Al Di Meola is a five-time winner of the “Best Jazz Guitarist” award in GuitarPlayer magazine's reader poll. Di Meola is known for his technical mastery and extremely fast, complex guitar solos and compositions. He has a unique fondness for Mediterranean cultures and acoustic genres like flamenco. These influences can be heard on “Mediterranean Sundance” and “Lady of Rome, Sister of Brazil” from the Elegant Gypsy album (1977). He was very influential among rock and jazz guitarists alike.

Di Meola continued to explore Latin music within the jazz-fusion genre with albums like Casino and Splendido Hotel. His acoustic technique is ferocious. His touch on numbers like “Señor Mouse” and “Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars” from the Casino album, and on the bestselling live album with McLaughlin and de Lucia, Friday Night in San Francisco, are the stuff of legend.

In 1979, guitarist Larry Coryell formed The Guitar Trio with jazz-fusion guitarist John McLaughlin and flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia. The three toured Europe briefly, eventually releasing a video recorded at Royal Albert Hall in London titled Meeting of Spirits. In early 1980, Larry Coryell was replaced by Al Di Meola.

When Di Meola began his training with jazz guitarist Robert Aslanian, he was taught to focus on reading, picking technique, and technical proficiency. Di Meola listened to rock as well as jazz. In fact, one of Al's influences was the 1960s surf group The Ventures. In 1971, he enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1974, he joined Chick Corea's band, Return to Forever, and played with the band until a major lineup shift in 1976. He has collaborated with numerous artists and continues to perform in intimate concert venues.

Di Meola often closes out shows with an energetic rendition of one of his most challenging (to play, that is) pieces, “Race with Devil on Spanish Highway,” from the Elegant Gypsy album (1977). Even though this particular composition is nearly thirty years old, Al's technical command is undeniable. His scale runs are still blindingly fast, and the energy is always at a high level. Because of his early recordings, Di Meola indirectly became the pioneer of shred guitar in the 1980s, influencing guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, and Paul Gilbert.