Customer Reviews

Orange & Blue

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Meola arrived at a point of culmination with this album. The music is consistent, deliberate, and channeled with what seems to have been a kind of mid-life confindence. He does explore new methods of instrumentation as may be expected with Meola, though certainly does not go overboard musically as do some artists during periods of high creativity. He is speaking from a very deep place, and the music represents his mastery, or display of control rather, over the guitar--and the tracts both blend and emerge as an profound expression of life's more difficult sentiments--"Until We Meet Again", 1 & 2, are good examples of this, and would be all one would need to hear to understand where he was coming from, though the album is complete in this respect--every song stands as an independent expression. This was not a pure American writing this music--he allows himself to reach back into his European memory to produce something more methodic and orchestrated--the intricacies are subtle perhaps, but precise and carefully rendered for sure.

I really have no idea what the other reviewers are talking about when they compare this CD to something by Metheny--one favorably, one unfavorably. To compare this to Metheny I believe demonstrates a lack of understanding of the strengths and subtleties of both artists. Their similarity is only in that they are both guitarists who often perform within the genre of "world music", while also making side-trips into jazz and other areas. Their execution, however, couldn't be more different. To clarify at the outset, I am a huge Metheny fan and have everything he's ever done with the Pat Metheny Group (his solo or duet work has been less consistent), but the PMG is nonetheless more predictable and focused than anything DiMeola does. Metheny's guitar sound is very distinctive, consistent and soft-edged and has spawned many imitators, one of whom is emphatically NOT Al DiMeola. Guitar aficionados, whether they like what he does or not, almost universally admire and respect DiMeola's technique, and he has proven to be a far more versatile player than Metheny, ranging from screaming rock to lightning-speed flamenco to sensitive acoustic and electric jazz. It is the latter two disciplines that are displayed on this disc, I believe better than most other examples of DiMeola's work. Even when playing acoustic or neutrally amplified electric, DiMeola has a subtle strength to his sound that is nothing like Metheny. The solo in the middle of the title track alone should dispel any conception of his being all about speed--it's melodic, emotional and spare, but nonetheless contains a couple of effortless flamenco runs to remind you that this is a special player you're listening to. The work on "Precious Little You", for example, is pretty straight ahead jazz, but contains periodic note combinations that are simultaneously unexpected and smile-inducing at the sheer artistry of it. "If We Meet Again" (Parts 1 & 2) is a truly amazing piece of music, and displays the wide range of DiMeola's talent all at once, the first half being acoustic and the second half electric, and you're almost not aware of the transition on the first couple of listenings. I've listened to this cut about 20 times in the last week, and each time I think it gets better.
This isn't "Elegant Gypsy", and if that's what you're after you're going to be disappointed, but you shouldn't be--you should be amazed and overwhelmed that the man who did that could also do this. It's called "artistic growth", and I believe it's a serious listener's duty to grow as well.

This one of my favorite, A true Master Piece.
It can hear an evolving story with plot, A Theme through out the Record. Its more of a mellow jazzy CD, Kind Of A Pat Matheny Sound. A Must for every jazz fan. Really. Great.
This One Can Really Move me To Tears. Magical.

Aren't people's musical tastes hard to figure at times? I read the other six reviews for Orange and Blue and am quite astonished that anyone thinks 1) it sounds like Pat Metheny and 2) the Chilean Pipe Song is the best song. I think that is one of the weaker cuts, but oh well...
Anyway, I have owned Orange and Blue since it was issued and listen to it occasionally. But somehow when it comes time to review it, I always get writer's block. Not today. I have had this CD in rotation in my CD player for a couple of weeks now and have gotten a good sense of it. I don't know what all the talk is about this as a follow-up to Kiss My Axe. Its actually a follow-up to the pair of Di Meola's World Sinfonia albums that preceded Orange and Blue's release.
Orange and Blue finds Di Meola in transition and is a hybrid of the world music style of the two albums that preceded it and the new direction taken on several albums that follow it. It is a very well balanced work that showcases Di Meola's seeming effortless play and the virtuosity of his sidemen. Listen to how the notes and the melodies just fly off of his fingers! Continuity is provided with World Sinfonia percussionist Gumbi Ortiz joining the group on several songs but you will also notice that this is where Hernan Romero begins to work his way in as a Di Meola regular.
The balance shows in that the songs generally alternate between upbeat numbers with soaring vocalizations in the background that work as yet another instrument and a clutch of languid and dreamy pieces. The end result of listening to this a couple times through is a feeling of utter relaxation. The upbeat pieces include Paradiso, the title cut, Summer Country Song, If We Meet Again Part 2, Theme of the Mother Ship, and Casmir. The languid cuts include This Way Before, If We Meet Again Part 1, Cyprus, Precious Little You, and On My Own.
I like almost everything on Orange and Blue to some degree except for the awful Ta'alina Chant which the album could certainly have done without. One can only speculate on the quid pro quo arrangement that got that turkey inserted.
Orange and Blue is a hugely underrated and largely overlooked album. You get nearly an hour of mostly great music and an attractive insert listing who plays what on what song. If you are a Di Meola fan and don't have this, get it while it is still available. One reviewer compared this unfavorably to Kiss My Axe. I make the opposite comparison. This is quite a piece of work.

This one of my favorite, A true Master Piece.
It can hear an evolving story with plot, A Theme through out the Record. Its more of a mellow jazzy CD, Kind Of A Pat Matheny Sound. A Must for every jazz fan. Really. Great.
This One Can Really Move me To Tears.

Although not as consistent as Kiss My Axe or The Infinite Desire, overall this is very good. Chilean Pipe Song definitely stands out as the best song here, but Orange and Blue and Casmir are also very good. The middle of the CD can get a bit boring at times, which is what prevents this from being 5 stars.

This album was hyped as the follow-up to the excellent "Kiss My Axe", but, with the exception of one arrangement (Casmire), it has nothing to do with the former.

There's a reason I don't have any Pat Matheny albums...because almost all of them sound a lot like this. It's not only the worst DiMeola album I've heard, but it's is among the most boring and uninspiring jazz albums I've ever heard.