One of the guitar heroes of fusion,
Al di Meola was just 22-years-old at the time of his debut as a leader but already a veteran of
Chick Corea's
Return to Forever. The complex pieces (which include the three-part "Suite-Golden Dawn," an acoustic duet with
Corea on "Short Tales of the Black Forest," and a brief
Bach violin sonata show
di Meola's range even at this early stage. With assistance from such top players as bassists
Jaco Pastorius and
Stanley Clarke, keyboardist
Barry Miles, and drummers
Lenny White and
Steve Gadd, this was a very impressive beginning to
di Meola's solo career. ~ Scott Yanow