Across The Universe by Al Di Meola
In 1974, Al Di Meola stepped into the jazz/fusion scene when he joined Chick Corea’s band Return To Forever. Since then he has maintained a steady stream of albums, often reinventing himself along the way. His newest album Here Comes The Suns a sequel of sorts to 2013s, All Your Life. Once again he explores his love of the music of the Beatles. This album contains fourteen songs from the Fab Four’s catalogue. Di Meola gives them his own arrangements and interpretations. You year his his famous influence of flamenco all over the record. It’s so much more. Electric guitars, acoustic guitars, all layered beautifully to give a rich, lovely feel to these tracks. In addition to his guitar work Di Meola also played the bass and drums.
He selects some of the better known Beatles tunes like “Here Comes The Sun,” “Yesterday,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Norwegian Wood,” and “Hey Jude.” He also explores other great numbers like “Dear Prudence” which seems to be a popular song with jazz musicians. He does a wonderful job playing the famous “Golden Slumbers Medley” from Abbey Road. He gives loving interpretations of “Mother Nature’s Son” and “I’ll Follow The Sun.” Di Meola has talked before about his love of the Beatles and how their music inspired him when he was young. You can hear this love throughout this record. If you already know Al Di Meola then you will know that this will be a good album. If you like the Beatles, but don’t know Di Meaola then check this out. It is a wonderful addition to Di Meola’s catalog and also a wonderful entry point.