Spanish pianist Chano Dominguez has made a jazz career in exploring its
connections with the flamenco of his native Cadiz. On previous
offerings, Dominguez has carved out a place where the various dance
rhythms and sung cadences of flamenco find equal voice with jazz
lyricism, exploration, and harmonic adventure. Flamenco Sketches began
as a commission from the Barcelona Jazz Festival to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. The album is a re-visioned
reading of the compositions on the iconic Davis album -- in different
order -- as well as two other Davis compositions, "Nardis" (which he
never recorded) and "Serpent's Tooth," from the trumpeter's Prestige
years. Dominguez is accompanied by bassist Mário Rossy and percussionist
Israel Suarez, with palmas (handclaps) from Blas Cordoba (who is also
the vocalist here) and Tomás Moreno. Recorded live at the Jazz Standard
(you can hear glasses tinkling in quieter moments); this recording is
filled with the untranslatable flamenco word "duende" (something akin to
"intense feeling"). Dominguez even arranged these tunes with dance
steps included since they are an integral part of flamenco's rhythmic
pulse -- among them are various tangos, bulerias, seguiriyas, and
soleas; all are inextricably entwined with post-bop jazz. The
16-plus-minute title track with its elegant solo intro and languid
melody commences just before the band gradually applies itself -- with
gorgeous rhythm section work amid more pronounced Dominguez arpeggios --
vocalist Cordoba suddenly joins the ensemble with wails and moans in
his raw, grainy baritone, extending the tune into flamenco's full
musical sphere, but Dominguez never forgets that this is Davis' music
he's playing. His solos quote from Bill Evans, Afro-Cuban jazz master
Bebo Valdés, and others. The knotty, contrapuntal bop pianistic twists
and turns through "Freddie Freeloader" are breathtaking, especially as
the palmas, cajon (box drum), and bass find a way to move into one
another and create several interwoven grooves simultaneously. "All
Blues" remains the most "inside" tune here, but it too pushes jazz
boundaries and literally steps inside the wild, creative world of
flamenco (via a dance solo). Ultimately, Flamenco Sketches is a triumph,
a fully realized portrait of Davis' music that showcases Dominguez as a
brilliant pianist and arranger at the top of his game. by Thom Jurek allmusic.com
