Al Di Meola: Live at The Barbican

Legendary guitarist Al Di Meola brought The Guitarchitect to The Barbican, drawing on nearly five decades of music.

Alfonsi, Di Meola and Martinez

As Al Di Meola returned to London after seven years at the Barbican Concert Hall as part of the Serious Music Summer Jazz Series, his introduction was full of humility: “I’ve always had a special connection with audiences in London, and I’m looking forward to sharing an evening of music that spans many chapters of my journey.”

London audiences have always loved Di Meola, in the various ensembles that have graced stages at venues such as The Roundhouse and the Royal Albert Hall, with huge artists including Chick Corea and John McLaughlin. Some of those memories were shared from the stage, as he picked out tunes from such an enormous body of work.

It was interesting to see the music parts that extended to several pages, indicating the intricacy of some of these compositions. This is not a guitarist making it up as he goes along (apart from in the improvised sections, obviously!)

This stripped-down acoustic ensemble gave Di Meola the space to explore these tunes with careful structure and often dramatic endings. His trio included Peo Alfonsi (guitar) and Sergio Martinez (percussion) and, for a final encore of Mediterranean Sundance, the amazing Flamenco guitarist Antonio Reyes, fresh from his own London gig earlier in the evening.

The various electronics used on guitars and the huge array of percussion and drum kit meant this sounded like a huge band, with much to listen out for through the evening. On a screen above the trio, images of nature and architecture were projected to complement the sound. While they played some of Di Meola’s Lennon and McCartney tunes, there was a short film of John Lennon which was quite emotional to watch.

With images of Di Meola as a child and a younger musician, the whole evening was a delightful reminder of the life of this great musician. His heartfelt performance of the 2024 single Ava’s Dance in the Moonlight was accompanied by dancers on the screen - and even a section where the guitarist was having his face painted by his daughter, the inspiration behind the tune. This was a personal evening, shared with a packed and appreciative Barbican audience.

There’s more still to come from live music producers Serious with the Summer Jazz Series and, of course, the EFG London Jazz Festival