Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Di Meola, Al
Label: Columbia Records
Released: 1976
Runtime: 35:11
Rating: 4.5/5
American guitar hero Al Di Meola kicked off his rich solo career in 1976 with the album »Land of the Midnight Sun«, while still a member of jazz fusion legends Return to Forever. Joining him on »Land of the Midnight Sun« were bass legend Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report), superb bassist Anthony Jackson and drumming champ Steve Gadd, plus his Return to Forever buddies Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. Di Meola used the record to cement his reputation as a technically brilliant, devilishly fast guitar virtuoso who tossed off ‘supersonic’ solos like it was a bet. Anyone who knew Al’s earlier work wasn’t surprised that his debut instantly became one of the classics of the jazz fusion scene and one of the high points of Di Meola’s varied, long career.
Clear proof that Di Meola wasn’t about to take it easy on his solo records came with the opening track »The Wizard«, which positively swaggers with supersonic guitar solos and is basically the prototype of a classic Di Meola solo piece. »The Wizard« was written by longtime Santana percussionist Mingo Lewis, who worked with Di Meola right up until 1982 and also chipped in some percussion here. The title track has somewhat looser arrangements and occasionally leans toward classic Return to Forever; the vibe loosens up a bit while Al shows a more subtle side of his guitar playing. »Sarabande from Violin Sonata in B Minor« features an acoustic guitar arrangement based on a sonata by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Even though Al was famous for most of his career as an unbelievable, fast-fingered ‘technician’, plenty of people forgot about his eclectic musical nature and his frequent interest in flamenco, Mediterranean and world music, which often took him well beyond the usual boundaries of jazz fusion. One of the more unusual experiments on »Land of the Midnight Sun« was the short pop rock closer »Love Theme from ‘Pictures of the Sea«, which featured a rare guest vocal turn from singer Patty Buyoks on an almost entirely instrumental album.
Al cuts loose again with crazy solos on the astonishingly eclectic suite »Golden Dawn«, which keeps swapping between passionate and still-life atmospheres, although Pastorius, with his trademark grooving, melodic bass lines, nearly steals the ‘show’. »Short Tales of the Black Forest« was created by Al’s (former) boss Corea, who played piano and marimba on this atmospherically rich and wonderfully dynamic composition, so it’s no surprise that, paired with Al’s guitar acrobatics, it sounds the most like classic Return to Forever of everything on »Land of the Midnight Sun«.
On »Land of the Midnight Sun«, an outstanding debut that once again showed just how well jazz fusion works on ‘turbo drive’, Di Meola set a high bar for the rest of his solo career and laid a solid foundation for his future solo projects. After leaving Return to Forever, he pushed his excellent solo form even further the following year, and with the album »Elegant Gypsy« (1977), where he explored the world of Latin jazz alongside fusion, he made the most acclaimed work of his entire solo career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7VxvMLz1kI
Lineup
Al DiMeola – electric and acoustic guitar, synthesizer, bells (4), gong (6), backing vocals (4), arranger and producer
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Mingo Lewis – keyboards (1), percussion (1,2,4,5)
Barry Miles – electric piano & mini Moog (2,5)
Chick Corea – piano and marimba (6)
Anthony Jackson – bass guitar (1,2)
Jaco Pastorius – bass guitar (5)
Stanley Clarke – bass guitar and backing vocals (4)
Steve Gadd – drums (1)
Lenny White – drums (2)
Alphonse Mouzon – drums (5)
Patty Buyukas – vocals (4)
Production
Al Di Meola
Track list
1. The Wizard (6:46)
2. Land of the Midnight Sun (9:10)
3. Sarabande from Violin Sonata in B Minor (1:20)
4. Love Theme from “Pictures of the Sea” (2:25)
5. Suite – Golden Dawn (9:49) :
– a. Morning Fire (1:15)
– b. Calmer Of The Tempests (1:11)
– c. From Ocean To The Clouds (8:38)
6. Short Tales of the Black Forest (5:41
