Al Di Meola - Opus (2018)
Al Di Meola - Opus (2018)
1. Milonga Noctiva: Wandering in the Dark (feat. Kemuel Roig) 2. Broken Heart 3. Ava's Dream Sequence Lullaby 4. Cerreto Sannita (feat. Kemuel Roig) 5. Notorious 6. Frozen In Time 7. Escapado 8. Pomp 9. Left unsaid 10. Insieme 11. Rebels (feat. Kemuel Roig)
Now a happy man, the guitarist continues to stretch himself. He was Return To Forever’s diffident firebrand, the fusion genius behind Elegant Gypsy, and he shared a stage with fellow guitar giants Paco de Lucía and John McLaughlin. But follow the trajectory of Al Di Meola’s four-decade solo career and you’ll see him emerge as a musical globalista with a love for Piazzolla’s nuevo tango and an appreciation of Latin-based styles. He says that Opus marks the first time he’s ever written while happy, but that hasn’t turned his brain to saccharine mush – this sparely produced, mainly acoustic album is no sugar-fest. The tango-inspired Escapado and gelid Frozen In Time are the most immediate tunes, but 10-minute suite Ava’s Dream Sequence Lullaby is capricious and requires concentration. A musical conversation with himself, Left Unsaid is a skilled expression of his new‑found contentment, while the jazzy, contrapuntal harmonies of Insieme are dazzlingly complicated. A few weak string and drum samples disrupt the flow, but pianist Kemuel Roig adds class to Rebels and Milonga Noctiva, and it’s a thrill to follow an explorer reaching new creative peaks, even if the air’s pretty thin up here for the rest of us. ---Grant Moon, teamrock.com
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.
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 labelled 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.” ---wsm.serpent.pl
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