The Di Meola performance was great, but I’m always all ears for the tales. In the pic above, he was telling how he went to see Return To Forever, his favorite band, around the age of 19. (New info for me: Earl Klugh was the live-performance guitarist at the time. Knowing his chill style, it’s hard to imagine how that worked.)
Al Di Meola, 4/9/24, Carnegie Library of Homestead. soulshowmike image
DiMeola told a friend in the business that he really wanted to be in the band. The friend recorded a demo while Al was under the influence of a serious substance, sent the tape to Chick Corea, Chick called and invited him into RTF, and Al played Carnegie Hall real soon afterward. There it is.
