Why do Jazz players use Telecaster and not Les Paul?

[Spook410]

If you love the idiot jazz hater so much, why don't you get the $16,500 deal to have dinner with him over his house?
He can tell you how much more creative he is than Trane, Hancock, Tyner, Bill Evans, Gil Evans, etc... over spaghetti and meatballs- cooked by Al Dente himself!HOME EVENTS | aldimeola

An unfortunate post. We all know Al DiMeola did not say this about Coltrane, Evans, or any of the others in your list. This is disingenuous hyperbole.

Also, could you provide a link to the interview where he said 'jazz sucks' (your words). Doesn't appear to be in any of the GP interviews I've found and would like to read for myself what he actually said in the context he said it.

As for me loving the 'idiot jazz hater'.. I am a huge DiMeola fan. Something unlikely to be influenced by forum posts that fail to come up to the standard of thoughtful engagement.

[Spook410]

Did Al Di Meola really say these things?

No. He didn't.

He may have chosen to not self identify as a jazz musician. Not even really sure what was stated there. I'm waiting for a link to the interview in question that hopefully scgim can provide since he is the one making these claims. None of the GP interviews I've been able to find include this content.

In every interview I've seen or listened to, DiMeola is very careful to be professional and respectful to other musicians and genres. So if there is a departure from this, it will be interesting to see. But I really kind of doubt it.

[Average Joe]

Bach5g,

Both the Tele and the Strat are great jazz guitars. I gig regularly with both.

More convincingly, so does Oz Noy.

as do Chris Crocco, Nir Felder, Lorne Lofsky and many many others.

As for de Meola, he did sometimes come across as somewhat harsh in interviews, at least when he was younger. Whether thats a refection of the man I wouldnt know. But of course he is a jazz player, just not a mainstream straight ahead one

[Jonah]

This one doesn't make sense to me, is it just tradition? The Les Paul has a thicker darker sound and PAF pickups.

actually jazz tone is not a thick dark one)))

I am kidding a bit of course... not being an expert on history ...

But when I began to play jazz I heard that you needed heavy strings and roll down the tone knobs...

But when I listened to Wes I actually heard quite a lot high crispy harmonics, same with Barney Kessel or Kenny Burell, not to mention Grant Green or George Benson of course...
Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney - I would not call their tone dark... it is relatively bright to my ear.
CC sounds bright too.

My idea that they played clean tone and just tried to emmulate horns more and probably really got the tone down to get rid of bright guitaristic plucking attack..
essentially they were looking for some compression.
And amplification is already a compression (most old school players do not use dynamics at all... it had been used before in early swing tradition though and by those who started from it (I hear lots of dynamics in George Barnes playing).
And modern younger players use dynamics (Julian Lage does with the subtlety of a great classical player) a lot but it is probably the result of classical and other guitar styles influence.

Old masters were the first guys to handle electric equipment in jazz.
But it seems it was not treated that way.
Noisy pickups, noisy ungrounded amps, not so many strings available... they had to find they way through all that...
and probably turining the knob down was one of the ways.

Even now amplified jazz guitar straight to the amp is considered as if it is an acoustic instrument in the band... even the term amplified says as if it is acoustice only made louder and more powerful.
And the mentality goes like this too... Pete Bernstein often says that he does not use effects ... and compares himself with pianists and upright bass players saying: they do not use it either but nobody asks why...
Technically he is not correct but I understand why he says so.

By the way Pete's tone also has a lots of high harmonics to my ear... I do not know his settings though.

What was really dark was Jim Halls's tone on some records - I think late 70s and early 80s... later it became more crispy and dry again.
Pat sounds pretty dark sometimes on his straightahead records like the one with Dave Holland and Roy Haynes.

I think it is a bit later tradition that became more associated with average jazz guitar - some kind of 'restaurant jazz' .. that the guitarist in a tuxedo with an archtop should be mummbling something in the background.


