| Elegant Gypsy | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Al Di Meola |
| Cover: | elegant_gypsy.jpg |
| Released: | April 1977 |
| Recorded: | December 1976–January 1977 |
| Genre: | Jazz rock |
| Length: | 37:00 |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | Al Di Meola |
| Prev Title: | Land of the Midnight Sun |
| Prev Year: | 1976 |
| Next Title: | Casino |
| Next Year: | 1978 |
Elegant Gypsy is the second album by American jazz fusion guitarist Al Di Meola. It was released in 1977 by Columbia Records.
Elegant Gypsy was a follow-up album to Di Meola's debut release, Land of the Midnight Sun. The distinctive music on the album is a speedy fusion of jazz and rock, with lightning-fast guitar riffs intermixed with lyrical acoustical passages. The songs include explorations of Latin music themes, including acoustic genres like flamenco.[1]
The inspiration behind one of di Meola's signature songs, “Race with Devil on Spanish Highway”, came from The Kinks’ garage rock classic "You Really Got Me". It the first song he attempted to play on the guitar, when he was between eight and nine years old.[2]
Elegant Gypsy won an annual award for Best Guitar Album in Guitar Player.
Janice Dickinson is the model on the album cover.
All songs by Al Di Meola unless otherwise noted.
| Year | Chart | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Billboard 200 | 58[3] | |
| 1977 | Billboard Top Jazz Albums | 5 |