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Bilbo
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[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1371076965' post='2109671']
I recently saw a Facebook post from Pat Travers talking about being introduced to Al DiMeola, saying what a 'down to earth' nice guy he was, all be it a nice guy who drank and smoked a lot and whose language would make a marine blush! Now Travers is always said to be a decent chap by those who have met him and he liked DiMeola, so who knows what he's really like...

Either way, still a stunning guitar player!
[/quote]
Yes an amazing player indeed. I think i've seen him about three times. Twice at Hammersmith and once at the RFH.

I take anything with a pinch of salt i hear about musicians etc on forums. You don't know in what context half of the comments were made in so if i've learned anything in life that's to trust my own instinct and judgement about people.
I really couldn't care less if a musician is an a***hole or not as long as i like their music and wonder (but not for long) why others are really bothered. They're probably the same people who phone up the council when the yellow lines start to fade outside their local post office. :)

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[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1371078230' post='2109687']
Yes an amazing player indeed. I think i've seen him about three times. Twice at Hammersmith and once at the RFH.

I take anything with a pinch of salt i hear about musicians etc on forums. You don't know in what context half of the comments were made in so if i've learned anything in life that's to trust my own instinct and judgement about people.
I really couldn't care less if a musician is an a***hole or not as long as i like their music and wonder (but not for long) why others are really bothered. They're probably the same people who phone up the council when the yellow lines start to fade outside their local post office. :)
[/quote]

Bless up!

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[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1371078230' post='2109687']

Yes an amazing player indeed. I think i've seen him about three times. Twice at Hammersmith and once at the RFH.

I take anything with a pinch of salt i hear about musicians etc on forums. You don't know in what context half of the comments were made in so if i've learned anything in life that's to trust my own instinct and judgement about people.
I really couldn't care less if a musician is an a***hole or not as long as i like their music and wonder (but not for long) why others are really bothered. They're probably the same people who phone up the council when the yellow lines start to fade outside their local post office. :)
[/quote]
I agree - I'm at the gig to watch him play, not go out for a beer with him...!

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Strange, I had heard that Al was always very shy and introverted, especially when he joined McLaughlin's guitar trio, playing between the famed McLaughlin and the masterful Paco! That said, it matters little to me if he is an arsehole, his music is great and his playing is superb. He was fantastic with Return to Forever, where I think his exuberance was tempered a little against the Clarke and Corea.

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It's weird, although I like a fair bit of fusion stuff, this performance doesn't click with me at all. I have some of the RTF stuff with DiMeola on (like Romantic Warrior), and I think the strong compositions and sheer imagination of it make the whole thing work, and I've rarely felt that way about DiMeola solo. I don't mean to diss the performance, but I find it interesting to try and figure out what the thing I like is that's missing here. Maybe you had to be there.

Edited by Beer of the Bass
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[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1371070789' post='2109556']
He was a bit patronising to Tony Levin once, probably not deliberately. Tried to tell him the notes to a difficult fast run on a recording session, but Tony just said play me the run, Al did, Tony heard it, copied it exactly and got a perfect first take.
[/quote]

That story is from Bill Bruford's autobiography isn't it? The track in question is called Calliope from Al's Scenario album (can't find it on youtube but I think it is on Spotify) - that quote always baffled me a little as there is nothing difficult or fast on it.

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[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1371119054' post='2109974']
It's weird, although I like a fair bit of fusion stuff, this performance doesn't click with me at all. I have some of the RTF stuff with DiMeola on (like Romantic Warrior), and I think the strong compositions and sheer imagination of it make the whole thing work, and I've rarely felt that way about DiMeola solo. I don't mean to diss the performance, but I find it interesting to try and figure out what the thing I like is that's missing here. Maybe you had to be there.
[/quote]

Thanks for saying that. You just saved me five minutes of typing! B)

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This thread has inspired me to dig out my old copy of Return to Forever's [i]Romantic Warrior[/i]. Only to discover I can't find the bloody thing! I might have to buy it all over again, it has long been one of my favourite records and it struck me recently that I hadn't listened to it in about two years! Especially crazy considering the amount of effort I put into learning songs off it!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa21WPH4_U4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa21WPH4_U4[/url]

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[quote name='Stickman' timestamp='1371126377' post='2110109']
That story is from Bill Bruford's autobiography isn't it? The track in question is called Calliope from Al's Scenario album (can't find it on youtube but I think it is on Spotify) - that quote always baffled me a little as there is nothing difficult or fast on it.
[/quote]

Yeah that's right mate, and I remember you telling me about it being pretty easy. I'll have to have a listen :)

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[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1371070789' post='2109556']


He was a bit patronising to Tony Levin once, probably not deliberately. Tried to tell him the notes to a difficult fast run on a recording session, but Tony just said play me the run, Al did, Tony heard it, copied it exactly and got a perfect first take.
[/quote]
Just re-read the passage in Bruford's book and it seems that Levin refused to rehearse the passage with DiMeola in the studio and then made a point of nailing it in one take as he was miffed at Al turning up late for a session for his album and then drinking beer and 'larking around' with the engineer who was his buddy!

It seems that punctuality is a big thing with Levin, as it is with Bruford...

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