CASINO

The third Al Di Meola's solo project Casino is one of those jazz-rock fusion classics I have always enjoyed listening to. There are albums that provoke positive vibrations and sentiments even though you are aware they are not completely generated by their quality. Casino is one of those albums, it has very good music, it provides pleasant atmosphere fulfilling you with joy you have an affinity for Miles, Chick, McLaughlin, Ponty, Gurtu and other fusion masters. But at the same time its biggest deficiency is the fact that it precisely follows the structure and profile of Elegant Gypsy, leaving no space for surprise and new experience. Nevertheless, the album possesses several tracks which would become Meola's live classics, like Egyptian Danza - a brilliant, highly complex song with seducing Middle Eastern elements, or Senor Mouse - the RTF's reprise, but now in a slower manner, giving the older version new identity, looking successful and acceptable only after several listenings. Al Di Meola was only 24 when he made Casino - an album that put a definite seal of artistic strength and validity on his future career.