Translation of the German review:

In 1974, the US guitarist Al Di Meola joined the band Return To Forever as a 19-year-old graduate of the Berkeley School of Music and fascinated the audience with his outstanding guitar playing. For me, his second studio album Elegant Gypsy (1977) with its mixture of Latin, jazz flamenco, Brazilian and rock was particularly influential. In 1981, he released the album Friday Night in San Francisco together with Paco de Lucia and John McLaughlin. It became a genre classic and the best-selling live acoustic guitar album of all time. Al Di Meola was now world-famous, received many important awards, but by no means rested on his laurels. He continued to develop his style on acoustic and electric guitars, releasing more than 35 albums to date, contributing to over 15 releases and touring constantly. On June 28, 1994, I heard Al Di Meola together with Stanley Clarke and Jean Luc Ponty live at the Tempodrom in Berlin and on July 16, 2008, Return To Forever played their reunion tour at Schloss Neuhardenberg: Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Al Di Meola.

The memorable concert One of These Nights at the Scala in Ludwigsburg on May 17, 2004, in which Al Di Meola performed with seven musicians (piano and synthesizer, drums, percussion, cello, viola, two violins) fits into this tradition. On Part 1 of the concert, which has now been released as a master tape copy, the eight artists conjure their way through six of the master's compositions. Anyone who knows the pieces will recognize them in principle. The variability and how improvisational moments are woven into the arrangements is very exciting. The multiple interweaving of styles from different genres means that there is never a dull moment. Perhaps the best explanation for this kind of music is that it reinvents itself at every moment and carries a constant momentum. It is fascinating how well the band is played and how the musicians harmonize in the complex structures. This kind of performance is not easy and so it is even more remarkable how relaxed the proceedings are. The listener can expect wonderful solo moments, as we have come to expect from Al Di Meola and his band members. The string wizard always manages to make his music shine in a different light.

Christoph Stickel (csmastering) has done an excellent job of reworking the original material for the master tape copy. The imaging, transparency, precision and simultaneous unity of sound are incomparably good. One of These Nights - Part 1 is characterized by a lively sound, a large sound stage, explosive dynamics and a sensational resolution, which is remarkable even at low levels on this low-noise master tape copy. I wanted to take notes for this review on first listen but then got caught up in this expansive sound experience and just listened. These are the magical moments I love when listening to music. Fortunately, you can rewind the tape and listen to it again and again.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)