Al Di Meola • Twentyfour

 

Review by Thom Jurek
Al Di Meola's Across the Universe was released in March 2020, just as COVID-19 spread globally. In solitude, Di Meola fully engaged with his creativity. He began writing and demoing an acoustic album that reflected on the period. During the next year, his aesthetic plans began morphing into new shapes. Four years later -- and less than one since suffering a heart attack on-stage -- Twentyfour is released by Ear Music, three days before his 70th birthday.

A 15-track, double-length offering, Twentyfour features Di Meola's acoustic and electric guitars (the latter a bit less prominently). He's accompanied alternately by a quintet, woodwinds, reeds, strings, organic percussion, and a chamber orchestra. First single and opener "Fandango" is an excellent display of flamenco-jazz fusion. His nylon string flourishes accompanied by the kinetic pulse of a cajón occasionally wanders into East Indian and North African traditions. Alternately, Di Meola double-tracks his guitars, playing rhythm, lead, and harmony simultaneously. Orchestral horns add texture, color, and drama. "Capriccio Suite" joins Di Meola's wonderfully idiosyncratic nuevo flamenco and tango styles to rhythmic syncopation provided by tabla, then veers off into modal improvisation. Arguably, "Ava's Dance in the Moonlight" (a single inspired by his daughter dancing in the studio) is the set's finest cut. Flamenco meets jazz meets classical as keys, Elias Tona's bass, Luis Alicea's drum kit, with subtle winds, horns, strings, and the guitarist's soulful fills, create accented juxtapositions across the intricate cinematic melody. "Immeasurable" is a 20-minute, three-part suite interspersed across the album. Its three parts offer detailed explorations of mode, lyric, and harmonic themes on acoustic guitars accompanied by either cajón or tabla. "Immeasurable Part 1," the longest movement, sets up the suite's musical motifs, blending classical technique with jazz improvisation. In the second, Di Meola's guitar opens the gate to the inner workings of the complex melody while increasing his playing speed; the third features jazz guitars playing in tandem in balladic tango form. The lush, elegant romantico "Eden" features the sublime vocals of Iván López to moving effect. Di Meola's acoustic guitar moves around the band's gentle, quietly shuffling accompaniment. He answers with "Close Your Eyes," a jazz lullaby grafted onto a cinematic fantasia painted by chamber orchestra, keyboards, and percussion. "For Only You," a solo nylon guitar piece, gracefully stitches chord shapes and pointillistic single-line runs through several genres and styles. It's answered by "Genetiki," a scorching fusion number that melds electric and acoustic guitars in front of a full band; it cuts across searing electric jazz and Asian and Afro-Latin rhythms. "Testament" follows suit, yet is vastly more orchestral. The closer, "Precocious," is a jazz exercise performed with Di Meola's double-tracked nylon guitars and a tabla. Twentyfour began life as an intimate acoustic meditation on a health crisis. The guitarist/composer's restless artistic shift to this kaleidoscopic offering is simultaneously disciplined, technically dazzling, lyrical, deeply moving, and above all, adventurous.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/twentyfour-mw0004233483

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Reseña de Thom Jurek
Across the Universe de Al Di Meola se lanzó en marzo de 2020, justo cuando COVID-19 se extendió a nivel mundial. En soledad, Di Meola se involucró plenamente con su creatividad. Comenzó a escribir y hacer demos de un álbum acústico que reflexionaba sobre la época. Durante el año siguiente, sus planes estéticos comenzaron a transformarse en nuevas formas. Cuatro años después, y menos de uno desde que sufrió un ataque cardíaco en el escenario, Twentyfour es lanzado por Ear Music, tres días antes de cumplir 70 años.

