Hecho A Mano

Album review

Chano Dominguez, based in Cadiz, Spain, is a powerful pianist and gifted composer who brings jazz and flamenco together in this exciting, innovative CD. Dominguez weaves jazz lines and harmony with the varied rhythms of flamenco, from its lighter styles of tango and buleria to the darker, bluesy seguirilla and solea, and beautifully integrates the fiery percussion of clapping and dancing with bebop (it's a bit hard to imagine, but an absolute delight to hear). He does amazing things with two jazz classics: Bill Evans' "Turn out the Stars" becomes a stunning flamenco waltz with a great bass solo by Javier Colina, and Thelonious Monk's "Bemsha Swing" is a startling tour de force where the piano is accompanied only by dancing and clapping; Monk would've loved it. The other ten tracks are Dominguez compositions, different in mood and structure, but all polyrhythmic and melodic. Standouts are hard to isolate, but include "Cilantro y Comino," a masterful, adventurous journey; "Alma de Mujer" (aka "Soul of Woman"), a thoughtful meditation which ranges from tenderness to passion; the dynamic, gypsy-inflected "Retaila"; the sexy "Pinar Hondo"; and "Bubango," which showcases the fine work of guitarist Tito Alcedo. Dominguez's music is like a fresh wind blowing over a familiar landscape; full of soul and heart, this CD is a must-have for Latin jazz fans.
© Judith Schlesinger /TiVo