Flamenco Sketches

Dominguez, Chano
Blue Note
Jazz | Mar 2012

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2012-04-12
CHANO DOMÍNGUEZ: Flamenco Sketches
Blue Note, 2012

WORLD JAZZ – OK, if you’re going to cover "Kind of Blue," the most acclaimed jazz album of all time, *in its entirety*, you’d better have one of two things: either a better band than the one Miles Davis had (not gonna happen), or a startlingly original take on the music. Dominguez, a fine pianist from Spain, doesn’t get anywhere near “startling” on this live nightclub recording, but I’ll give him “original” for his flamenco-based approach. The tunes drift easily between supper-club jazz and some dark Andalusian tavern, complete with handclap rhythms, dance percussion and raspy vocal wails. Nice stuff, a bit out of the ordinary.

Fo’s Picks: 2, 4, 5

1. 16:04 – tender balladry: a floating tone poem evolves into flamenco after about 4 minutes, builds up breezy drive, second half is more playful
2. 9:33 – bluesy tune runs from dark pulse up to a fast, peppy, rhythmic romp
3. 8:09 – very gentle solo piano, then soft trio with vocal melodrama
4. 7:46 – iconic melody given a dusky drive, bass & piano in an uptempo jam
5. 6:54 – funky li’l strut: very upbeat, a real toe-tapper (literally)
6. 9:06 – dramatic piano starts exotic, falls into relaxed walking groove
7. 3:39 – brisk, upbeat, spinning reel… a happy closer

[ Fo ] - April 2012

Recent airplay

So What
No Cover, No MinimumJan 17, 2014
Blue In Green
RebopJun 12, 2012
So What
No Cover, No MinimumJun 01, 2012
All Blues
RebopMay 29, 2012
So What
RebopMay 22, 2012
Freddie Freeloader
No Cover, No MinimumMay 18, 2012

Charting

2012-04-14 — 2012-06-17 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
Jun 17 1
Jun 3 2
May 27 1
May 20 2
May 13 2
May 6 1
Apr 29 2
Apr 22 1

Track listing

1. Flamenco Sketches
2. Freddie Freeloader
3. Blue In Green
4. So What
5. All Blues
6. Nardis
7. Serpent's Tooth