Twentyfour, una oferta de 15 pistas y doble duración, presenta las guitarras acústicas y eléctricas de Di Meola (esta última un poco menos prominente). Lo acompañan alternativamente un quinteto, instrumentos de viento, juncos, cuerdas, percusión orgánica y una orquesta de cámara. Primer sencillo y abridor "Fandango" es una excelente muestra de fusión flamenco-jazz. Su cuerda de nailon florece acompañada del pulso cinético de un cajón que ocasionalmente deambula por las tradiciones de las Indias Orientales y del Norte de África. Alternativamente, Di Meola duplica sus guitarras, tocando ritmo, plomo y armonía simultáneamente. Los cuernos orquestales agregan textura, color y dramatismo. "Capriccio Suite" une los maravillosamente idiosincrásicos estilos de nuevo flamenco y tango de Di Meola con la síncopa rítmica proporcionada por tabla, luego se desvía hacia la improvisación modal. Podría decirse que "Ava's Dance in the Moonlight" (un sencillo inspirado en su hija bailando en el estudio) es el mejor corte del set. El flamenco se encuentra con el jazz y la música clásica, ya que las teclas, el bajo de Elías Tona, la batería de Luis Alicea, con vientos sutiles, trompas, cuerdas y los rellenos conmovedores del guitarrista, crean yuxtaposiciones acentuadas a través de la intrincada melodía cinematográfica. "Inconmesurable" es una suite de 20 minutos y tres partes intercaladas en todo el álbum. Sus tres partes ofrecen exploraciones detalladas de temas modales, líricos y armónicos en guitarras acústicas acompañadas de cajón o tabla. "Inconmensurable Part 1", el movimiento más largo, configura los motivos musicales de la suite, mezclando la técnica clásica con la improvisación del jazz. En el segundo, la guitarra de Di Meola abre la puerta al funcionamiento interno de la melodía compleja al tiempo que aumenta su velocidad de interpretación; el tercero presenta guitarras de jazz tocando en tándem en forma de tango baládico. El exuberante y elegante romántico "Eden" presenta la sublime voz de Iván López con un efecto conmovedor. La guitarra acústica de Di Meola se mueve alrededor del acompañamiento suave y silencioso de la banda. Él responde con "Cierra los ojos", una canción de cuna de jazz injertada en una fantasía cinematográfica pintada por orquesta de cámara, teclados y percusión. "For Only You", una pieza solista de guitarra de nailon, cose con gracia formas de acordes y una sola línea puntillista recorre varios géneros y estilos. La respuesta es "Genetiki", un número de fusión abrasador que fusiona guitarras eléctricas y acústicas frente a una banda completa; atraviesa el abrasador jazz eléctrico y los ritmos asiáticos y afrolatinos. "Testament" sigue su ejemplo, pero es mucho más orquestal. The closer, "Precocious", es un ejercicio de jazz realizado con las guitarras de nailon de doble pista de Di Meola y una tabla. Twentyfour comenzó su vida como una meditación acústica íntima sobre una crisis de salud. El inquieto cambio artístico del guitarrista/compositor hacia esta oferta caleidoscópica es simultáneamente disciplinado, técnicamente deslumbrante, lírico, profundamente conmovedor y, sobre todo, aventurero.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/twentyfour-mw0004233483

 

