ELECTRIC RENDEZVOUS

This has always been one of my favorite Al Di Meola albums. From the opener, God Bird Change to the sweet nocturne of Jewel Inside a Dream, it delivers. Not all is of one mood though, and I am glad for that. An album where all the music is the same becomes boring quickly, no matter how good it is at the beginning. The musical climax hits early, though, in the title track. If the first track burns, Electric Rendezvous irradiates, turning fusion into fission. Mingo Lewis must get special mention, as he should on all of Big Al's early releases, for his percussion magic brings the best out of Al. Having Steve Gadd on drums also helps. There is the almost obligatory duet with the Paco de Lucia, which demonstrates that acoustic guitars can fly just as furiously as electrics. The album does take a slight down turn in the latter half, with tunes such as Cruisin' and Black Cat Shuffle with their enjoyable albeit conventional grooves. Inevitably, one will compare this to his classic, the standard by which all his early albums are compared, Elegant Gypsy. Many afficianados have expressed frustration with this album for its lack of growth, but that does not mean it is not a good album. In fact, it is not merely good, it is excellent, and a fine example of Al Di Meola's latin-infused fusion.