Al DI MEOLA & LEONID AGUTIN — Cosmopolitan Life (2005) APE (image+.cue), lossless

On COSMOPOLITAN LIFE Russian guitarist, singer, and rock star Leonid Agutin teams up with six-string virtuoso Al Di Meola for a tour through a collection of songs that spans borders and styles. Elements of jazz, Cuban, gypsy music, African, tango, and mainstream pop are brought together to dazzling effect, and while Agutin’s distinctive voice is one of the album’s most notable qualities, it’s the guitar interplay between the two artists that makes COSMOPOLITAN LIFE a satisfying listen. This disc comes recommended to fans of either artist, as well as those that enjoy crossover jazz and music with an international flavor. Anthony Tognazzini
Tracklist :
1    Cuba Africa    5:36
2    Cosmopolitan Life 4:11
Backing Vocals [Back Vocal] – Beatriz Malnic, Lilian Viana, Pedro Ferreira, Rogerio Moura
3    Nobody    4:47
4    Price To Learn    5:30
5    Tango    3:55
6    Smile    4:23
7    Portofino    3:37
8    If I'll Get A Chance... 4:09
Vocals – Angelica Varum
9    Blue River 4:44
Drum [Drum Track] – Vinnie Colaiuta
Recorded By – Ego Works
10    Shade Of Your World    6:15
Video    Cosmopolitan Life    4:08
Personnel :
Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitars], Electric Guitar [Electric Guitars] – Al Di Meola
Acoustic Guitar [Additional] – Anatoly Kotov
Arranged By – Al Di Meola, Albert Fedoseev, Leonid Agutin
Backing Vocals [Back Vocal] – Albert Fedoseev, Artia Lockett, Aster Wilson, Farah Lopez, Randy Singer Group, Ron Taylor, Angelica Varum
Bass – Anthony Jackson, Julio Hernandez, Sergey Korolev, Oleg Tarkhov
Composed By – Leonid Agutin
Drums – Lee Levine, Vinnie Colaiuta, Arthur Gazarov
Keyboards, Piano, Electric Organ [Hammond] – Albert Fedoseev
Lead Vocals [Leading Vocal], Keyboards [Keyboard], Acoustic Guitar – Leonid Agutin
Lyrics By – Alex Sino
Percussion – Gumbi Ortiz, Richard Bravo, Arthur Gazarov
Saxophone – Ed Calle
Soloist [All Solos], Guitar – Al Di Meola
Trombone – John Kricker
Trumpet – Tony Concepcion

AL Di MEOLA — World Sinfonia (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Comparing early Al di Meola dates like Land of the Midnight Sun and Casino to his albums of the 1990s, it's clear how much his playing has softened. The exceptional World Sinfonia, an entirely acoustic CD, makes it clear that what hasn't changed is his unpredictable, spontaneous nature. Di Meola's right-hand man throughout this highly introspective date is the soulful bandonean player Dino Saluzzi, with whom he enjoys an undeniably strong rapport. A long-time lover of world music, di Meola incorporates South American, Spanish, and Middle Eastern elements, and makes Argentine tango a very high priority. The improvisor's reverence for Argentina's musical heritage is especially evident on Astor Piazzola's haunting "Tango Suite" and di Meola's soul-bearing ode to the tango legend, "Last Tango for Astor." But World Sinfonia's standout track and most pleasant surprise of all is a 12-minute interpretation of Chick Corea's 1975 Return to Forever classic "No Mystery," which works quite well in an acoustic setting. Alex Henderson

Tracklist :

1. Perpetual Emotion 3:30

2. Orient Blue 2:57

3. Tango Suite Part I 8:49

4. Tango Suite Part III 8:50

5. Falling Grace 4:21

6. Last Tango For Astor 6:20

7. No Mystery 12:37

8. Lustrine 9:12

9. Little Cathedral 1:45

10. La Cathedral 4:37

Credits :

Al Di Meola - Acoustic Guitars

Dino Saluzzi - Bandoneon

Arto Tuncboyacian - Percussion, Voice

Gumbi Ortiz - Congas, Percussion
Chris Carrington - Classical Guitar

AL DI MEOLA – Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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 excellent 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. Most of the material on Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody was composed by Di Meola himself, but two exceptions are the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields" and Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow." And Di Meola, behaving like the jazz improviser that he is, genuinely interprets those well-known popular songs and brings something personal to the table instead of playing the type of lame, note-for-note covers that smooth jazz (which Di Meola has adamantly stayed away from) is infamous for. Granted, Di Meola is by no means a jazz purist or a straight-ahead bebopper; he never claimed to be Barney Kessel or Tal Farlow, but his mentality is very much an improviser's mentality, and that mentality serves him consistently well on Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody. Alex Henderson

Tracklist :

1. Siberiana 8:28

2. Paramour's Lullaby 7:45

3. Mawazine Part1 2:07

4. Michelangelo's 7th Child 7:30

5. Gumbiero 6:18

6. Brave New World 1:54

7. Full Frontal Contrapuntal 4:52

8. That Way Before 3:06

9. Fireflies 4:01

10. Destination Gonzalo 5:16

11. Bona 6:00

12. Radical Rhapsody 5:02

13. Strawberry Fields 4:09

14. Mawazine Part2 2:54

15. Over the Rainbow 3:04

World Sinfonia is :

Al Di Meola - acoustic and electric guitars,percussion,keyboards

Fausto beccalossi - accordion

Kevin Seddiki - 2nd guitar parts

Gumbi Ortiz - percussion

Peter Kaszas - drums,percussion

Victor Miranda - acoustic upright baby bass

Special Guests :

Charlie Haden - acoustic bass on tracks 13,15

Peter Erskine - drums on tracks 4,10,12,

Gonzalo Rubalcaba - piano on tracks 5,10,12,13

Barry Miles - string arrangements,additional keyboards

Mino Cinelu - percussion on tracks 3,4,13,14

Hungary's Sturcz String Quartet :

Gabor Csonka - violin

Viktor Uhrin - violin

Gergely Kuklis - violin

Gyula Benk - viola

Andreas Strurcz - cello