Jazz-Guitar Giant Blazes In SF - Print This Story News Story - KTVU San Francisco 2/26/10 11:54 AM

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Jazz-Guitar Giant Blazes In SF
Posted: 7:59 pm PST February 5, 2009Updated: 8:06 pm PST February 25, 2010

From his incendiary debut as the 19-year-old guitar virtuoso in the classic version of Chick Corea's band Return to
Forever (the powerhouse group was rounded out by funk-minded monster drummer Lenny White and gifted
bassist Stanley Clarke) through his seminal electric albums as a leader and his equally fiery explorations of global
acoustic music with various all-star groups, Al Di Meola has been at the forefront of modern jazz for a quarter
century.

Expanding on the success of such talented groups as his celebrated 1970s acoustic guitar trio with John
McLaughlin and flamenco maestro Paco De Lucia and Rite of Strings (with Clarke and jazz violinist Jean-Luc
Ponty), Di Meola further explored global sounds with his World Sinfonia project. Founded in 1990, the guitarist
used the internationally flavored ensemble as a launching point for fiery guitar explorations of various European,
Latin and Middle Eastern sounds.

Though he returned to electric fusion with a vengeance over the past few years both through his recent solo
efforts and the celebrated reunion of the classic Return To Forever line-up last year, De Meola joins the SFJAZZ
Spring Season with a concert spotlighting a new version of World Sinfonia featuring longtime collaborator and
accordion player Fausto Beccalossi, guitarist Peo Alfonsi, bassist Victor Miranda, and percussionists Gumbi Ortiz
and Peter Kaszas.

Al Di Meola and World Sinfonia

Saturday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m. $25-$65
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

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