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The term "jazz fusion" encompasses a lot of sonic territory. It can be jazz/rock fusion (where I think Al would most likely be classified). Although he's kind of hard to pin down in that regard since he's obviously also influenced by a wide variety of "world music" latin, Afro-cuban, flamenco etc. Seems like all kinds of influences show up in his music. Id say he definitely fit's in as a jazz fusion artist.
By definition "jazz Fusion" means jazz being "fused" with other musical styles like, rock, R&B, Brazilian etc. It could be a lot of things even a little Country I suppose? Like Bella Fleck and the Flecktones.
Does Al D have a real classic jazz bebop style? Well I've never heard it in any of his playing. I'm really into the guys who can do the bebop thing on a high level because I know what it takes to really pull it off on that high level. I can also appreciate the strictly fusion players though. I appreciate good music in general.
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01-06-2012 06:49 AM
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Brown,
Originally Posted by brwnhornet59
Vignola? Zappa? Not sure who you mean. Happy New Year, BTW.
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I'm thinking he's thinking of the Aussie guy who finally jettisoned the hairpiece (unlike Al) and went au natural at 350 bpm/economy picking/minimal # of attacks per string: Frank Gambale. Originally Posted by paynow
Frank replaced Al in the most recent RTF tour.
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Gambale! Originally Posted by paynow
Happy New Year to you and yours as well!
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Hah! I didn't even consider Gambale but it makes sense. DiMeola is from Bergenfield, NJ, so had Sinatra been a guitar player I would have thought it was "Ol' Blue Eyes" since he's from Hoboken. Originally Posted by brwnhornet59
Gambale!
Happy New Year to you and yours as well!
Last edited by paynow; 01-06-2012 at 03:42 PM.
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Well, it's understandable that no exact answer to this question, but just admit, that 85-90% of jazz-guitar lovers in this thread said "I don't like him")) It means something, I think...
My opinion is: jazz is freedom, and not the speed contest)) In his interview to Guitar Player Magazine, I think, Al described his early goal "to become the fastest guitar player in the World", which is sucks anyway in any concept or philosophy of jazz. This goal is just like a contest of the length of what you have between your legs in secondary school)) That's why, I think, his music don't touch any string of my soul NEVER. I repeat, all this is my personal opinion, but even if to take the beloved album of all not-understanding-a-thing-in-guitar-music folks, (who never hesitate to call this album to highlight their "perfect" taste) - "Friday Night..." Al just sucks with his steel strings and instead-of-masturbating licks))) And that's without the goals of John and Paco to be faster) Just somebody has brain, some are not.
But, whatever, as was told before, he deserve respect, like it or not... Just to record with Chick at the age of 16 is enough...Don't know what made Chick to choose this guy, but he did it)) God bless Chick!) Long live "Romantic Warrior"! Amin!)
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He's never done much for me. I just find it too harsh for my tastes. Arguments over what is and what is not Jazz are insoluble IMHO. One mans Jazz is another mans garbage. I've learned not to judge a book by its cover. I recently watched Jeff Beck's tribute to Les Paul and was amazed by his ability on Cry Me a River. Now here's a guy that has made his fortune playing heavily distorted guitars and torturing whammy bars but he could play sensitively and beautifully.
There's no doubt in my mind that DiMeola could play anything he wished to, he has tremendous chops. He has, however, made his name playing something I don't find particularly compelling or interesting. No accounting for tastes including my own.
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The “guitar trio” with DiMeola, McLaughlin and DeLucia took the tunes Spain and Manha De Carnaval to new levels way beyond the box of standard jazz improvisations, yes definitely not from a Joe Pass or Wes Montgomery perspective.. DiMeola has set his own rules with not being in the least a cliche player aside McLaughlin and Holdsworth as well under the fusion umbrella though way beyond in artistic originality. Al is an intense improviser expressing his own music with an intense Spanish/Latin flare. His sense of time and picking technique are revered among all the top traditional jazz stylists as well.
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We bear witness to this 2011 thread that has somehow been torn from it's crypt, seemingly to bolster the cred of one Al Dimeola, curiously by implying that "standard jazz improvisations" are constrained by a phantom "box", it's shackels from which Al won't be bound to. Originally Posted by jimijamzen
I would submit that there is no "box" for the jazz improvisor unless the player constructs their own.
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He's a great guitarist, but he has said in many interviews in GP magazine that he thinks jazz is not a creative music, and it belongs in a museum. When Chick disbanded RTF, and returned to jazz, ADM ridiculed Chick's decision, and bragged that he sold more albums than Chick did.
In a recent interview on you tube, Jonathan Kreisberg said that in the the “guitar trio” with DiMeola, McLaughlin and DeLucia, Paco didn't improvise one note. Every note was written out beforehand.
That's supposed to be a jazz group?
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More importantly I want to know if anyone's taken him up on his culinary offer and if so what level.
And even more importantly what level includes him wearing sunglasses indoors.
HOME EVENTS | aldimeola
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One of my fav phrases
”Beauty is in the eyes of the beer holder”.
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Whether he's jazz or not largely depend on whether you see fusion in its various forms as separate from jazz, or a subgenre within it. I go with the latter.
I tend to prefer his acoustic or mostly acoustic outings - World Sinfonia, the Piazolla tribute, Opus. Seem to bring out a certain lyricism in him that I think is nice.
Also, I tend to like his heads better than his soloing.
Not something I listen to too often, but he's good at what he is doing, and he has carved an identity and path uniquely his own.
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Called a Grade A prick by literally everyone who’s met him (myself included) who cares about his playing
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Since I'm never going to meet him it's a moot point for me. Getz, Mingus, Davis etc being unlikeable never stopped me either Originally Posted by spencer096
Last edited by Average Joe; 09-11-2023 at 07:47 AM.
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Not strictly jazz but he does improvise!
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Al lives less than 3 miles from me but I haven’t run into him at the local Shoprite produce aisle. He did have some takers (highest level) during the pandemic and posted some of the video footage of the after dinner lesson on Facebook. Originally Posted by wintermoon
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He has a most knowledgable history of the jazz idiom of which he has earned his own place within. He does have a very personal and informed ability to take the lexicon and syntax of the tradition and found a very solid way to adapt it to the contemporary songs and songforms. He does have the respect of the most iconic masters of the day. He does embrace the idea of swing and improvisational composition in a personal and musical way. For this, he's gathered fans and detractors who use "jazz" as a form of validation or dismissal. His music is both forward looking and steeped in the tradition.
I'm talking about Grant Green.
But the same can be said of Al DiMeola (and George Benson for that matter)
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