As of a Tele.. I guess when it attracted attention it was the only solid body that really met the requirements; a good tele can be quite deep and thick and at the same time crispy. It is very versatile.
And later on it became a tradition...


I guess Julian Lage (especially) or Gilad Hekselman play tele with a reference to tradition... they are kind of post-modernists of jazz and involve the historic cultural constext in their performance.

It is all just my specualtion... I am not historian.

[jonh]

actually jazz tone is not a thick dark one)))

I am kidding a bit of course... not being an expert on history ... But when I began to play jazz I heard that you needed heavy strings and roll down the tone knobs...

But when I listen to Wes I actually heard quite a lot high crispy harmonics, same with Barney Kessel or Kenny Burell, not to mention Grant Green or George Benson of course...Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney - I would not call their tone dark... it relatively bright to my ear. CC sounds bright too.

Interesting comments from Jonah. I’ve done my own personal experiments on this. I’ve tried to set an amp and guitar’s tone just from memory, trying to get close to Kenny Burrell’s or Jim Hall’s tone. Then I listen to recordings to see how close I got. Each time I failed because what I thought I remembered was too dark. I had to bring up the treble to get close.

[Christian Miller]

I’m of the school that leaves the tone on full, and maybe cut slightly from the amp if at all. It cuts better in a band.

The mellowness comes from onset, picking dynamics, position of the right hand and maybe string choice; not EQ

[Average Joe]

I think there is a before and after Bill Frisell in jazz guitar and the use of telecasters. Sure, a few were using them before BF, but he's one of the most influential players of his generation and the one who put teles on the map for a lot of people. There isn't a similarly influential LP player.

[Jonah]

I think there is a before and after Bill Frisell in jazz guitar and the use of telecasters. Sure, a few were using them before BF, but he's one of the most influential players of his generation and the one who put teles on the map for a lot of people. There isn't a similarly influential LP player.

It is interesting!

I thought about Bill of course (who would not?!)))

But I am still hezitating... he is definitely influential but today maybe he seems to be much more influential than he was 20-30 years ago.
He definietely came into some 'new wave' and found new audience among younger players and listners (sort of modern intellectual artistic community - I do not want to get deeper into the definition of that on the risk of derailing the thread into politics)))

But he seems to be inluential about players to choose a Tele now in modern world not why it was chosen originally byt jazz players.
Bill picked it up because it was a guitar of his youth and belonged to the music of his youth I believe... but was he really influential for other players during his carreer about it (he also played plenty of other guitars in 80s and 90s)?

I think now he does his influence for sure)

but Julian Lage probably influenced even more in that sense as he has wider audience for sure.

In today's world of Internet Tim Lerch - though he is not a recording and actively touring artist - but through his prolific presence in the net with fabulous playing and generous and elaborated teaching - he can be also influential for choosing a Tele for jazz by young modern players.

[Doctor Jeff]

I think there is a before and after Bill Frisell in jazz guitar and the use of telecasters. Sure, a few were using them before BF, but he's one of the most influential players of his generation and the one who put teles on the map for a lot of people. There isn't a similarly influential LP player.

Regardless of what was said above, Al Dimeola was a very important player in the late 70’s. I believe Bill Connors also played an LP during his time with RTF. Not to mention McLaughlin with his LPs and SGs and Gibson doublenecks. Holdsworth was playing an SG at the time as well. If you were into jazz fusion in the late 70’s, you probably wanted an LP or SG.

It is interesting!

I thought about Bill of course (who would not?!)))

But I am still hezitating... he is definitely influential but today maybe he seems to be much more influential than he was 20-30 years ago.
He definietely came into some 'new wave' and found new audience among younger players and listners (sort of modern intellectual artistic community - I do not want to get deeper into the definition of that on the risk of derailing the thread into politics)))

But he seems to be inluential about players to choose a Tele now in modern world not why it was chosen originally byt jazz players.
Bill picked it up because it was a guitar of his youth and belonged to the music of his youth I believe... but was he really influential for other players during his carreer about it (he also played plenty of other guitars in 80s and 90s)?

