01	Flight Over Rio						07:16
	02	Midnight Tango						07:28
	03	Mediterranean Sundance						05:14
	04	Race With The Devil On A Spanish Highway						06:18
	05	Lady Of Rome, Sister Of Brazil						01:45
	06	Elegant Gypsy Suite						09:15
	07	Egyptian Danza						05:58
	08	Chasin' The Voodoo						05:05
	09	Dark Eye Tango						05:25
	10	Senor Mouse						07:22
	11	Fantasia Suite For Two Guitars						05:12
	12	Casino						09:29

Elegant Gypsy
Date of Release 1976

Guitarist Al DiMeola's second record as a leader is generally an explosive affair, although it does have a fair amount of variety. With Jan Hammer or Barry Miles on keyboards, electric bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Lenny White (Steve Gadd takes his place on the "Elegant Gypsy Suite"), and percussionist Mingo Lewis on most of the selections, DiMeola shows off his speedy and rockish fusion style. He was still a member of Return to Forever at the time and was a stronger guitarist than composer, but DiMeola did put a lot of thought into this music. The brief "Lady of Rome, Sister of Brazil" (an acoustic guitar solo) and "Mediterranean Sundance" (an acoustic duet with fellow guitarist Paco de Lucнa) hints at DiMeola's future directions. A near classic in the fusion vein. - Scott Yanow

1. Flight over Rio (Lewis)
2. Midnight Tango (DiMeola)
3. Mediterranean Sundance (DiMeola)
4. Race With Devil on Spanish Highway (DiMeola)
5. Lady of Rome, Sister of Brazil
6. Elegant Gypsy Suite


Paco de Lucia - Guitar
Jan Hammer - Synthesizer, Piano (Electric)
Barry Miles - Piano, Piano (Electric)
Lenny White - Drums
Al DiMeola - Arranger, Director, Guitar (Electric), Producer
Steve Gadd - Drums
Anthony Jackson - Guitar (Bass)
Mingo Lewis - Organ, Synthesizer, Percussion, Conga

1991 CD Columbia CK-34461
1977 LP Columbia 34461
1991 CS Columbia PCT-34461





Casino
Date of Release 1977

Following up the superb Elegant Gypsy was no mean feat, but Al DiMeola gave it his best shot with the similarly styled Casino, released in 1978. Featuring a core band of Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, and Barry Miles (whom DiMeola came up with before the guitarist was invited to join Return to Forever), the playing is sharp and fiery, matching the youthful intensity of the leader. DiMeola is a good composer in the fusion idiom, and the four original compositions on Casino, although clearly bearing the mark of Chick Corea's influence, are strong. His "Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars," featuring DiMeola accompanying himself via multi-tracking, is beautiful and dramatic, and hints at the guitarist's later all-acoustic works such as Friday Night in San Francisco. "Dark Eye Tango" opens with a slow theme before turning into an up-tempo vehicle for DiMeola's darting Les Paul. In fact, it is the leader's solos that frequently prevent the Latin grooves and rhythms found on Casino from sounding stale and a bit dated. His trademark staccato phrasing and high-velocity improvisations are what is noticed upon first listen, but DiMeola does have an excellent sense of phrasing that is undeniably present. Contrary to popular opinion, he knows how to use his technique to good effect. Casino is not as strong as either Elegant Gypsy or Romantic Warrior, but is nevertheless well worth picking up for fans either of DiMeola himself or of the entire 1970s fusion scene. - Daniel Gioffre

1. Egyptian Danza (DiMeola) - 5:57
2. Chasin' the Voodoo (Lewis) - 5:05
3. Dark Eye Tango (DiMeola) - 5:25
4. Seсor Mouse (Corea) - 7:21
5. Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars: Viva la... (DiMeola) - 5:12
6. Casino (DiMeola) - 9:29

Barry Miles - Organ, Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards, Marimba, Piano (Electric), Moog Synthesizer
Paul Martin - Art Direction
Eddie Colon - Percussion, Timbales, Roto Toms
Al DiMeola - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Mandolin, Percussion, Arranger, Bongos, Castanets, Conga, Guitar (Electric), Handclapping, Producer, Cover Art Concept
Steve Gadd - Drums
Anthony Jackson - Bass, Guitar (Bass)
Mingo Lewis - Percussion, Bongos, Conga, Keyboards
John Snyder - Reissue Producer
David Palmer - Engineer
Jim Galante - Assistant Engineer
Chip Deffaa - Liner Notes
Bill King - Photography

1992 CD Columbia/Legacy CK-47482
1992 CS Columbia/Legacy CT-47482
CD Columbia CK-35277
Columbia/Legacy 47482
1978 LP Columbia 35277
1990 CD Columbia 35277
1990 CS Columbia 35277