Elegant Gypsy
	Produced by Al DiMeola
	Released on March 1977
	US CHART POSITION #58 . . . US JAZZ ALBUMS CHART POSITION #5 . . . GOLD RECORD (7/24/89)
	Find it at GEMM
PC 34461 cover [high resolution photo]

A h the ‘70s, when you could have a comb-over and still be cool. Of course, when you’re the fastest gun in the West, I suppose no one’s looking at the top of your head. DiMeola again plays el diablo of the Gibson guitar on Elegant Gypsy, joined by the busy fingers of Mingo Lewis and a full fusion outfit that features Friend4Evr Lenny White. There’s even an elegant gunfight between DiMeola and fellow firemagician Paco De Lucia on the acoustic “Mediterranean Sundance.” If you haven’t heard Al DiMeola’s solo work, you’re in for a real treat. It’s that rare combination of imaginative creation and amazing execution, performed at a level that seems superhuman. You get a sense, listening to Al DiMeola play, of the wonder audiences must have had when hearing a Paganini for the first time. (Affected speech alert: I say “a Paganini” like there were bunches of them, but I’m pretty sure there was just the one.) There’s plenty of passion on Elegant Gypsy too: passion for the fantasy-fueling potential of fusion, and passion for the guitar. Since Romantic Warrior is one of my favorite albums, I’m delighted with a doppelganger like Elegant Gypsy. “Elegant Gypsy Suite,” “Race With Devil On Spanish Highway” and “Flight Over Rio” are miniature treasures for the fusion flyboy in everyone. The remaining trio of tracks are more about being sexy than swift of foot, but Al DiMeola’s entitled to a dual personality. Elegant Gypsy is, to date, the only Al DiMeola album to go gold in the US. Honestly, I’m surprised any of his albums went gold over here. But it does mean one thing: Somewhere in this country are half a million people with the means to happiness in their hands.

PC 34461 back cover	PC 34461 picture sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. FLIGHT OVER RIO    (Mingo Lewis)    7:13
2. MIDNIGHT TANGO    7:26
3. MEDITERRANEAN SUNDANCE    5:10
4. RACE WITH DEVIL ON SPANISH HIGHWAY    6:16
5. LADY OF ROME, SISTER OF BRAZIL    1:45
6. ELEGANT GYPSY SUITE    9:15
   
   All songs composed and arranged by Al DiMeola unless noted

CREDITS

AL DIMEOLA -- electric 6 & 12 string guitars, acoustic guitar, castanets, arp synthesizer, maracas, timbales, arp string ensemble, acoutsic piano, percussion, front cover and inner sleeve picture concept and direction
ANTHONY JACKSON -- bass guitar
MINGO LEWIS -- congas, arp odyssey, arp sequencer, percussion, organ, shakers, timbales, cowbell
Paco De Lucia -- acoustic guitar (3)
Steve Gadd -- drums
Jan Hammer -- electric piano, mini moog
Barry Miles -- electric piano, acoustic piano, mini moog
Lenny White -- drums, timbales
Dave Palmer -- engineer
Paula Scher -- design
Bill King -- photographer

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