Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody

Al Di Meola has enjoyed an impressively long career as a recording artist. The guitar virtuoso was only 22 when he recorded his first album as a leader, Land of the Midnight Sun, back in 1976 (although he had joined Chick Corea’s Return to Forever at 19), and a 56-year-old Di Meola was still going strong when 2011 arrived. Di Meola’s playing has evolved along the way; the shredding, intensity, speed, and pyrotechnics of his early albums were replaced by a more lyrical and introspective approach that shows some awareness of Pat Metheny yet is distinctively Al Di Meola. But one thing about the guitarist that hasn’t changed is his affection for world music, which was a major influence on early albums such as Land of the Midnight Sun, Elegant Gypsy, and Casino, and is also a strong influence on his 2011 release Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody.
This album is jazz-rock fusion, but it is also world jazz; Di Meola maintains a decidedly international perspective throughout the CD, incorporating everything from Argentinian tango to Spanish flamenco to Middle Eastern and North African music. Afro-Cuban salsa is also part of the equation, and two of Di Meola’s guests are people with definite Latin credentials: bassist Charlie Haden (let’s not forget Haden’s Revolution Music Orchestra of the ’60s and ’70s, or the boleros he played on 2000’s Nocturne), and Havana-born pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The Afro-Cuban influence is especially strong on “Gumbiero” and “Destination: Gonzalo,” although “Gumbiero” also incorporates flamenco and tango elements.