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Artist
Al Di Meola
12+ albums
jazzFusionjazz fusionguitarinstrumental
about
Al Di Meola (born Albert Laurence Di Meola in Jersey City on 22 July 1954) is an American guitarist known for his works in jazz fusion and world music. He began his career in 1974 as a guitarist of the group Return to Forever. Between the 1970s and 1980s, albums such as "Elegant Gypsy" and "Friday Night in San Francisco" earned him both critical and commercial success. From the beginning of his solo career, where records like "Land of the Midnight Sun", "Elegant Gypsy" and "Casino", were amongst the highest selling records of any instrumental artist at that time. Born in an Italian family, then, while growing up in Jersey City, NJ, United States, young Di Meola divided his time between guitar lessons and hanging out at the local salsa clubs. Influenced greatly by jazz guitarist Larry Coryell, Di Meola enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where his marathon practice sessions are still the stuff of legends (Di Meola continues to be the technical master by which other guitarists are measured). "We had three guys in one space; one in one room, one in the bathroom and I got the closet". After a brief stint with keyboardist Barry Miles, Di Meola, at 19 was tapped by Chick Corea in 1974 for "Return to Forever". His technique can be traced back to his debut with Chick Corea and "Return to Forever" in 1974. In 1980 he was integral to the "Super Guitar Trio" with Paco De Lucia and John McLaughlin. The record "Friday Night in San Francisco" became a landmark recording
