Rafael Amador ........... Lead Vocals, Electric & Flamenco Guitar
Raimundo Amador ..... Electric & Flamenco Guitar & Electric Bass.
Additional Musicians:
Antonio Rodriguez - Carlos Carli - Antonio Carmona - Antonio Moreno - Charo Gonzales Manzano - Rocio & Elena - Jos Matchell - Guadiana - Arturo Soriano - Manuel Marinelli - Juanjo Pizarro - Manuel Rodriguez - Rafael Riqueni
Images
Number:1170969 THUMBNAIL Uploaded By:Magic Marmalade Description: Pata Negra - Blues Del La Frontera - Front Cover
Number:1170970 Uploaded By:Magic Marmalade Description: Pata Negra - Blues Del La Frontera - Back Cover
Number:1170971 Uploaded By:Magic Marmalade Description: Pata Negra - Blues Del La Frontera - Label - Side 1
Number:1170972 Uploaded By:Magic Marmalade Description: Pata Negra - Blues Del La Frontera - Label - Side 2
ReviewThis one got me quite excited when I found it, as the rather cool cover, coupled with the title was suggestive of potential treasures inside...
...And having taken it out of the record bin and flipped it over to read the back, I saw the words: "Flamenco"... and: "Electric Guitar" alnongside: "Electric Bass".
Blues. Flamenco. Electric.
This ought to be very interesting, I thought.
And it is.
I suppose the first thing though, is to ask why nobody (to my knowledge) had attempted this before, or isn't doing it regularly now... Maybe they just don't sit well together: The Blues and Flamenco... maybe it would turn out to be a disaster of two disparate genres jammed together in some unholy alliance, and who's opposite poles, unlike magnets repel each other, rather than attract.
Having given it a spin now, I can see that this could easily have happened, if they attempted to over do the one element or the other, and make the contrast too striking, but this is very subtly, and very judiciously done; Opening with a flat out Flamenco acoustic piece to set the stall out, with the kind of incredibly intricate flamenco guitar work, played at the customary break neck pace at times, which is a feature (Which I love) of both flamenco, and this record.
The blues elements, and the flamenco are thereafter gradually introduced to each other, by first laying down a gentler flamenco rhythm, and then lightly layering the bluesy electric guitars over the top. And conversely, in other places, taking a slower, blues pattern, and playing a an easier flamenco/acoustic guitar over that.
And it works.
These elements compliment, rather than impede each other.
The electric guitar work is very reminiscent of B.B. King's guitar sound, rather than a harder, crunching Hendrix style pyrotechnic extravaganza. And though the fusion of a musical genre like Flamenco with a rock (blues) sound will inevitably draw comparisons with someone like Santana, this is very distinctly not Santana - the Latin flavours of South America being very different from Spain, and Spanish Flamenco, which very clearly retains it's character here.
The only thing which is a bit of a quibble is the very dating addition towards the end of How High The Moon, of a very eighties synth organ sound, which places it too much of that specific time.
(Otherwise an excellent instrumental version).
Lindo Gatito is the outstanding track for me, where these elements really do gel.
Good stuff, that I expect to grow on me over time.