Spain Again
価格: ¥2,234
Seven years after their widely praised initial encounter, Dominican jazz pianist Michel Camilo, who cites Art Tatum and Keith Jarrett among his role models, and Spanish gypsy guitarist Tomatito, accompanist to the late vocal legend, Camarón de la Isla (the Jim Morrison of flamenco) are back with another stunning set. Although these two musicians emerged from very different backgrounds, there is nonetheless a certain commonality, the most obvious being that both jazz and flamenco are highly improvisational, demanding nearly supernatural levels of empathy between collaborating musicians. Although their debut concentrated primarily upon Spanish sources, they've now moved on to styles of lateral Iberian descent, notably the stylishly intellectual neo-tangos of Argentina's Astor Piazzolla, with a nod to his influential forebear, Carlos Gardel. Mr. Camilo's Juilliard training must have come in handy when essaying these works, as both composers were deeply familiar with European sources such as the works of French impressionists like Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré. The album also includes a gently reflective rendering of "Stella by Starlight," coming to a close with "Amor de Conuco," a romantically retro nuevo cancion-like ballad by Mr. Camilo's countryman, Juan Luis Guerra, with vocals by the composer. --Christina Roden