Kiss My Axe

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Kiss My Axe
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 1991
RecordedMay 1991
StudioPlatinum Post Studios (Winter Park, Florida)
GenreJazz fusion
Length65:01
LabelTomato
ProducerAl Di Meola
Al Di Meola chronology
Tirami Su
(1987)
Kiss My Axe
(1991)
World Sinfonia
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Kiss My Axe is an album by jazz guitarist Al Di Meola that was released in 1991. It is a jazz fusion album, with significant world music influences.[1] Like its predecessor, Tirami Su (1987), it is credited to "The Al Di Meola Project", although the two albums have an almost entirely different set of backing musicians.

The album's title is a play on words on the phrase "kiss my ass", with "axe" as a common nickname for an electric guitar. Di Meola chose the title in part because of his frustration with the music industry of the time, which he felt rewarded "elevator muzak" over more adventurous music.[1]

Track listing[edit]

All songs by Al Di Meola unless otherwise noted.

  1. "South Bound Traveler" (Barry Miles) – 5:22
  2. "The Embrace" – 5:49
  3. "Kiss My Axe" – 5:04
  4. "Morocco" – 7:41
  5. "Gigi's Playtime Rhyme (Interlude #1)" – 2:36
  6. "One Night Last June" – 8:19
  7. "Phantom" (Chick Corea, arranged by Al Di Meola) 7:53
  8. "Erotic Interlude (Interlude #2)" – 2:32
  9. "Global Safari" – 5:42
  10. "Interlude #3" – 1:59
  11. "Purple Orchids" – 6:45
  12. "The Prophet (Interlude #4)" – 1:16
  13. "Oriana (September 24, 1988)" – 5:19

Personnel[edit]

Production[edit]

  • Kip Kaplan – executive producer
  • Al Di Meola – producer, arrangements
  • Barry Miles – co-producer, arrangements
  • Frank Filipetti – engineer
  • Vittorio Zammarano – additional engineer
  • Todd Carpenter – assistant engineer
  • Victor Deyglio – assistant engineer
  • Mark Mason – assistant engineer
  • Sean Haines – live computer programmer equipment manager
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York, NY)
  • Milton Glaser – design
  • Henry Wolf – photography
  • Alia Jordan – model

Chart performance[edit]

Year Chart Position
1991 Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums 2[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Henderson, Alex. "Kiss My Axe". allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  2. ^ "Kiss My Axe - Al di Meola | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.