Part 6/13:
Al’s influences span the spectrum—from jazz legends like Miles Davis and Jim Hall to Latin icons like Willie Bobo and Paco de Lucía. He discusses his early love for Sly and the Family Stone, and The Beatles, especially their harmonic richness, which served as a springboard for his arrangements and improvisations.
Particularly, Al singles out Paco de Lucía as a pivotal guitar influence, recalling their first meeting during RTFC's European tour, and how Paco's virtuosic yet articulate style opened new horizons. He praises Paco's sophisticated use of rhythm and melody, noting that feeling the "ups and downs"—the UPS versus DOWNS—was essential to their spontaneous interplay.