Elegant Gypsy cover

Elegant Gypsy

Released

Al Di Meola’s Seventies guitar style was an interesting mix: he could play gentle jazz and artful flamenco, but more frequently opted to shred like a cross between John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell. A few quiet moments aside, this is one of his most rocking releases, featuring Jan Hammer on keyboards and either Lenny White or Steve Gadd behind the kit, so if you’re after manic tempos, screaming leads, and machine-gun Latin-rock rhythms (“Race With Devil On Spanish Highway” lives up to its title and then some), unbutton your collar to display your gold chains and dive in.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
The Black Peril cover

The Black Peril

Soweto Kinch
Junk Trap cover

Junk Trap

Charles Bobo Shaw, Human Arts Ensemble, Joseph Bowie
Glitter Wolf cover

Glitter Wolf

Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom
On the Corner cover

On the Corner

Miles Davis
Gwotet cover

Gwotet

David Murray, The Gwo-Ka Masters, Pharoah Sanders
Jazz Bata cover

Jazz Bata

Chucho Valdés
Moonlighting cover

Moonlighting

The Rippingtons
The Elements cover

The Elements

Joe Henderson, Alice Coltrane
Hey, It's Me cover

Hey, It's Me

Mark Levine & the Latin Tinge
La Habana Vive cover

La Habana Vive

Tony Martinez
Turning Point cover

Turning Point

Lonnie Smith