Al Di Meola

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American musician, a guitarist, arranger and composer whose virtuoso styles in Rock-Jazz and fusion are sophisticated, intense and complex. His career is built on his ability as a blazing fusion electric guitarist and as an acoustic player eager to explore music from other cultures. DiMeola burst upon the scene as a sensation when he replaced Bill Connors with "Return to Forever" in 1974 before he turned 20, entering his career at the top with three albums. After the group disbanded, he went on several tours with John McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia in an acoustic guitar trio, 1980-83, after which he led his own groups. His early tendency for fluency at the cost of feeling had been overcome, enriching his performance. He has been a recording artist since 1976. In the beginning of the ’80s, Di Meola started playing a new kind of music mixing acoustic instruments with synthesizers, thus creating a style that would be later on called new age. By 1995 DiMeola was touring with "Rite of Strings," a trio with Jean Luc Ponty and Stanley Clarke. He has chalked up four straight wins as Best Jazz Guitarist in the Guitar Player Readers Poll, as well as three awards for the Best Guitar Albums. . Records such as "Casino," "Elegant," and the live "Tour de Force" show his brilliant creativity Link to Wikipedia biography