeola now, you're really missing out...

[Ivan May]

As a highly respected guitarist and producer, Al Di Meola has fit right at home with all the other jazz-rock heroes of the Seventies, namely Larry Coryell, Steve Khan and John McLaughlin, and most notably in jazz oriented bands like Weather Report and Steely Dan.

DiMeola has been an influence on guitarists such as John Petrucci of Dream Theater, Toto mainstay Steve Lukather, Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Jonny Lang, and his style blends jazz with metal, flamenco music, and even classical thrown in. DiMeola has recorded with such visionaries as Paul Simon, Les Paul, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Paco DeLucia and John McLaughlin, and still churns out some very heavy jazz-rock.

If Tony Iommi had joined Weather Report, then that is what Al DiMeola's music would sound like. Give him a listen, you will not be disappointed...

DiMeola's first album, Land of the Midnight Sun, was released in 1976. I am actually listening to it right now as I type this, and I have heard this as a great example of a Norlin Les Paul being used to good effect. DiMeola's black 1970 Les Paul was used on both this and Elegant Gypsy.

 

 

 

DiMeola has also played Ovation acoustic guitars, and was one of the first guitarists to use Paul Reed Smith guitars, including a custom built 12 string. He mainly uses Marshall and Mesa Boogie amps, and also used a Mu-Tron Bi-Phase phase shifter.

 

If you like Al DiMeola and want to share your opinions here, then be kind and do so. I am fortunate enough to own both Land of the Midnight Sun and Elegant Gypsy, and I think DiMeola should be on Rolling Stone's Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. It's a shame he isn't.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Al Di Meola is a fantastic guitarist! A true musician, and he really raised the bar and pushed the envelope. EVERYBODY does that "Mutola" muted/damped picking technique some time or another, he certainly introduced that into the lexicon. (Can there be greater praise than to be simultaneously imitated and razzingly, lightly parodied in a Frank Zappa piece?) In a way, he was Yngwie before Yngwie.

 

  

11 hours ago, IMMusicRulz said:

I think DiMeola should be on Rolling Stone's Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. It's a shame he isn't.

They tend to focus on Rock and Pop players, particularly big sellers. Don't feel too bad about that, they probably didn't include Andres Segovia, Django Reinhardt, Eddie Lang, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Roy Clark, Michael Hedges, Tuck Andress, or Charlie Hunter, either...

[KuruPrionz]

20 minutes ago, Caevan O’Shite said:

They tend to focus on Rock and pop players, particularly big sellers. Don't feel too bad about that, they probably didn't include Andres Segovia, Django Reinhardt, Eddie Lang, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Michael Hedges, Tuck Andress, or Charlie Hunter, either...

The list of great guitarists who do not get acknowledged is LONG!!!! 

And it's easy to get left out, the OP mentioned some heavy hitters - guitarists with incredible chops. I read it and instantly thought "What about Larry Carlton?" He belongs on that particular list as well. 

 

Then there's Vince Gill, Albert Lee, Danny Gatton and LOTS of others.

 

Crap, it starts in the middle. Click watch on YouTube and start at the beginning, some great jamming!!!!

[KuruPrionz]

And yeah, Al DiMeola is a great player. I've only heard his recordings and watched a couple of live sets on YouTube but he has it going on. 

[Caevan O’Shite]

1977...
 

  

 

[CEB]

I listened to this when it was new.  The guitarist in the gig I’m playing this summer is friends with Al. They met at Berklee.  My fusion band in the 80s covered a lot of Al’s stuff. Jimmy could nail Al’s style.  We did three RTF tunes (well Spain predated Al. Bill played Spain). and two Solo Al tunes.  He was a big influence.   Too bad Fusion didn’t pay so well.   One of Al’s greatest accomplishments is introducing US audiences to Paco DeLucia.

Al looks incredible for his age.  

  I play guitar and get guitar work but I’m primarily educated as a keyboardist and was a 70s-80s fusion nut … well mostly just a nut.   

[CEB]

 

[desertbluesman]

I listened to Al DiMeola a lot back in the day. Fantastic player. I did take lessons from Bob Aslanian who taught Al. And of course I had to listen to Al a bunch. Great player. I had all of his albums and CD's and I probably still do have some of his CD's somewhere.

[Sharkman]

 

[Mark Schmieder]

For some reason, none of my recent (i.e. post-1985) Al DiMeola CD's will load, so I tossed them. I have this problem with most smaller brands that tend to use non-standard media sources. I haven't owned a hi-fi on over a decade, so don't know if they'd fare better on a real CD player vs. a computer media drive.

[funkyhammond]

Di Meola is a legend. I've always loved his playing. I'm of Greek heritage and one day my parents were telling me about this amazing album with Latin influences recorded by the Greek pop/folk icon George Dalaras. I started listening to it and instantly recognized the guitarist's style. It was Al. He went on to record more albums with Dalaras. I have no idea what other artists around the world he has collaborated with outside of the jazz fusion stuff that most people know. The guy is incredible and must be a great person to work with, too.

 

A duet version of one of the songs (normally with a band):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOzu_rd4qWs

[Dannyalcatraz]

On 6/4/2022 at 12:01 PM, Caevan O’Shite said:

1977...
 

  

 

That was my intro to ADM.