I think now he does his influence for sure)

but Julian Lage probably influenced even more in that sense as he has wider audience for sure.

In today's world of Internet Tim Lerch - though he is not a recording and actively touring artist - but through his prolific presence in the net with fabulous playing and generous and elaborated teaching - he can be also influential for choosing a Tele for jazz by young modern players.

Frisell started out with a Fender Mustang, then played a 175 when he was playing with Jim Hall. (He later sold it, which he regretted, and bought it back a year or 2 ago.) No disputing his influence re’ the Tele though.

Bill Frisell | Vintage Guitar(R) magazine

The Tele is Mike Stern’s axe of choice as well, though I think he played a Strat sometimes with Miles.

[Litterick]

Mary Halvorson said all the students she met at jazz schools wanted to play like Bill. Maybe they like his interpretations of Americana, maybe they like his pedals, or maybe they want to avoid learning the bebop heads.

[Jonah]

The Tele is Mike Stern’s axe of choice as well, though I think he played a Strat sometimes with Miles.

He was why I picked first Tele when I was about 20-22))

Frisell started out with a Fender Mustang, then played a 175 when he was playing with Jim Hall. (He later sold it, which he regretted, and bought it back a year or 2 ago.) No disputing his influence re’ the Tele though.

Yes he told the 175 story in Fretboard Journal video!

In some interview he also talked about a Tele as most comfortable guitar for him and he can put various pickups but the feel of a Tele is important... he reffered to the years of his youth and that this guitar was there at the moment and so and so on... not sure if he spoke more of a cultural enviroment or his personal guitars.

Al Dimeola was a very important player in the late 70’s. I believe Bill Connors also played an LP during his time with the band. Not to mention McLaughlin with his LPs and SGs and Gibson doublenecks. Holdsworth was playing an SG at the time as well. If you were into jazz fusion in the late 70’s, you probably wanted an LP or SG.

I think Bill Frisell also played SG a lot in 80s

[Average Joe]

Regardless of what was said above, Al Dimeola was a very important player in the late 70’s. I believe Bill Connors also played an LP during his time with the band. Not to mention McLaughlin with his LPs and SGs and Gibson doublenecks. Holdsworth was playing an SG at the time as well. If you were into jazz fusion in the late 70’s, you probably wanted an LP or SG.



Frisell started out with a Fender Mustang, then played a 175 when he was playing with Jim Hall. (He later sold it, which he regretted, and bought it back a year or 2 ago.) No disputing his influence re’ the Tele though.

Bill Frisell | Vintage Guitar(R) magazine

The Tele is Mike Stern’s axe of choice as well, though I think he played a Strat sometimes with Miles.

Wouldn't dream of questioning Al de Meola's importance. But I seem to remember that the percieved chasm between fusion and jazz was greater in the 70s than perhaps is seems now, so I wouldn't know how much fusion players influenced the general jazz crowd's choice of gear
Something similar could be said for Stern and his tele: I remember a lot of comments from the more conservative parts of jazz to the tune of "oh, but he's not jazz, he's fusion". Said like a dirty word.

It's funny how Frisell's influence seems to have been felt late in his career. He's roughly comtemporary with Scofield, and in the 80s-90s you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a local player with pronounced Sco influences. I don't hear that as much these days, but Frisell and his avant garde americana is everywhere. Which also means, that it wasn' the young SG, Mustang or 175 wielding BF who is being emulated as much as the mature artist. Who mainly play a tele.

[Jonah]

Mary Halvorson said all the students she met at jazz schools wanted to play like Bill. Maybe they like his interpretations of Americana, maybe they like his pedals, or maybe they want to avoid learning the bebop heads.

Post-post-post-modernism...)))

He is also on border of jazz/pop/avant-guard...


I love when Bill plays alone or in small traditional combos. His records with Thomas Morgan are fantastic.. or trio stuff.
Also I like his early sideman works with heavier jazzrock sound.

