About a year ago, I picked up one of Al DiMeola’s classic album’s from the 70’s, “Land of the Midnight Sun”. I hadn’t heard that fast, muted speedpicking in so many years that it brought back so many memories for me. Since I bought that CD, I’ve eventually purchased all of Al’s albums, except for a few of them that were produced overseas and I haven’t been able to locate a copy yet, but I’ll keep looking until I find each and every one of them.
I’ve noticed that over the past 10 years, he’s really let his true musical prowess blossom by writing and arranging pieces for classical instruments that are a far cry different than what he, Chick Corea (Keyboard Player) and Stanley Clarke (Bass Player) wrote when they were all together in “Return To Forever”, a well known, very heavy, jazz-rock fusion band from the 70-80’s. Back when Al DiMeola was known for his thrashing lead lines along with his heavily muted speedpicking which separated him from all other professional rock and jazz guitarists. He most definitely created his own unique guitar style that everyone wanted to learn how to play but most couldn’t.
We’ve been very fortunate to be able to catch him in concert now a couple times. Once in a small town in Pennsylvania and again in Wolf Trap, Virginia which is an acoustically perfect outside venue that draws some of the finest musicians in the business.
While waiting for the show at Wolf Trap, Virginia, we were fortunate enough to arrive extremely early in hopes to be able to catch Al and his World Sinfonia rehearing prior to the show and we were right; we got there in time to catch it live and let me tell you something; that show was better than the show we waited 4 hours to see. Just to be able to catch them in a relaxed environment, taking instructions from Al and seeing everyone just follow his every word and movement or eye movements. Absolutely incredible.
I happened to locate a video clip of that very night and that rehearsal that I thought I’d share with all of you. I think after you take the time to listen and follow everything that is occurring, all at the same time, you start to realize how incredible a musician he really is as well as many of the artists that play along with him.
I also located another video clip from You Tube that I just had to include in this post. I hope you agree that it too represents just how unique a guitarist he really is.
His 2011 Concert Tour – “Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody” is amazing. That is where I first saw/heard him play the nylon string, classical guitar tied into the Roland VG-99 Guitar Synthesizer.
Wow ! what an awesome sound coming from that instrument, especially the way he played it. Do you get my drift ? Ha Ha !!
Well it’s time to call it a day; I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did gathering all the material together for it. I’m sure you can tell by now, that I am a HUGE DiMeola FAN !!! You’re right, I am !! I practice his picking technique every night on top of many other things; the major scale, blues scale, pentatonic scale and basic 12-bar blues. The key to it all is practice – practice and more practice, right ?
Have a great evening and don’t forget to hug those kids of yours.
Until next time;
Bob
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