One of the guitar heroes of fusion, Al di Meola was merely 22-years-old at the fourth dimension of his debut as a leader but already a veteran of Chick Corea's Return to Forever. The complex pieces (which include the three-part "Suite-Golden Dawn," an acoustic duet amongst Corea on "Short Tales of the Black Forest," too a brief Bach violin sonata present di Meola's attain fifty-fifty at this early on stage. With assistance from such piece of occupation past times players as bassists Jaco Pastorius too Stanley Clarke, keyboardist Barry Miles, too drummers Lenny White too Steve Gadd, this was a real impressive commencement to di Meola's solo career.
After joining Chick Corea's Jazz-Fusion project, Return To Forever inward 1974, guitarist Al DiMeola released his initiatory of all solo album inward 1976, named "Land of the Midnight Sun". DiMeola was 21 at the unloosen of the album too I am surprised over his mind-bogglingly technical skills at too then immature age, too this album shows both his technical skills, also as his songwriting skills real nicely through-out the album's (shockingly short) playing fourth dimension at 35- minutes. Another peachy positive amongst this unloosen is that DiMeola is themed upwards amongst a squeamish handful of invitee musicians, including Jaco Pastorius from Weather Report too Chick Corea, who plays a beautiful acoustic duet amongst DiMeola on the terminal track. The music has real few weak moments too is a pleasant surprise to your ears. Overall, "Land Of The Midnight Sun" is a completely necessary unloosen to travel featured inward your Jazz-Rock collection (or Jazz collection for that matter). The alone existent flaw is the curt playing time. Otherwise, there's non much hither to dislike. One of the best debut's I know!
Having lately shocked too awed the JR/F basis amongst ii amazing albums (Hymn To The 7th Milky Way too Romantic Warrior), Return To Forever was riding high on the moving ridge it had created, riding on Corea too DiMeola's incredibly fast playing, displaying a monstrous but mutual depression temperature virtuosity that would eventually accept a lot of fans grinding their teeth. ADM's debut solo album was some other monster that would enthral fans around the world. This author bought the album inside the calendar month it came out, good earlier he would indulge inward Nucleus of Liles' cause of the decade masterpieces, too then for a few years, this album represented what jazz-rock was all about. Although called a solo album, you'd swear this could silent some other RTF album as all of the RTF members appears at 1 request or some other on this album. Musically speaking, this album is a chip schizophrenic, as 2/3 pf it is pure jazz rock,, spell the terminal 3rd is to a greater extent than eclectic, from Classical to
Starting out on 1 of the album's highlight, Wizard, amongst its superb musical rhythm department too Latin percussions ala Santana too Al's guitar, oft Santana-esque as well. Starting almost on the same feel, the championship rails is a tremendous piece, where Al too Chick merchandise incredibly fast too virtuosi lines. But inward this case, Al's guitar resembles to a greater extent than McLaughlin's spell the Latin percussions mightiness audio a chip strange for this supposedly Norwegian-inspired track. In price of jazz-rock, this album would travel stuck betwixt Santana's bests (Caravanserai), Mahavishnu's best (Birds Of Fire) too RTF's Romantic Warrior. Closing the album's initiatory of all side is a tedious Bach slice (Sarabande), which mightiness audio out of place, but provides a welcome interlude.
On the flipside, the album starts on the as XXX , a progressive pieces that comes amongst fragile female/male vocals that could come upwards out of Carlos Santana & Alice Coltrane's Illuminations. The lengthy three-part suite Golden Dawn brings us dorsum to the album's primary focus, a sizzling JR/F (can't utter of pure fusion jazz album yet). You'd swear this was McLaughlin amongst Hammer duelling/duetting dorsum inward 72 for BOF. The closing Black Forest is a Chick Corea-written acoustic slice that displays the duo's talents too closely the album inward a real worthy manner.
ADM's solo debut album is 1 of the slow 70's crown jewels, 1 of those albums that volition likely never historic catamenia too is purpose of the history of its genre. H5N1 real highly too warmly recommended album, too likely my favourite, fifty-fifty over the normally improve rated Elegant Gypsy album that was to follow this one.
Track listing / Personnel:
1. "The Wizard" (James Mingo Lewis) – 6:46
Al Di Meola - 6- too 12-string guitars
Mingo Lewis - keyboards, percussion
Anthony Jackson - bass
Steve Gadd - drums
2. "Land of the Midnight Sun" (Al Di Meola) – 9:10
Al Di Meola - electrical guitar
Barry Miles - electrical piano, Mini-Moog synthesizer
Anthony Jackson - bass
Lenny White - drums
Mingo Lewis - percussion
3. "Sarabande from Violin Sonata inward B Minor, (Partita No. 1 inward B minor, BWV 1002)" (Johann Sebastian Bach) – 1:20
Al Di Meola - acoustic guitar
4. "Love Theme from Pictures of the Sea" (Al Di Meola) – 2:25
Al Di Meola - 6- too 12-string acoustic too 6-string electrical guitars, vocals, synthesizer, chimes
Patty Buyukas - vocals
Stanley Clarke - bass, vocals
Mingo Lewis - percussion
5. "Suite Golden Dawn" - (Al Di Meola) – 9:49
I. "Morning Fire" - 1:15
II. "Calmer of the Tempests" - 1:11
III. "From Ocean to the Clouds" - 8:38
Al Di Meola - electrical guitar
Barry Miles - electrical piano, Mini-Moog synthesizer
Jaco Pastorius - bass
Alphonse Mouzon - drums
Mingo Lewis - percussion
6. "Short Tales of the Black Forest" (Chick Corea) – 5:41
Al Di Meola - 6-string acoustic guitar, gong
Chick Corea - acoustic piano, marimba
Personnel
Al Di Meola: Guitars, synthesizer, percussion, vocals.
Anthony Jackson: Bass guitar (tracks 1, 2).
Stanley Clarke: Bass guitar, vocals (track 4).
Jaco Pastorius: Bass guitar (track 5).
Barry Miles: Keyboards, synthesizer (tracks 2, 5).
Chick Corea: Piano, marimba (track 6).
Steve Gadd: Drums (track 1).
Lenny White: Drums (track 2).
Alphonse Mouzon: Drums (track 5).
James Mingo Lewis: Percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5), keyboards (track 1).
Patty Buyukas: Vocals (track 4).
EmoticonEmoticon