I am not a fan his more experimental (so called avant-guard) stuff - there are much more interesting things in that area imho..

as well as when he does projects in some bigger groups with pop stuff - it is nice... but it is getting a bit too corny some times to my taste and it sounds like a pretension for something more serious than it really is.
I know Biil is not pretentious at all... I think it is just a problem both of material and the settings...

He is great in any setting but sometimes I cannot stand the whole sound for long time - like his Harmony project... too loose, too non-obliging...

I would prefer Ives over Copeland any day... if it says something.

plus his social attitude (I cannot say 'image', this word does not fit him) and views fit some particular youth community.

Also his musicality in my opinion combines two things which makes it attractive for modern intellectuals:
1) traditional European/American melodism based on hearing functional harmony, on meaningful melodic statement and vertical tension/release
2) a loose zen-like 'oriental' modal conceptions (maybe non-conciously - I do not know)

But I think all this what attracts younger players to him - you can feel you are part of something serious but not much efforts needed.

in some sense he is easier for perception even than Peter Bernstein or Jesse Van Ruler...

On the other hand Bill has universlism, as well as Sco or Pat... he makes big pictures always, being not a part of a stream, makes himself a movement, a stream.. which many modern trad jazz players do not have.

Also as you mentioned - Americana... references for the past seem to be important in modern American culture - ...

There is a big temptation of making loose jazzy cover of some 60s pop-tune.. or Joni Mitchell's song... or some blue grass standard... adding effects or not and all... improvizing in a sort of meditative style... floating harmonies and rhythm ....
And I do that too occasionally.
It is... hm ... pleasent...

[JCat]

If you were into jazz fusion in the late 70’s, you probably wanted an LP or SG.

By that time most of us lusted for a 335. We can tell by the f-holes that this is a jazz-guitar . And we all know it's so versatile, because even though it looks like a Jazz guitar it's a blues-rock machine in disguise.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

By that time most of us lusted for a 335. We can tell by the f-holes that this is a jazz-guitar . And we all know it's so versatile, because even though it looks like a Jazz guitar it's a blues-rock machine in disguise.

Although I have a first hand appreciation of the lighthearted nature of your observation, JCat, I also have sad personal experience with the downside of its truth. Along with many young and/or beginning jazz guitarists, I allowed that kind of thinking to push me into wasting time & money by chasing & buying guitars for the wrong reasons.

The owner of our local music store (and one of the most important people in my development as a musician) took an interest in me from day 1 and made sure I had the best instrument possible given my age and economic limitations. He insisted that I borrow a suitable guitar from him for special needs. When my band auditioned for the Ted Mack Amateur Hour (yes, I'm that old), he lent me a LP Special and an Ampeg amp because I was playing jazz, blues and rock on an LG-1 with a DeArmond soundhole pup through a Kay 503 amp. When a local radio station sponsored us to record a 45, he "made" me use an SG from his stock.

I'd been playing for 5 years when I entered high school, at which point he (unknown to me) went on the hunt for an appropriate keeper for me. When I was a freshman, he called my parents to tell them he'd come across a repossessed 345 that he could let us have for a ridiculously low price. He also claimed to have a customer who'd buy my LG-1 for a ridiculously high price. As I was already gigging actively at parties, school dances etc, I was able to buy it.

I'd had a DownBeat subscription for 2 or 3 years already. DB would occasionally offer an album as a perk for renewing your subscription, and the one I got for my 1961 renewal was The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. So here I am with a perfectly wonderful 345 that was far more guitar than I could use at the time. But at the age of 15, looking at a picture of Wes with his 175, I concluded that the 345 wasn't a real jazz guitar because "nobody good" played one. The longing in my heart grew steadily, and I eventually discussed it with my music store mentor while suffering along with my gorgeous 345. So he found and lent me a variety of archtops, starting with a really cool Vega and including a Gretsch and a non-cut 125 (all used but in decent shape). None of them lit my fire, but one day he called with the news that he'd just done a dealer trade for a "like new" 1960 175DN and had a buyer for my 345. It was an even trade if I'd take an older Gretsch hardshell case for the 175 so he could sell the newer Gibson case. Done deal!

