Paco de Lucía and Group

Paco de Lucía was one of the first traditional flamenco guitarists to blend the music of his heritage with the twin galaxies of classical and jazz, sprouting a rich stem of cross-pollination that has continued ever since. Nuevo flamenco was born and here, he demonstrates its transcendent power while surrounded by his long-time collaborators: guitarist Juan Manuel Cañizares and bailador dancer Joaquín Grilo; his brothers, the singer Pepe de Lucía and guitarist Ramón de Algeciras; and a rhythm section of bassist and percussionist Carles Benavent and Rubem Dantas, plus Jorge Pardo on the sax. 

Much like bebop, or any genre that disrupts, challenges and deconstructs a series of sacred texts, this new style of flamenco included non-traditional instruments, assimilating the essence and beauty of that old, hard-won genre into a modern world that pushed the limits and blended cultures. The Spanish fusionist is wonderful here, transfixing the German crowd with a repertoire built on originals (the maestro had more than enough to choose from in his legendary back catalog).