Di Meola, a Berklee School of Music graduate whose blistering guitar style married the best elements of rock and jazz, got his major breaktrhough in Return to Forever, the groundbreaking fusion band that included Chic Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Lenny White on drums. During this time he was among the most celebrated jazz-rock musicians on the scene. While still in Return to Forever, Di Meola had released Land of the Midnight Sun; he followed it in 1977 with Elegant Gypsy, which went Gold in the US. The success was driven by FM radio stations, an unlikely benefactor given their begrudging support of jazz-fusion. Di Meola has remained a jazz fusion superstar ever since, although he is focusing much more on acoustic music and more straightforward jazz leanings these days.