If I'd had any sense, I'd have put the time and effort I wasted chasing a "better" jazz guitar into my playing (which was as much blues, rock, and pop as it was jazz, since the former got me far more paying gigs). That 345 was actually a much better instrument for my needs and would have served me well for the next 25 years of weddings, holiday parties, dances, etc. But it wasn't a "jazz guitar" and I was a stupid kid.

[citizenk74]

Although I have a first hand appreciation of the lighthearted nature of your observation, JCat, I also have sad personal experience with the downside of its truth. Along with many young and/or beginning jazz guitarists, I allowed that kind of thinking to push me into wasting time & money by chasing & buying guitars for the wrong reasons.

The owner of our local music store (and one of the most important people in my development as a musician) took an interest in me from day 1 and made sure I had the best instrument possible given my age and economic limitations. He insisted that I borrow a suitable guitar from him for special needs. When my band auditioned for the Ted Mack Amateur Hour (yes, I'm that old), he lent me a LP Special and an Ampeg amp because I was playing jazz, blues and rock on an LG-1 with a DeArmond soundhole pup through a Kay 503 amp. When a local radio station sponsored us to record a 45, he "made" me use an SG from his stock.

I'd been playing for 5 years when I entered high school, at which point he (unknown to me) went on the hunt for an appropriate keeper for me. When I was a freshman, he called my parents to tell them he'd come across a repossessed 345 that he could let us have for a ridiculously low price. He also claimed to have a customer who'd buy my LG-1 for a ridiculously high price. As I was already gigging actively at parties, school dances etc, I was able to buy it.

I'd had a DownBeat subscription for 2 or 3 years already. DB would occasionally offer an album as a perk for renewing your subscription, and the one I got for my 1961 renewal was The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. So here I am with a perfectly wonderful 345 that was far more guitar than I could use at the time. But at the age of 15, looking at a picture of Wes with his 175, I concluded that the 345 wasn't a real jazz guitar because "nobody good" played one. The longing in my heart grew steadily, and I eventually discussed it with my music store mentor while suffering along with my gorgeous 345. So he found and lent me a variety of archtops, starting with a really cool Vega and including a Gretsch and a non-cut 125 (all used but in decent shape). None of them lit my fire, but one day he called with the news that he'd just done a dealer trade for a "like new" 1960 175DN and had a buyer for my 345. It was an even trade if I'd take an older Gretsch hardshell case for the 175 so he could sell the newer Gibson case. Done deal!

If I'd had any sense, I'd have put the time and effort I wasted chasing a "better" jazz guitar into my playing (which was as much blues, rock, and pop as it was jazz, since the former got me far more paying gigs). That 345 was actually a much better instrument for my needs and would have served me well for the next 25 years of weddings, holiday parties, dances, etc. But it wasn't a "jazz guitar" and I was a stupid kid.

Youth and stupidity are practically joined at the hip. Don't feel alone!

(Slightly off topic) The very first quality guitar I had in my hands was a friend's brand-new ES-345TDSV, burdened with a Bigsby. Through his equally new Dual Showman Reverb, even my pitiful handful of pentatonic flaillings had a tone and presence that made a lasting impression. Much, much later in my musical journey, I got my own 345 - a '64 ES-345TDSV in Cherry Red with a trapeze tailpiece and Patent Sticker pickups.
That guitar became and remained my #1 for hundreds of gigs until I got my first Paul Reed Smith. I still have both; one to my left and the other to my right.
The ES-345 remains one of the most under-rated guitars out there for any and every genre of music an electric guitarist gets to play. IMHO, natch.

[JCat]

Although I have a first hand appreciation of the lighthearted nature of your observation, JCat, I also have sad personal experience with the downside of its truth. Along with many young and/or beginning jazz guitarists, I allowed that kind of thinking to push me into wasting time & money by chasing & buying guitars for the wrong reasons.

