HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR DIMEOLA FANS!
4
By Bill Appel
Al Dimeola is a wizard of flashing fusion electric guitar and is also a master as an acoustic player with an eagerness to explore numerous cultural musical stylings. He broke into the music scene when he joined the great Return To Forever in 1974 and immediately became a very influential fusion jazz guitarist. Though with his great talent, he was criticized early in his career that he overplayed with an excess on notes and lacked true emotion and feeling in his playing.
After a relatively brief time with the short lived RTF due to their breakup, Dimeola then ventured out to lead his own groups, alternating between electric and acoustical guitar throughout his career.
"Casino" was his third solo outing released in 1978 and showed that he was progressively maturing as a musician and playing with much improved emotion, feeling and growth since the RTF days as he showed here in all of the compositions a distinct strength and diversity. Several tracks are ripping, straight ahead fusion-rock assaults, "Fantasia Suite For Two Guitars" displays his masterful acoustical talents while his growing affection for flamenco is displayed as well.
A highly recommended album from Dimeola for your listening pleasures!!!