The Night: World Music

I. Al di Meola. (59:09 min)
Albert Laurence Di Meola (born in 1954) is an American guitarist. Known for his work in jazz fusion and world music, his breakthrough came when he joined Chick Corea’s Return to Forever group in 1974. Beginning in 1976, he launched a successful and critically acclaimed solo career, noted for his technical mastery, complex compositions, and explorations of Latin music. Al di Meola has an unparalleled knack for playing complex pieces beautifully and with technical perfection.
CD. Opus – Al di Meola. LABEL: Ear Music (2018), code: 0212371 EMU. VIDEO

II. Paco de Lucía & John McLaughlin. (55:23 min)
On July 15, 1987, two guitar masters shared the stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival for an evening of breathtaking flamenco music. The show opened with a solo piece by John McLaughlin, followed by a solo piece by Paco de Lucia, after which the two virtuosos duetted together for the remainder of the evening. The repertoire consisted of their solo albums, albums by The Guitar Trio, and covers of music by friends like Chick Corea and Egberto Gismonti. This is a concert for any flamenco guitar enthusiast or for anyone who enjoys hearing great musicians play at their best.
CD. Paco and John live at Montreux 1987 – Paco de Lucía, John McLaughlin. LABEL: Eagle Vision (2016), code: EAGDV059. VIDEO

III. The Omniversal Earkestra. (01:01:50 min)
A big band from Berlin travels to Mali to experience the Malian musicians of the 1970s. The big band’s program consists of an eclectic mix of compositions influenced by artists such as Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, and Fela Kuti, as well as the music of Malian big bands from the 1970s, such as the Railband. It eventually became clear to the members of Omniversal Earkestra that a trip to Mali was essential to meet the old masters, such as Salif Keita, Sorry Bamba, and Cheick Tidiane Seck. The result of this trip are modern arrangements of old Malian songs.
CD. Le Mali 70 – The Omniversal Earkestra LABEL: Trikont (2021), code: US-0524. VIDEO.

IV. Omar Sosa. (58:12 min)
By constantly connecting musical influences, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa has built up an exceptionally broad musical palette over time. In addition to spoken word and hip hop, he also integrated age-old musical traditions with fusion and jazz. On the album Afreecanos, he leaves all modern movements aside for a moment and continues his search for the deepest roots of world music. The parallels between the rich musical traditions of countries such as Cuba, Brazil, Senegal, Guinea, Mali and Mozambique form his guiding principle. CD. Afreecanos – Omar Sosa. LABEL: Skip Records (2008), code: 9076-2. VIDEO

V. Dino Saluzzi. (01:02:29 min)
Dino’s first solo bandoneon album in over 30 years finds the Argentine musician in a reflective mood, looking back on a rich creative life and looking forward to a new dawn (Albores means “dawn”). The solo recital, composed entirely of compositions by Dino Saluzzi, also includes prayers, evoking images of Buenos Aires in its golden age and the cultural wisdom of the ancestors. The album Albores is a classic “narrative” album in the Kultrum and Andina tradition. It is also an artistic manifesto of the bandoneon, exploring the full range of its expressive capacities.
CD. Albores – Dino Saluzzi. LABEL: ECM Records (2020), code: 7747754. VIDEO

VI. Frank Zappa. (01:02:08 min)
Roughly speaking, the work of Frank Zappa (1940-1993) could be divided into his modern composed music pieces, satirical rock and unbridled solo guitar work. In the latter category, especially on stage, he liked to indulge in extended guitar improvisations where the accompaniment often fell back on remarkably simple structures and rhythms. Trance –Fusion is the first posthumous album (compiled by Zappa himself). It contains many recordings from the album Broadway The Hard Way (1988), such as the first song: Chunga’s Revenge. The recordings, from the different performances and years, were forged together into one suite with a coherent sound and a leading role for Zappa’s solos.
CD. Trance-fusion – Frank Zappa. LABEL: Zappa Records (2007), code: ZR 20002. VIDEO

Thanks to Muziekweb.