Al Di Meola’s incredibly fruitful career has spanned a range of styles, emotions and continents. From the velocity and heat of his early solo efforts to challenge of the Di Meola/McLaughlin/De Lucia guitar trios, from the Brazilian explorations of Cielo e Terra Cielo e Terra and Soaring Through a Dream to the global romanticism of Al’s acoustic group World Sinfornias’ self-titled debut and Heart of the Immigrants Di Meola has, almost quietly, matured into a composer of deepening grace and thoughtful lyricism.His status as a legendary guitarist is secure; for those who have ears to hear, Orange and Blue signals his growing prominence as a composer.” This album represents a more serious direction for me, ” says Di Meola. I “think Orange and Blue has a timeless quality.” Featuring a bevy of internationally renowned players, including bassist Marc Johnson, drummers Peter Erskine, Manu Katche and Steve Gadd, Israeli singer Noa, premier Greek vocalist George Dalaras. Puerto Rican percussionist Gumbi Ortiz, Palestinan violinist Simon Shaheen, vocalist /guitarist Hernan Romero who co-produced, along with Di Meola and fellow Argentinian keyboardist Mario Parmesano, as well as Di Meola’s guitar and percussion (and his debut on drums on two tracks), Orange and Blue is undeniably beautiful, processing the fiery passion on 1993’s Kiss My Axe and the strong lyricism of his two acoustic recording with World Sinfonia.
As World Sinfonia and Heart of the Immigrant’s evocative melodies and rhythmic diversity were greatly influenced by the late Argentinian tango master Astor Piazolla, Orange and Blue shows a broader cultural and musical scope. The friendship between Astor Piazolla and Al Di Meola before the death of Piazolla greatly touched the guiatrist deepening his considerable ties to the music of South America. “Piazolla had a profound effect on my development as a musician and as a person. We became close friends, and wrote back and forth quite a bit after he returned to Argentina. On his record, the sentiment and ethnic scope of this have a far wider-reaching dimension musically than my last two World Sinfonia projects. Orange and Blue is actually very much different.”
Sharing a fondness for jazz, Argentinian and Brazilian cultures, co-producers Romero and Parmesano also figure in Di Meola’s compositionally broad scope.
Di Meola’s continually growth as a composer has it’s earliest roots in the “neoclassical jazz rock” of Elegant Gypsy and Casino, coming to full fruition and maturity on his recent releases. While challenging himself, Di Meola has consistently broken new ground in combining jazz with the diverse musics of the world. “ Over the years I’ve tried to keep the fire in the music, but also have enough melody and interesting harmonies to give it real meaning. I think the last few have achieve that.”
While growing up in New Jersey, young Al Di Meola divided his time between guitar lessons and hanging out at the local salsa clubs. Influenced greatly by jazz guitarist Larry Corryell, Di Meola enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where his marathon practice sessions are still the stuff of legends (Al continues to be the technical master by which other guitarists are measured). “We had three guys in one space; one in one room, one in the bathroom; I got the closet. That helped me prepare for my first New York apartment.” After a brief stint with keyboardist Barry Miles, Di Meola, at 19 was tapped by Chick Corea in 1974 for Return to Forever. His star quickly ascended. Sixteen recordings, countless awards and six million albums later Al Di Meola is still challenging himself and his music. Orange and Blue (orange symbolizes warmth and blue- the deeper emotion) draws on the rhythms of Latin America, and melodies that literally encompasses the world.
Orange and Blue’s 13 tracks run the gamut of Di Meola’s musical experience. The vibrant “Paradiso” is a stunning opener (“This could be the felling of a beautiful place, South America or the south of FranceÉ could be romance, feelings that are all too few in life”), with unorthodox phrasing, a soothing melody, multiple guitars and Di Meola’s expressive drumwork. Built around the warm improvisations of Noa, “Ta’alina” has a beautiful, earthy melody reminiscent of ancient Middle Eastern cultures. “Chilean Pipe Song”(with Di Meola on guitar and again on drums in “one of the most difficult pieces I've ever written”) was originally fleshes out on a recent acoustic tour with Stanley Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty in a group called The Rite of Strings. Orange and Blue soars , as if in flight, on Gumbi Ortiz’s riveting percussion, Di Meola’s liquid picking, Manu Katche’s drumwork and Paquito D’Rivera’s brass section. “ This works like a suite in a sense, with a strong melody in the beginning going through different movements , then another equally strong melody, going into a very exciting, odd bar climax.” With its staccato guitar and piano work, Casmir resembles a sprightly Middle Eastern folk song, but the takes an unusual turn with a swinging, hard bop section. “I’ve never been about tradition in a solid sense. I don’t get off on that. Steve Gadd kicks ass on this one.” “ Theme of Mothership,” which originally appeared on Return to Forever’s Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, is given an unusually organic, sultry treatments. “I had the hardest time in choosing whether to do this piece at all. It seemed I should put the whole Chick thing to bed but why, really? Astor and Chick are two guys that I love, and I always play their compositions. I’ve always wanted to play the piece, yet I wanted to do something with it, too.”In many ways, Al Di Meola has come to full circle. But, as with any artist, Di Meola sees his music as something fresh and new, meant to be heard by as many people as possible. “ Composing is painful in that you have to avoid the obvious and somehow rediscover yourself. The easiest thing would be to use the same chords and progressions of the past. It’s much more satisfying to dig down and come up with something new that has deep meaning for you. Orange and Blue to me, is just that.”

Biography from
Al Di Meola official web site www.aldimeola.com

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