Al Di Meola Elegant Gypsy 180g LP

TAS Rated 4.5/5 Music, 5/5 Sonics in the April 2025 Issue of The Absolute Sound!

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Fusion maestro Al Di Meola broke into the mainstream with his fiery, certified-gold-selling 1977 album. Backed by impassioned performances from an unmatched collection of side men (including Jan Hammer, Steve Gadd, Paco de Lucía and Anthony Jackson), Di Meola's spellbinding melodicism and explosive technique create what Scott Yanow of All Music Guide calls "A near classic in the fusion vein."

I'd always thought my Columbia label LP sounded really quite good; that is, until compared to Impex's superb new reissue, which trounces it on every possible level! Bernie Grundman's new master has greater clarity, improved dynamics, a better spatial presentation, and deeper, more well-defined bass than the 1977 original. Having listened to Impex's new LP repeatedly over the last couple of weeks, the shortcomings of the original are now so much more obvious to my ears. Impex has definitely nailed it (as always!) with this excellent 180 gram reissue!

'Mediterranean Sundance' is a beautiful dual acoustic guitar masterpiece that simply has Spanish guitar virtuoso, the late Paco De Lucia on the left and Al collaborating (and sparring) on the right. It is a masterful composition with both guitars weaving in and around each other at a dizzying pace. This IMPEX pressing sonically does this stripped-down piece more than a little justice. With a perfectly quiet background, I could turn this track up and be totally immersed in the performance enjoying every nuance as the music moved back and forth between the two players. 'Race With Devil on Spanish Highway' is a favorite track and this IMPEX pressing is one of the best versions I've heard, analog or digital. Warm, Dynamic, and with great instrument separation. Pressed by RTI on 180-gram vinyl, this LP is essentially flawless. Completely flat with nary a hint of surface noise and not a single pop to obstruct the music. As expected of an IMPEX release, the album jacket and liner notes insert are beautifully printed and on heavy stock. If you are an Al Di Meola fan and have a love for vinyl, this one is worth seriously looking at.

Impex's new all-analog 180-gram vinyl reissue of Elegant Gypsy sounds even more staggering than the original pressing. Jackson's picked bass lines cut through with newfound weight and clarity while Di Meola's distortion-laced speed licks ring out with even more muscular authority.