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Juanito Pascual: New Flamenco Trio
ByThis Minnesota-born flamenco phenom is well-versed in the traditions, techniques and history of flamenco music, but he isn't weighted down by all of them. This was clear from the beginning, when Pascual released a debutCosas En Comun (Self Produced, 2003)which focused on original flamenco compositions. He broadened his outlook with Language Of The Heart (Self Produed, 2009), a flamenco-world-jazz hybrid which featured a large cast that included heavy-hitters like bassist John Patitucci and percussionist Jamey Haddad. Now, for his third release, he's scaling it back a bit, finding his way with bassist Brad Barrett and percussionist Tupac Mantilla by his side.
All of the music on New Flamenco Trio resides in a similar sonic space, but Pascual spins each song in a slightly different way. "Prelude 1," a rubato beauty with Andalusian allusions aplenty, sets the scene. "Costa Brava" coasts along, "Manana" manifests as a confluence of jazz and flamenco ideals, and the lone cover on the album"My Guitar Gently Weeps"is born anew, resurfaced to fit in alongside Pascual's originals. By the time the album reaches its midpointthe understated, yet scintillating "Mamoni"Pascual's modus operandi has been clearly established; it's one that mixes grace and virtuosity in equal parts.
The second half of the album contains a bulería that the guitarist dedicated to his wife ("Buleria Para Kiko"), a funky-and-worldly concoction that blends Spanish sounds with Indian and Baltic spices ("Chicago Times (Funkmenco)"), a brief-and-hazy prelude that leads up to that serving of global stew, and a gentle send-off ("Tiferet (Tema Por Tangos)).
With New Flamenco Trio, Pascual manages to uphold and extend the traditions of flamenco music, creating something distinctive in the process.
Track Listing
Prelude 1 (Tarantas); Costa Brava; Manana; While My GUitar Gently Weeps; Mamoni (Rumba); Buleria Para Kiko; Prelude 2 - The Fog Rolls In; Chicago Times (Funkmenco); Tiferet (Tema Por Tangos).
Personnel
Juanito Pascual
guitarJuanito Pascual: guitars, palmas; Tupac Mantilla: hand percussion, body percussion, vocal percussion; Brad Barrett: acoustic bass.
Album information
Title: New Flamenco Trio | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced
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