Elegant Gypsy cover

Elegant Gypsy

Released

Al Di Meola’s Seventies guitar style was an interesting mix: he could play gentle jazz and artful flamenco, but more frequently opted to shred like a cross between John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell. A few quiet moments aside, this is one of his most rocking releases, featuring Jan Hammer on keyboards and either Lenny White or Steve Gadd behind the kit, so if you’re after manic tempos, screaming leads, and machine-gun Latin-rock rhythms (“Race With Devil On Spanish Highway” lives up to its title and then some), unbutton your collar to display your gold chains and dive in.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Lucumi cover

Lucumi

Chucho Valdés
The Remarkable Carmell Jones cover

The Remarkable Carmell Jones

Harold Land, Carmell Jones
Midnight Creeper cover

Midnight Creeper

Virgil Jones, Buster Williams, Richard Wyands, Chip White, Teddy Edwards
Nocturne cover

Nocturne

Charlie Haden, Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Characters cover

Characters

John Abercrombie
With the Tenors of Our Time cover

With the Tenors of Our Time

Roy Hargrove Quintet
Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett cover

Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett

Gary Burton, Keith Jarrett
Kenny Kirkland cover

Kenny Kirkland

Kenny Kirkland
Good Days cover

Good Days

Chicago Underground Quartet
Driftglass cover

Driftglass

SEED Ensemble