Al Di Meola

Genius guitarist Al Di Meola returns to the city where he recorded arguably the greatest guitar album of all time, bringing his current trio and music from across his matchless career.

A technical virtuoso with uncommon soul and passion, Di Meola is on the shortlist of the world’s great guitarists. He came to worldwide prominence in 1974 when he was invited by Chick Corea to join the fusion supergroup Return to Forever at age 19, playing a quicksilver form of electric jazz that set a new high-water mark for what could be achieved on his instrument.

Initially inspired by the work of Tal Farlow, Kenny Burrell, and Larry Coryell, Di Meola has forged his own path as a composer and instrumentalist. Since his 1976 debut Land of the Midnight Sun, the New Jersey born guitarist has helped pioneer the melding of jazz with global influences, mixing elements of flamenco, tango, and Middle Eastern music with the rhythms of India, Brazil and West Africa.

In 1980, he recorded the landmark Friday Night in San Francisco in a trio with flamenco genius Paco de Lucía and jazz guitar giant John McLaughlin — a multi-Platinum selling album that set the standard for guitar mastery. In 2022, Di Meola released the follow-up, Saturday Night in San Francisco, an archival performance recorded the following night and previously unheard.

He returns to SF for a rare appearance in a trio with a pair of percussionists, Richie Morales and Amit Kavthekar.