Al Di Meola is an American guitarist from Jersey City, born in 1954, known for work in jazz fusion and related styles including contemporary jazz, flamenco, flamenco jazz and latin jazz. He begins his career in 1974 and becomes associated with Return to Forever, Stomu Yamashta’s Go and The Al Di Meola Project.

Early career

Born Albert Laurence Di Meola in Jersey City, he grows up in an Italian family and divides his time between guitar lessons and the local salsa clubs. He studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston and is strongly influenced by jazz guitarist Larry Coryell. Before joining Return to Forever, he has a brief period working with keyboardist Barry Miles.

Return to Forever and breakthrough

At 19, Di Meola is brought into Chick Corea’s Return to Forever in 1974. His playing with the group establishes the technical approach for which he becomes known. In the 1970s and 1980s, albums such as Elegant Gypsy and Friday Night in San Francisco bring him both critical and commercial success.

Solo work and collaborations

His early solo releases, including Land of the Midnight Sun, Elegant Gypsy and Casino, are among the best-selling instrumental records of their time. By this point he has recorded more than 20 albums of his own. His collaborators include Chick Corea, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Paul Simon, Phil Collins, Santana, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius, Les Paul, Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Page and Stanley Clarke, among many others.

Trio projects and later recordings

In 1980 he is part of the “Super Guitar Trio” with Paco De Lucia and John McLaughlin. Friday Night in San Francisco becomes a landmark recording and sells more than two million copies. The trio tours from 1980 to 1983 and reunites for Guitar Trio in 1996. In early 1996, Di Meola forms The Rite of Strings with Jean Luc Ponty and Stanley Clarke. He also assembles Al Di Meola World Sinfonia 2000, a group featuring musicians from Argentina, Cuba and Israel.

His later releases include Infinite Desire, Winter Nights, World Sinfonia, The Grand Passion, Flesh on Flesh, Consequence of Chaos, He and Carmen, One Night in Montreal, Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody, All Your Life: A Tribute to the Beatles, Elysium, Morocco Fantasia, Elegant Gypsy & More Live, Opus and Across the Universe. Consequence of Chaos appears on Telarc and includes guest contributions from Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Barry Miles and John Patitucci. All Your Life is recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Recognition

Di Meola has three gold albums, six million-selling albums and numerous awards. He is widely identified with technical guitar playing and with a style that moves between jazz fusion and Latin- and flamenco-influenced music.