Customer Reviews

In a Minute

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. . . and a very attractive one, at that.

Billed as Nuevo Flamenco, it's really what I call Nu Latin Jazz. The artists at the forefront of the music--Miguel Zenon, William Cepeda, Guillermo Klein, Tino Derado, Gilson Schachnik, Danilo Perez, Ed Simon, and others--are taking Latin music to places it's never been before.

Jorge Pardo, a Spaniard, is ostensibly a flamenco artist. But he plays a variety of windwood instruments--flutes, tenor, and soprano sax--that are certainly not within the purview of normal flamenco music. And there're other anomalous instruments as well, including electric bass and synthesizer. When I first heard what he was doing a decade ago on Las Cigarras Son Quiza Sordas, I was unsure about whether or not it worked. I've since concluded he was simply ahead of his time, and he has now perfected his approach with this remarkable disc.

Using a suite-like approach, where tunes fade out then segue into similar-sounding numbers, he has created a very listenable and even beguiling sound palette. What you get is the edgy energy of flamenco beats--handclaps, tap-dancing, swirling acoustic guitars--overlain with authentic jazz improv and sensibilities. The result strikes me as a genuinely new synthesis--mesmeric, hypnotic, and very attractive.

Certainly worth a listen for anyone interested in the latest developments in Latin jazz.