Search - Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola, Jean-Luc Ponty :: Rite of Strings

A Coherent Collaboration

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 06/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a long-time fan of both Al DiMeola and Jean-Luc Ponty though I didn't know much about Stanley Clarke beyond his glowing reputation.So when the "Rite of Strings" tour paid a visit to San Antonio, I was interested in seeing how the three would work together.Very well, as it turned out and of course they played music from their eponymous album as well as a few extra songs giving each of them a chance to individually shine.I bought the CD at the concert and was very pleased upon listening to it. There is something here for fans of each musician. My favorites are Indigo, which is unabashedly DiMeola, Song for John, a Clarke/Corea composition which is incredibly mellow and relaxing, and Memory Canyon, which has Ponty written all over it. There is no song on the album I don't like but I do wish that Al would have chosen something other than the Chilean Pipe Song, one of the weaker songs from his Orange and Blue CD.I'd rate this a winner as I came away with a higher regard for the musicianship of each of the bandmembers."

MIDI almost ruins it

Edward M. Green | Ann Arbor, MI | 10/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album shows some great interplay among the three musicians. There's an increased rhythmic quality of the guitar, bass, and violin due to a lack of a percussion instrument. This actually adds to the clarity and a more mutable rhythum in each other's stringed instruments. Most of the songs are well above average and showcase a fusion that is less cheesy and plastic sounding than many of the contemporaries. However, one thing that almost causes me to turn this cd off is the (...) 80's MIDI sound that Al Dimeola uses. MIDI only serves as a corny sounding crutch to add more depth to the music. It's end up taking away from the music. I hope MIDI or other technological crutches are done away with...but then again, why are techno, rap, and other drum machine "music" around?"

Excellent

gdozzzz | Avon, CT United States | 04/27/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All three of these musicians have mellowed over the years. They've proven their chops are pretty much unsurpassed in the industry already, but here they showcase their compositional skills and prove that they can play with passion. My favorites are Indigo, Chilean Pipe Song, and Topanga but every song here is at least good."