Al Di Meola – Elegant Gypsy

Vinyl LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g

The distinctive music in the album is a speedy fusion of jazz and rock, with lightning-fast guitar riffs intermixed with lyrical acoustical passages. The songs include explorations of Latin music themes, including acoustic genres like flamenco. Elegant Gypsy won an annual award for Best Guitar Album in Guitar Player Magazine.

Al DiMeola's second album Elegant Gypsy (1977) proved to become one of the defining albums in Fusion. While being still a member of Return To Forever, Di Meola delivered his sophomore solo record after Land Of The Midnight Sun by collaborating with Jazz Rock giants Steve Gadd, Jan Hammer and Anthony Jackson. He even enlists Flamenco superstar Paco De Lucia on "Mediterranean Sundance", a song which predicts the style Di Meola would eventually evolve into: Latin tinged acoustic wizardry. Elegant Gypsy was certified Gold in the United States.

"With Jan Hammer or Barry Miles on keyboards, electric bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Lenny White (Steve Gadd takes his place on the 'Elegant Gypsy Suite'), and percussionist Mingo Lewis on most of the selections, di Meola shows off his speedy and rock-ish fusion style... A near classic in the fusion vein." - Scott Yanow, allmusic.com