Al Di Meola

Guitarist Al Di Meola rose to prominence in the 1970s as a fiery jazz-rock pioneer with Chick Corea's Return to Forever, Di Meola established his reputation on the group's classic dates. He came into his own on solo albums like 1976's Land of the Midnight Sun, 1977's Elegant Gypsy, and 1980's Splendido Hotel. He toured the globe with guitarists John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia, Di Meola on 1981's A Night In San Francisco. He continued to extend his sonic and stylistic vocabulaies on 1990's World Sinfonia, 2011's Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody, and 2018's Opus, always balancing fusion roots with forays into tango, flamenco, Middle Eastern, North African, and Afro-Cuban traditions. He issued Across The Universe, in tribute to the Beatles in 2020, and followed it with World Sinfonia: Heart of the Immigrants. He returned with Twentyfour in July 2024.