The owner of our local music store (and one of the most important people in my development as a musician) took an interest in me from day 1 and made sure I had the best instrument possible given my age and economic limitations. He insisted that I borrow a suitable guitar from him for special needs. When my band auditioned for the Ted Mack Amateur Hour (yes, I'm that old), he lent me a LP Special and an Ampeg amp because I was playing jazz, blues and rock on an LG-1 with a DeArmond soundhole pup through a Kay 503 amp. When a local radio station sponsored us to record a 45, he "made" me use an SG from his stock.

I'd been playing for 5 years when I entered high school, at which point he (unknown to me) went on the hunt for an appropriate keeper for me. When I was a freshman, he called my parents to tell them he'd come across a repossessed 345 that he could let us have for a ridiculously low price. He also claimed to have a customer who'd buy my LG-1 for a ridiculously high price. As I was already gigging actively at parties, school dances etc, I was able to buy it.

I'd had a DownBeat subscription for 2 or 3 years already. DB would occasionally offer an album as a perk for renewing your subscription, and the one I got for my 1961 renewal was The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. So here I am with a perfectly wonderful 345 that was far more guitar than I could use at the time. But at the age of 15, looking at a picture of Wes with his 175, I concluded that the 345 wasn't a real jazz guitar because "nobody good" played one. The longing in my heart grew steadily, and I eventually discussed it with my music store mentor while suffering along with my gorgeous 345. So he found and lent me a variety of archtops, starting with a really cool Vega and including a Gretsch and a non-cut 125 (all used but in decent shape). None of them lit my fire, but one day he called with the news that he'd just done a dealer trade for a "like new" 1960 175DN and had a buyer for my 345. It was an even trade if I'd take an older Gretsch hardshell case for the 175 so he could sell the newer Gibson case. Done deal!

If I'd had any sense, I'd have put the time and effort I wasted chasing a "better" jazz guitar into my playing (which was as much blues, rock, and pop as it was jazz, since the former got me far more paying gigs). That 345 was actually a much better instrument for my needs and would have served me well for the next 25 years of weddings, holiday parties, dances, etc. But it wasn't a "jazz guitar" and I was a stupid kid.

Good story! Another lesson learned from this is that we tend to regret guitars sold, so we keep them and become custodians of our ever growing guitar museums. It's clear that one has to spend time with quite a few guitars to be able to fully appreciate the individual characteristics. By the time I've spend enough time with a guitar to understand it, I have bonded with it and would not let it go. I haven't sold a guitar in 20 years, that's probably why I came to the conclusion I don't need a Tele (I'm sure I would love it and never let it go).

[Christian Miller]

Wouldn't dream of questioning Al de Meola's importance. But I seem to remember that the percieved chasm between fusion and jazz was greater in the 70s than perhaps is seems now, so I wouldn't know how much fusion players influenced the general jazz crowd's choice of gear
Something similar could be said for Stern and his tele: I remember a lot of comments from the more conservative parts of jazz to the tune of "oh, but he's not jazz, he's fusion". Said like a dirty word.

It's funny how Frisell's influence seems to have been felt late in his career. He's roughly comtemporary with Scofield, and in the 80s-90s you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a local player with pronounced Sco influences. I don't hear that as much these days, but Frisell and his avant garde americana is everywhere. Which also means, that it wasn' the young SG, Mustang or 175 wielding BF who is being emulated as much as the mature artist. Who mainly play a tele.

Stern is much more rooted in bop to my ears, FWIW.

Al Di Meola’s acoustic playing seems to me to be really popular with a few European guitarists I know; I think he showed them a way to do accessible acoustic Latin/worldy fusion jazz stuff, that wasn’t totally indebted to American jazz, as did Chick of course.

[Christian Miller]

Wouldn't dream of questioning Al de Meola's importance. But I seem to remember that the percieved chasm between fusion and jazz was greater in the 70s than perhaps is seems now, so I wouldn't know how much fusion players influenced the general jazz crowd's choice of gear
Something similar could be said for Stern and his tele: I remember a lot of comments from the more conservative parts of jazz to the tune of "oh, but he's not jazz, he's fusion". Said like a dirty word.

