Paco De Lucia, Pepe De Lucia: Pepito y Paquito

In the internet age, the world abounds with musical prodigies. The instant availability of instructional videos on YouTube, sheet and tablature music sites, online megastores selling high-quality, inexpensive instruments shipped right to one's door, and online lessons make it easier than ever to learn how to play an instrument. Social media pages are full of videos documenting children as young as three exhibiting astonishing digital facility on the piano, guitar and violin. And yet few of these technically adept players go on to become creative artists in their own right. It is a bit like the Nathan's hot dog eating contest winner versus an innovative French chef: the former may be impressive for their prodigious speed, but it is the latter who moves the culinary arts forward in a way that demands long-term attention.

Such musings are sparked by listening to Pepito y Paquito, an astonishing document seemingly beamed across time from 1959 to our 21st century ears with little wear to show for the journey. The late Spanish master flamenco and jazz guitarist Paco de Lucia will need little introduction to many AAJ readers, but it can safely be said that none have ever heard him like this before. These flamenco performances by Paco, age 11, and his vocalist brother Pepe, age 13, were captured in 1959 on a small Grundig tape recorder by the boys' father, Antonio Sánchez Pecino, and family friend Reyes Benítez, at home. While their existence had long been known, their whereabouts were not, until Benítez's son Quique discovered them in 2022. The tapes have been restored using AI, though it is unclear precisely what that means. The recording still sounds mono, so it would not appear that de-mixing technology has been used extensively. However, the remarkable clarity and ambiance suggests noise reduction and perhaps the application of subtle reverb to add some air to the sound. In any case, the album is a relaxing and enjoyable listen, a true time machine evoking a sunny day in the coastal town of Algeciras with two great innate musical talents, seemingly fully-formed even at such a young age. The LP edition is well-pressed, though not entirely devoid of surface noise, and presented in an attractive gatefold cover with bespoke inner sleeves containing the Spanish lyrics.

Fans of flamenco music and its many traditional styles will rejoice at this 21-song survey, which includes bulerías, soleares, cuplés, rumbas, fandangos, tangos, seguiriyas, alegrías and villancicos. Paco's immense ability is already on display here, as he agilely navigates a wide variety of tunes, including three guitar solos based on his main early influence, Niño Ricardo. As impressive as Paco's nylon-string guitar playing is, elder brother Pepe's singing is its equal. Impassioned, mature and accurate, it is hard to connect such vocal technique to a 13-year old. This unearthed set of recordings represents the first documentation of a musical partnership that continued for over 20 years, with Pepe contributing both singing and songwriting to many of Paco's albums. Pepe's legacy also continues through his daughter, the Spanish pop singer Malú, and his son José, a flamenco guitarist like his uncle.

Seldom do we have the ability to chart the earliest flowering of our greatest virtuosos' talent. This welcome archaeological release from BMG and the Paco de Lucia Foundation offers us that gift, and it is one that many fans of the guitarist are sure to enjoy. And for jazz listeners unaccustomed to flamenco music, Pepito y Paquito may serve as a characterful primer.