Al Di Meola: The Rite Of Strings

Peter Schaff wrote into our facebook page and said the following about this video: “Al Di Meola has never been this real for me!”

This video which was filmed Live at Montreux Festival, 1994 features an All Star Line Up which includes Monty Alexandre on piano, Stanley Clarke on bass, Jean-Luc Ponty on violin, and of course Al Di Meola on guitar.

Al is using the Roland synth which was the new thing back in the early 90’s but, had in my opinion some tracking issues. Fine if you are using a long patch as Al is first doing, but then he changes patches at the end (almost a flute sound which was one of the only short patches that did track well as I recall). Playing in a situation like this, having an extra layer of sound does blend well with the other plugged in instruments.

Al’s solo is very musical here, and of course so is Monty’s, Stanley’s and Ponty’s, who for me gets perhaps the best plugged in violin sound that I’ve heard to this day.