Beginning his career as a guitarist for the seminal fusion group Return to Forever, lead by the one-and-only Chick Corea, Al Di Meola was thrust into the spotlight at just 19 years old. It may have been the world's best music finishing school, with Meola helping the group to achieve critical and commercial acclaim across three albums that broke the top 40 in the Billboard pop charts – a late golden age for jazz music? In any case, it was Meola's natural speed and virtuosity that caught Chick's eye. He played so fast that he was often criticised for playing too many notes.
In his solo career, Meola has demonstrated a mastery of not just jazz, fusion and blues, but flamenco, Mediterranean music and gypsy jazz styles. He has built a reputation as one of the world's rare musical polymaths, continually broadening his horizons through collaborations and forays into new sub styles. One place that has played host to Di Meola on several occasions is the Jazzwoche Burghausen in Germany, the "Bavarian Jazz Mecca." For this 2019 performance, he is joined by a small string ensemble and two expert accompanists, Kemuel Roig on piano and Fausto Beccalossi on accordion. It is spellbinding, intricate and builds in layers until the melodies lull you into a sun-drenched trance.
