Despite the aggression its title implies, Kiss My Axe is the work of a softer, more reflective Al di Meola, who had become greatly influenced by Pat Metheny's subtle lyricism, but still had a very recognizable and distinctive sound.
Di Meola's new approach was perfectly summarized when, in 1991, he told Jazz Times he wanted to be "enchanted" by the music instead of dazzling listeners with his considerable chops.
Di Meola still has fine technique, but avoids overwhelming us with it, and shows more restraint than before.
One thing that remains is the guitarist's strong interest in world music -- this imaginative session liberally incorporates Latin influences (Brazilian, Spanish, Peruvian and Afro-Cuban) as well as Middle Eastern and African elements.
In that Jazz Times interview, di Meola explained that this CD's title resulted in part from his frustration over the fact that many labels and commercial radio stations were choosing bloodless "elevator muzak" over more adventurous fusion.
Consistently rewarding, Axe makes it clear that di Meola did the right thing by refusing to compromise.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Bound TravelerBarry Miles | Al Di Meola | Play | 05:22 | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| 2 | The EmbraceAl Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 05:49 | 13 MB | 37 MB |
| 3 | Kiss My AxeAl Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 05:03 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 4 | MoroccoAl Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 07:40 | 17 MB | 44 MB |
| 5 | Gigi's Playtime Rhyme (Interlude #1)Al Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 02:35 | 5 MB | 12 MB |
| 6 | One Night Last JuneAl Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 08:18 | 19 MB | 49 MB |
| 7 | PhantomChick Corea | Al Di Meola | Play | 07:53 | 18 MB | 48 MB |
| 8 | Erotic Interlude (Interlude #2)Al Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 02:32 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 9 | Global SafariAl Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 05:42 | 13 MB | 36 MB |
| 10 | Interlude #3Al Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 01:58 | 4 MB | 9 MB |
| 11 | Purple OrchidsAl Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 06:44 | 15 MB | 40 MB |
| 12 | The Prophet (Interlude #4)Al Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 01:16 | 2 MB | 7 MB |
| 13 | Oriana (September 24, 1988)Al Di Meola | Al Di Meola | Play | 05:19 | 12 MB | 29 MB |
| 66 mins | 151 MB | |||||
| 66 mins | 397 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd Carpenter | Assistant Engineer |
| 2 | Chick Corea | Composer |
| 3 | Victor Deyglio | Assistant Engineer |
| 4 | Al Di Meola | Arranger, Composer, Cymbals, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Handclapping, Performer, Primary Artist, Producer, Tabla |
| 5 | Frank Filipetti | Engineer |
| 6 | Dante Gioia | Assistant Engineer |
| 7 | Milton Glaser | Design |
| 8 | Omar Hakim | Drums, Guest Artist |
| 9 | Anthony Jackson | Bass (Electric), Clarinet (Contrabass), Guest Artist |
| 10 | Alia Jordan | Model |
| 11 | Kip Kaplan | Executive Producer |
| 12 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 13 | Mark Mason | Assistant Engineer |
| 14 | Barry Miles | Arranger, Composer, Guest Artist, Handclapping, Piano, Producer, Programming, Synclavier, Synthesizer |
| 15 | Bill Milkowski | Liner Notes |
| 16 | Dan Mockensturm | Engineer |
| 17 | Richie Morales | Drums, Guest Artist |
| 18 | Gumbi Oritz | Bata, Congas, Handclapping |
| 19 | Gumbi Ortiz | Congas, Guest Artist |
| 20 | David Palmer | Engineer |
| 21 | Tony Scherr | Bass, Bass (Acoustic), Bass (Electric), Guest Artist |
| 22 | Arto Tuncboyaciyan | Bata, Bongos, Guest Artist, Percussion, Voices |
| 23 | Henry Wolf | Photography |
| 24 | Rachel Z | Guest Artist, Synthesizer |
| 25 | Vittorio Zammarano | Engineer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |