Video Tributes to A Guitar God

**Ron Party** · 09-16-2010, 08:39 PM

If you are viewing the forum on an iPhone, Droid, etc., wait until you have access to your computer which hopefully has some good speakers attached to it. Better yet, get your computer hooked up to your stereo.

I've seen this Guitar God about 10 times in concert and he is always nothing short of phenomenal. I've seen him solo, duo with John McLaughlin, trio with McLaughlin and DeLucia, and a couple of times with Return To Forever. I sat literally 6 feet in front of him when he played at the old Yoshi's in Oakland before the club moved into their upscale digs at Jack London Waterfront. I still have the pick he gave to me and which he used for that show. (I know, cheap claim to fame.) He is amongst the best there is.

For starters, check out this video of Al Di Meola playing Spain with Coryell and Bireli, and pay particular attention to Di Meola and Coryell starting at about the 4:30 mark:

**Ron Party** · 09-16-2010, 08:44 PM

Steve, pay particular attention to this one. This one shows just Al & Bireli playing one of the classics:

**Ron Party** · 09-16-2010, 08:57 PM

Here's one of THE TRIO playing the same great classic. I like this one because we get close ups of the finger work of all three Guitar Gods. It always amazes me to watch Paco keeping up with the likes of Al and John, since Paco doesn't use a pick.

**DonH50** · 09-16-2010, 09:26 PM

I met Al DiMeola a LONG time ago in a nightclub around Chicago (pretty sure). He was with Les Paul after they had worked on a song or two on an album together*. They wandered in late during an "open mic" session while a young kid was cutting up (rather poorly; play as fast as possible and forget hitting notes in the key as long as they are fast and high -- shoulda' played trumpet!) Al and Les were getting some attention and the kid didn't know who they were and didn't like being supplanted. To make a long story shorter, unknowing kid challenges legends, legends mop up. Al was incredible as usual; Les was amazingly musical and fast. Kid asked who they were (everybody else was laughing pretty much uncontrollably by then) and Les said that old magic line in a gravelly voice: "It's on yer' gitar!" - Don

* It was a two-disc LP set but I don't recall the name. I think Les just played one, maybe two songs on it. Anybody remember it, and if it's still available? I think I have the LPs in a box somewhere but do not have the CD.

p.s. Didn't Al have long hair back then? Or was that the alcohol...

**Steve Williams** · 09-17-2010, 07:41 AM

Terrific thread and great videos

**FrantzM** · 09-17-2010, 10:46 AM

Hi

What about this guy? .. Just disappeared so fed up he was with the Music Industry and the Music Market in general . His techniques prowess were so specular that they overshadowed his musicianship ...

I am by the way with Ron on Al di Meola... but Stanley Jordan is / was very special

An idea of his technique...

**Ron Party** · 09-17-2010, 10:54 AM

Frantz, I saw Stanley Jordan in concert about 20 years ago and agree wholeheartedly agree with you about his skill set. Absolutely wonderful. What I saw him do live with The Star Spangled Banner rivals (in a very different way) what Hendrix did with that song.

But Frantz, he has not disappeared. In fact he just finished a gig here in Oakland.

**FrantzM** · 09-17-2010, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Ron Party

Frantz, I saw Stanley Jordan in concert about 20 years ago and agree wholeheartedly agree with you about his skill set. Absolutely wonderful. What I saw him do live with The Star Spangled Banner rivals (in a very different way) what Hendrix did with that song.

But Frantz, he has not disappeared. In fact he just finished a gig here in Oakland.

I did not know that. I had some of his LPs back then and suddenly nothing from him ... he seemed to just vanish. I thought he was studying or teaching in Arizona, no longer performing ...