John McLaughlin, Al di Meola and Paco de Lucía, April 1981
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Flamenco-jazz or jazz-flamenco, the order in which its elements are listed does not alter the end product. During the long and enriching path of experimenting with sounds, jazz musicians fixed their gaze on flamenco at the same time as flamenco artists looked at jazz as a perfect complement to modernise the 'arte jondo' (lit. 'deep art', an expression often used to refer to flamenco).
The search for new paths in flamenco has found an unequalled travel partner in jazz. Both musical genres are racy, come from the south and are based on the brilliance and freedom of their performers. It is these shared elements that, as time has gone by and there have been several initiatives by artists from both genres, have developed into a musical cross-breeding and fusion discipline in its own right.
This phenomenon started in the late 1960s, when great jazz figures like Miles Davis set their gazes upon Spain and its music with records like "Sketches of Spain". In the same period, the Spanish jazz saxophonist Pedro Iturralde began to get interested in flamenco. In 1967, in the Berlin jazz festival, Iturralde decided to cooperate with the young flamenco guitarist Paco de Algeciras, who was later to attain fame with the name Paco de Lucía.
De Lucía is the great figure from flamenco who has shown the most interest for fusion with jazz. In this musical genre, which is predominantly instrumental, the maestro from the Cádiz province found the main element to turn the guitar into the solo protagonist. A clear example of this is the album "The guitar trio", a work in which he plays with Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin.
Jazz has contributed to Paco de Lucía's guitar playing by widening his harmonic and rhythmic range. Likewise, it was also from jazz that he drew the concept of the "instrumental flamenco group", that became prominent and imposed itself among subsequent guitarists. Following this concept of instrumental flamenco music as collective work, he established his well-known sextet, which was set up alongside his brothers Ramón and Pepe, as well as Carles Benavent's bass, Jorge Pardo's saxophone, and Rubem Dantas' percussion.
-"Live in America"
-"Paco de Lucía and group"
-"Live... One summer night"
Using their work with Paco de Lucía as a starting point, jazz musicians like Carles Benavent and Jorge Pardo have developed interesting careers within the flamenco jazz discipline, through both solo work and in cooperation with other artists.
-"Agüita que corre". Carles Benavent
-"Sumando". Carles Benavent and Josemi Carmona
-"10 de Paco". Jorge Pardo and Chano Domínguez
-"Mira". Jorge Pardo
It was precisely Jorge Pardo and Carles Benavent who set up, alongisde the drummer Tino di Geraldo, the most prolific jazz-flamenco trio on the current scene. Jointly or as solo performers, they are featured in the majority of new flamenco records.
-"El Concierto de Sevilla". Carles Benavent, Tino di Geraldo, Jorge Pardo
-Colección Nuevos Medios. Tino Di Geraldo
Chano Domínguez
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Apart from Paco de Lucía, the other great master of flamenco jazz is undoubtedly Chano Domínguez. With his piano, he has played tangos, tanguillos, alegrías, compás de bulerías, fandangos, soleás..., although he tackled them using a traditional jazz structure. Throughout his career this pianist has gifted us with some of the best themes from this sub-genre.
-"Chano"
-"Hecho a mano"
-"Imán"
In the wake of Paco de Lucía, several flamenco guitarists have approached jazz with their guitar strings. Gerardo Núñez has worked with the saxophonist Perico Sambeat on "Cruce de caminos. Jazz viene del Sur", whereas Niño Josele pays tribute to the legendary pianist Bill Evans in "Paz".
Niño Josele
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Michel Camilo's piano and Tomatito's guitar have given rise to two of the most important flamenco jazz works. "Spain" and its second instalment, "Spain again", which demonstrate that the blend between these two styles can reach some sublime levels.
The fusion between jazz and flamenco has been so productive that it has even resulted in a number of compilation records.
-"Flamenco jazz"
-"Flamenco jazz 2"
-"Jazzpaña 2"
This cross-breeding, between flamenco and jazz, clearly expresses the universal character of music, regardless of where it comes from.
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