Al Di Meola

Biography, videos, discography, news, photos

Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola gallery Al Di Meola gallery Al Di Meola gallery Al Di Meola gallery Al Di Meola gallery Al Di Meola gallery Al Di Meola gallery Al Di Meola gallery Al Di Meola gallery
9 slides
Al di Meola is one of most respected jazz fusion guitarist of our time. As a 17 years old teenager he enrolled in Berklee College of Music in Boston (1971). 3 years later Chick Corea invited him to join legendary band Return to Forever and played with Corea, Lenny White and Stanley Clarke for next 2 years.
In post Return To Forever era Meola collaborated with musicians such as Jan Hammer, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia, Carlos Santana and many, many more. His solo career has been very successful and has led him to release many albums sold in million of copies.
For hist frist solo album " Land of the Midnight Sun (1976), Meola earned fame for his very fast solos and technical mastery. From the beginning Meola used to experiment with jazz fusion and rhytms of flamenco and latin music. His early albums became vey popular and influential among rock and jazz guitarists. In 1981 his acoustic collaboration with John McLaughlin and flamenco master Paco De Lucia was recorded on "Friday Night in San Francisco" album which was sold in two million copies worldwide.
Since 1991 Al Di Meola focused his energy on new project which he called "World Sinfonia". First entirely acoustic CD recorded with soulful bandonean player Dino Saluzzi was a mix of Latin, Spanish, Middle Eastern and jazz fusion sounds with Argentine tango at very high priority. For several next years Meola continued recording and toruing with the "World Sinfonia" band. In 1996 he payed special tribute to Argentinian tango composer Astor Piazzolla by recording "Di Meola Plays Piazzolla" Cd.
In the meantime Meola took part in many other different projects, supporting various artists of different genres, like Russian rock star Leonid Agutin, Hungarian classical flutist Eszter Horgas, Canadian classical guitarist and singer Liona Boyd and many more.
In the summer of 2008 Al Di Meola appeared in reunited band "Return to Forever" with Corea, Clarke and Lenny White. They toured United states same year and played concert at Montreux Jazz Festival.
In 2013 Al Di Meola rented the legendary Abbey Road Studio to record Beatles tribute album "All Your Life". Same year he began worldwide tour under same name.

Al di Meola's Gear
Al Di Meola use several guitars. One of guitars is over 20 years old Conde Hermanos Guitars amplified by Schoepps C-530 condenser microphone and a RMC piezo pickup. On this guitar he recorded such albums as "World Dinfonia" and "Winter Nights". Al has also an Ovation signature model equipped with a D'Addario EJ16 strings and MIDI pickup to use with a Roland guitar synthesizer. Other guitars that Meola are 2 Godin guitars: a Godin Multiac Jazz and a Godin Multiac Nylon, both MIDI equipped.
Of course Al Di Meola use more guitars to record albums and for live performances, including PRS (Paul Reed Smith) Private Stock McCarty, Fender Stratocaster, Martin D-18 from 1948 and Guild acoustic guitar.

Al di Meola's Awards
Al is four-time winner of the Best Jazz Guitarist award in the Guitar Player magazine reader poll.

- Grammy Award, with group Return to Forever, for No Mystery, 1975;
- Thomas A. Edison Award (Holland), with guitarists John McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia, for Friday Night in San Francisco, 1981;
- Award for Outstanding Merit, City of Atlanta, 1982; inducted into Guitar Player magazine's Gallery of Greats, 1982;
- Best Jazz Guitar LP for Kiss My Axe, Guitar Player, 1992.

DISCOGRAPHY

With Return to Forever

Where Have I Known You Before (1974)
No Mystery (1975)
Romantic Warrior (1976)
Returns (2009)
Live at Montreux 2008 (DVD 2009)

Solo career

Land of the Midnight Sun (1976)
Elegant Gypsy (1977)
Casino (1978)
Friday Night in San Francisco (1980 with John McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia)
Splendido Hotel (1980)
Electric Rendezvous (1982)
Tour de Force: Live (1982)
Scenario (1983)
Passion, Grace & Fire (1983 with John McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia)
Cielo e Terra (1985)
Soaring Through a Dream (1985)
Tirami Su (1987)
World Sinfonia (1991)
Kiss My Axe (1991)
World Sinfonia II – Heart of the Immigrants (1993)
Orange and Blue (1994)
Di Meola Plays Piazzolla (1996)
The Guitar Trio (1996 with John McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia)
The Infinite Desire (1998)
Winter Nights (1999)
The Grande Passion (2000 with Toronto Symphony Orchestra)
Flesh on Flesh (2002)
Consequence of Chaos (2006)
Vocal Rendezvous (2006)
Diabolic Inventions And Seduction For Solo Guitar (2007)
Live in London (2007)
Melodia Live in Milano (2008)
One Night in Montreal (2010)
Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody (2011)
All Your Life: Tribute to The Beatles (2013)
Elysium (2015)
Opus (2018)

Some of recording with Al Di Meola as guest

Venusian Summer (1975) with Lenny White and Larry Coryell
Clowns on Velvet (1981) with Frank Zappa
Hearts and Bones (1984) with Paul Simon
Touchstone (1990) with Chick Corea
The Promise (1996) with John McLaughlin
Nylon & Steel (2001) with Manuel Barrueco
Camino Latino (2002) with Liona Boyd
Cosmopolitan Life (2005) with Leonid Agutin
He and Carmen (2008) with Eszter Horgas

Official Al Di Meola website:
http://www.aldimeola.com

Artist News

Opus CD 2018 February 24, 2018 "Opus" is the title of the new Al Di Meola studio album, released February 23, 2018, available on CD, 180 gram Vinyl and Digital.
'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.' Al Di Meola said.
Ava Olivia Di Meola is born! January 01, 2016 What a date to arrive the world for a new baby. Ava Olivia Di Meola is the name of the new addition to Di Meola's family!
She is in good hands and doing well though premature by 6 weeks!
Nice work Mom and Dad! Congratulations.
Friday Night in San Francisco December 6, 2015 35 years ago on December 5th, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia recorded their best selling live acoustic album "FRIDAY NIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO" at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco.
Until today FRIDAY NIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO is recognized as the most influential of all live acoustic guitar albums
Prince about Al Di Meola December 2, 2015 This is what Pronce said interveiewd by THE GUARDIAN
“Today you can’t go and see a band like Weather Report. Al Di Meola, the guitar player, he’d just stand in the centre of the stage, soloing, until everyone gives him a standing ovation. Those were the memories that I grew up with and that made me want to play.”

Videos

Al Di Meola & Matteo Mancuso - Mediterranean Sundance 16:27 Al Di Meola & Matteo Mancuso - Mediterranean Sundance
Al Di Meola dedicates Piazzolla music to Ukraine 02:58 Al Di Meola dedicates Piazzolla music to Ukraine
Al Di Meola - Yesterday 04:58 Al Di Meola - Yesterday
Al Di Meola - La Nit de Berklee 2018 05:49 Al Di Meola - La Nit de Berklee 2018
Al Di Meola - Strawberry Fields Forever 2020 03:01 Al Di Meola - Strawberry Fields Forever 2020
Al Di Meola & Bill Evans solo 01:29 Al Di Meola & Bill Evans solo

Not a Veojam member yet?

SIGNUP FREE
Copyright © 2008 Veojam.com.
All rights reserved. DMCA Complaint