Great musicians tend to flock together. When you get guys like DiMeola and Vai, they bring in the other guys to the band that elevate the whole thing. That bassist is a good example. Top of the food chain
I've had the great honor of seeing Al Di twice. Once solo during the 87 Tirami Su Tour, and the second with Return To Forever in 2008. I've also seen Vai 3 times solo. Actually I've seen many great guitarist, and bands, some several times over. I've had a pretty good life concert wise, wouldn't trade my experiences for the world.
I love these guys. I love how much they respect each other and how they inspire each other. And I love how Steve is fulfiling one of his musical dreams in this video as I watch it.
Man, this vid is awesome., Insanely positive in a time where music needs more. I saw Al open for Weather Report early '77 and Carlos Santana joined him for the encore. Al was on fire all set and i think Carlos just wanted to hide behind his sunglasses. Tore it up, though. Cool memory for me and this gig i'm sure will be remembered by all who attended for the rest of their lives,,,lucky so and so's :)
I just saw Al in concert Friday night September 23rd in Sellersville,Pa. I didn't know it was an acoustic show,but I was still blown away by him and his band. Phenomenal players. Al is insanely talented and is a really cool person.
Wow - so great to see these two together... Vai is totally in his element here... He is so very true to what he consistently states and shows how his music totally flows through him and many times so goddamn effortlessly! He has always stressed this and we just witnessed a great example of his incredible ability - especially when it comes to improvisation... Great performance by two greats for sure...
Oh. My. Franking. Zappa. Such a trip that they were both big Zappa fans, and Steve was a big fan of Al, then Steve went on to work with Frank, and then Al became a fan of Steve, and then Frank asked Al to play on a track, and then Al invited Steve to come play on the song Frank had written for Al to play on. And they way Al directed the band to lay so that the two of them could just play off each other was beautiful. I also loved how they really complemented each other, sometimes with Steve going into full on rhythm mode. Heavy convergence! They have both been heavy influences on me since I was a teenager. So awesome to see that they came together like this!
I had two eight track tapes in my 63' impala, "wish you were here" and "Elegant Gypsy". Notice above Al Di Meola sight-reads his ass off! Via is playing from memory. Great total musicians.
I remember the first hearing Al was on Don Kirshners ROCK concert, it was a mindblowing experience then hearing Vai in zappas band on TV and later on with Alcatraz was like seeing a super hero being born, knowing that Al was a hero to Vai and now they're friends makes the universe complete.
I saw it too when it aired. I already knew about Al because my uncle, a great drummer, was always playing along to Elegant Gypsy and Casino in his studio. I was totally blown away hearing Al live on that show. Kirshner has some great acts on his show including Blue Oyster Cult.
I've started to realize ppl like or dislike music based on what that music makes them feel which can quite different for everyone listening to this video. But it's pretty useless to comment and explain why you don't like it, cuz the same thing that puts you off, makes another person smile
I seen AL in 1977 in CENTRAL PARK, I was in the 8th row Directly in front of him....HE WAS AMAZING ! He did that song, Mediterranean Sundance....Left me with my mouth hanging open on the floor. 1977 I was 18 years old. Never will forget that.
If you really want to see Al up close again, go to any of his shows in California. Small venues only. I bought a vip ticket for his show at the canyon club with sound check access. It was Al, the band, and only me, his wife and little girl there for sound check. Steve Vai came to play on last song. I was 10ft away the whole damn time. And yes! I got Video! It needs editing but ill post it soon.
Dans les années 80,j'ai étudié et jouer Al Di Meola ,Yngwie Malsteen,mais lorsque j'ai assisté au concert de Steve Vai Yankee Rose avec David Lee Roth à Toulouse,c'était tellement impressionnant que j'ai arrêté de jouer à la guitare pendant de long mois,bon après tout,ce sont des musiciens multi -talentueux
Two different styles and each one excels on its own. If you like machine gun precision and super fast muted rhythms you go with Meola, if you like two hand tapping, hammer ons and pull offs ,pyrotechnics, whammy bar craziness you go with Vai. Damn, i will go with both.
I am in on the next DiMeola Vai clinic can't wait. Hofstra and the Calderone Concert Hall in Hempstead LI. Wish I saw the Hofstra show but did catch the Calderone. Completely blew me away and just saw Al in Boulder. Great as ever.! Thanks again
Whats more amazing, the fact that Al is sight reading this piece or that Steve is playing it from memory? in synch, great timing on a Zappa piece! Al is amazing & like he said Vai took what Al was doing to a whole other level. I think I'm rambling due to stupification.
@@WellnessRosterHQ Maybe it’s the quality of the video. I listened to his Albums that were professionally recorded. It could be the highly compressed RU-vid format.
Each one great in there own way Al not having played the part since the 70s reading it and playing perfectly and Steve playing it from memory perfectly
Allan Holdsworth could and was speedier Check out Soft Machine and this track from Bundles ---> "Hazard Profile Part One" just constant burn man.... Edit: Do not want to sound like i am dissing Al here, yup he was/is a monster but there were others too at the same time or earlier who were just tremendous on guitar. Another who always gets forgotten is Ollie Halsall there is this YT video "Ollie Halsall best guitar solos" gives some sound on how good he was.
Both players are great but I've begun to realize that playing music that folk can dance is so important. Folk work 9 2 5, and they wanna dance with their wives etc when the get off work, instrumental music is cool and has it place but most folk don't care to much about your chops, they wanna interact with their spouses, this is something a lot of great players and musicians seem to forget.
Well, this concert was not a dance hall gig, was it? Some gigs are specifically for dances, so the band plays "dance tunes". Other gigs are at venues where a sign says "No Dancing". You seem to be wrongly assuming that ALL music is supposed to be for dancing.
I don’t mind some fast, speedy playing. But if you’re gonna do it, you better make sure you have some emotion in there and make me feel something. If you don’t make me feel something I’m leaving.
Saw Al Dimeola promoting the",kiss my Axe" LP. In 1991. He sight read the whole thing perfectly. He improvised when called to do so, but his reading skills are impeccable
And I´m waiting Pat Metheny with Al Di Meola , because, they are a very things in common.....but I would like Gambale with Steve Vai and Al di Meola too, and many more guitarist play with anothers.......
You see that comment of yours tells us just one thing.... These two gods has made their own signature sound and music that we can easily differentiate them from each other
at 5 mins in, its clear they are playing Sails of Charon, and doing a good job of it, A proper tribute to Uli Jon. Thanks Al and Steve!!! this is classic