It's funny how Frisell's influence seems to have been felt late in his career. He's roughly comtemporary with Scofield, and in the 80s-90s you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a local player with pronounced Sco influences. I don't hear that as much these days, but Frisell and his avant garde americana is everywhere. Which also means, that it wasn' the young SG, Mustang or 175 wielding BF who is being emulated as much as the mature artist. Who mainly play a tele.

Totally Bill who influenced me on the Tele front. I don’t really try to play like him though.

[Bach5G]

Reading this thread, I had Alexa play Al D for me. Lots of stuff being fused here, little of which sounds like swing/bop. Pop (Strawberry Fields at the moment), flamenco, Indian, to my ear. But not much C Parker.

I liked a lot of 70s fusion. The axe of choice was a Gibson LP custom (solid mahogany, ebony fretboard) in black IIRC. See for example the cover of Blow by Blow (although my understanding is that Beck recorded the album with a Strat).

[sgcim]

No. He didn't.

He may have chosen to not self identify as a jazz musician. Not even really sure what was stated there. I'm waiting for a link to the interview in question that hopefully scgim can provide since he is the one making these claims. None of the GP interviews I've been able to find include this content.

In every interview I've seen or listened to, DiMeola is very careful to be professional and respectful to other musicians and genres. So if there is a departure from this, it will be interesting to see. But I really kind of doubt it.

I read it in a magazine in the library, so it might not have been GP. He didn't mention musicians by name, he just lumped all jazz musicians into one bag ( so I listed the musicians you could lump into a bag) and said that they were not creative, and played as he called it "museum music" that was dead creatively.
The only reason people ID him as a jazz musician is because he played in Return To Forever, and plays instrumental music.
I like his instrumental music, just as I like Guthrie Govan's, Steve Vai's, Paul Gilbert's and other shred virtuosos, but they don't call jazz "non-creative music" compared to their music.
I'll try to link some interviews, but since you love him so much, why don't you take him up on one of his dinners? There are some cheaper ones at $9,500 if you can't afford the $16,500 one, and I'm sure you could discuss these matters with him, personally.

[sgcim]

Stern is much more rooted in bop to my ears, FWIW.

Al Di Meola’s acoustic playing seems to me to be really popular with a few European guitarists I know; I think he showed them a way to do accessible acoustic Latin/worldy fusion jazz stuff, that wasn’t totally indebted to American jazz, as did Chick of course.

I saw Stern back in the 80s with a well known jazz musician I was gigging with at the time, when MS owned that wild 55 Grand Street club in NYC. He had Steve Slagle on alto, and they were playing all Monk and Bird.
Unlike ADM, Stern has respect for that "uncreative music" ADM calls jazz. Same with Steve Vai (who studied with Billy Bauer) and Guthrie Govan (who went to N.Texas State U.).

[Peter C]

Les Pauls...I dunno...like Slash played one or something?

I resemble that remark / I take a fence to that. Here's a clip of a Heritage 150 (= good LP) strung with flats recorded yonks ago

R&B solo by Peter L. Clifton | ReverbNation

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Les Paul players: how easy is it to play jazz when the guitar is hanging down at your knees?

[sgcim]

An unfortunate post. We all know Al DiMeola did not say this about Coltrane, Evans, or any of the others in your list. This is disingenuous hyperbole.

Also, could you provide a link to the interview where he said 'jazz sucks' (your words). Doesn't appear to be in any of the GP interviews I've found and would like to read for myself what he actually said in the context he said it.

As for me loving the 'idiot jazz hater'.. I am a huge DiMeola fan. Something unlikely to be influenced by forum posts that fail to come up to the standard of thoughtful engagement.

Just doing a search on ADM on this board, most people come to the conclusion that he's more of a fusion.latin player:
Is Al Di Meola jazz?