With the help of new generations of guitar synthesizers and samplers, The Infinite Desire finds a mature, lyrical, more expressive Al di Meola casting his lot with Telarc, which until the late '90s had concentrated its attentions upon aging acoustic jazzers. Indeed, he makes marvelously musical use of the new devices, creating sensuous, exotic layers of sound that lie easily upon the ear, without much of the usual harshness of digital instruments generated by those who haven't bothered to master them. Shaking the Spirits in particular is a fascinating piece, loaded with dazzling Middle Eastern and African colorations, and the sampled trumpet sound he gets on Valentina is astoundingly lifelike. Also, di Meola's playing became more unabashedly fluid in the '90s; on the closest thing to a straight-ahead track, Invention of the Monsters, di Meola's electric guitar curls intricately and swingingly around the bass of Tom Kennedy, Ernie Adams' drums, and some synthesized brass. Di Meola's co-conspirators change from track to track, although two who figure a lot in the sound and package are keyboardist Rachel Z (a former di Meola sidewoman) and bassist John Patitucci. Also check out Herbie Hancock on acoustic grand and Peter Erskine's drums on Istanbul, and di Meola's fairly good-natured duel with rock guitarist Steve Vai on Race with Devil on Turkish Highway. ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi

1		Beyond the Mirage
2		Shaking the Spirits
3		Vizzini
4		In My Mother's Eyes (Memory of Theresa)
5		The Infinite Desire
6		Invention of the Monsters
7		Istanbul
8		Azzura
9		Big Sky Azzura
10		Race with Devil on Turkish Highway
11		Valentina
12		The Infinite Desire