 
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Tracks:
1-1 - Fandango
Arranged By [Brass & String Arrangements] – Al Di Meola
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Guitar [All Guitars], Percussion – Al Di Meola
1-2 - Tears Of Hope
Acoustic Guitar [All Acoustic Guitars], Electric Guitar [All Electric Guitars], Bass [Basses] – Al Di Meola
Arranged By [Additional Arrangements] – Derek Wieland
Arranged By [Brass, Woodwinds & String Arrangements] – Fabrizio Festa
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Harmonica – Rodrigo G. Pahlen*
Percussion [All Percussion] – Al Di Meola
Piano, Keyboards – Derek Wieland
1-3 - Esmeralda
Acoustic Guitar [Chatka Closed String Guitar Rhythm] – Hernan Romero
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Guitar [Guitars], Percussion, Keyboards [Keyboard] – Al Di Meola
 - Capriccio Suite
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Engineer – Katsu Naito*
Engineer [Assistant Engineer] – Sam Enright
1-4.1 - Part 1
Acoustic Guitar [Solo Acoustic Guitar], Percussion – Al Di Meola
1-4.2 - Part 2
Guitar [Counterpoint Guitars] – Al Di Meola
Tabla – Amit Kavthekar
Acoustic Guitar [Chatka Guitar Muted Rhythm] – Hernan Romero
1-5 - Ava's Dance In The Moonlight
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass, Percussion – Al Di Meola
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Conductor [Orchestra] – Fabrizio Festa
Engineer – Andrea Pestarino
Music Director [Orchestra Artistic Director] – Alessandro Calcagnile
Orchestra [Chamber Orchestra] – Orchestra Di Bellagio E Del Lago Di Como
Orchestrated By [Additional Orchestration] – Derek Wieland
Orchestrated By [Orchestration - Strings, Woodwinds, Brass] – Fabrizio Festa
Technician – Enrico Della Sala, Federico Slaviero
1-6 - Immeasurable Part 1
Acoustic Guitar [Nylon Acoustic Guitar], Percussion – Al Di Meola
Composed By [Composer] – Al Di Meola
2-1 - Immeasurable Part 2
Acoustic Guitar [Chatka Guitar Rhythm] – Hernan Romero
Acoustic Guitar [Nylon Acoustic Guitar] – Al Di Meola
Composed By [Composer] – Al Di Meola
Engineer – Katsu Naito*
Engineer [Assistant Engineer] – Sam Enright
Tabla – Amit Kavthekar
2-2 - Eden
Composed By [Music Composed By], Arranged By [Music Arranged By] – Al Di Meola
Drums – Pere Munuera
Engineer – Vincente Sabater*
Guitar [Guitars], Piano, Bass, Percussion – Al Di Meola
Lyrics By [Spanish Lyrics By] – Siuxx (Ivan Lopez)*
Voice, Co-producer [Co-Production] – Siuxx (Ivan Lopez)*
2-3 - Close Your Eyes
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Guitar [Guitars], Bass Guitar, Percussion, Arranged By [String Arrangements] – Al Di Meola
2-4 - Immeasurable Part 3
Acoustic Guitar [Chatka Guitar Buleria Rhythm] – Hernan Romero
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Guitar [Guitars], Percussion – Al Di Meola
2-5 - Paradox Of Puppets
Acoustic Guitar [Steel String Ovation], Electric Guitar – Al Di Meola
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Congas – Gumbi Ortiz
Drums – Tom Brechtlein
2-6 - For Only You
Acoustic Guitar [Solo Nylon Guitar] – Al Di Meola
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
2-7 - Genetik
Cajón – Gisella Giufra*
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards [Keyboard], Percussion – Al Di Meola
2-8 - Testament 24
Acoustic Guitar [Nylon Guitar], Electric Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Keyboards – Al Di Meola
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
2-9 - Precocious
Acoustic Guitar [Ovation Guitar] – Al Di Meola
Cajón – Richie Morales
Composed By [Composer], Arranged By [Arranger] – Al Di Meola
Engineer – Katsu Naito*
Piano – Hernan Romero
Tabla – Amit Kavthekar


Credits:
    Artwork, Design [for earMUSIC] – Marek Świątek
    Co-producer – Hernan Romero
    Consultant [Business Consultant] – Gary J. Casson*
    Coordinator [Production Coordinator] – Susie Doherty
    Engineer [Churchill Studios: Chief Engineer] – Katsu Naito*
    Engineer [Pre-Production Engineer At Churchill Studios] – Rich Tozzoli
    Liner Notes [On Inside Of Digipak] – Al Di Meola
    Photography By – Alessio Belloni, Bob Berry (12)
    Producer [Pre-Production] – Hernan Romero
    Producer [Produced By], Arranged By, Composed By – Al Di Meola

Label:    Ear Music – 0219712EMU
Country:    Europe
Released:    Jul 19, 2024
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Fusion, Jazz-Rock, Latin Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/31511018-Al-Di-Meola-Twentyfour?srsltid=AfmBOorjj1KdnrIY5mPbw-B9Jma6S0YWlabSm3Oe-bOyWi_vrDT1_upE

 

 

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