Many subtly varied kinds of music fall under the rubric of flamenco,
which is a style of singing, dancing, and even living, as well as
playing the guitar. This collection presents a good guitar selection,
highlighted by the polished technique of Sabicas, the profundity of
Manolo de Huelva, and the sheer brilliance of Melchor de Marchena.
There is a drastic change of atmosphere in the transition from track 10
(a zapateado played by Nino Ricardo) to track 11: Manolo de Huelva
accompanying the voice of Manuel Vallejo. Suddenly we are in a cuadro,
the natural environment of flamenco, with a group of participants
clapping, stamping their feet, and shouting encouragement to the
musicians. No longer is it just a man sitting alone on a stage or in a
studio, playing the guitar fluently and flawlessly; this is cante
hondo, the heart of flamenco, intense and astringent, and the best of
this disc's many flavors.
Joe McLellan - Amazon.com
Masters of Flamenco Guitar is an excellent collection that showcases
four masters of the art: Sabicas, Niño Ricardo, Manolo de Huelva, and
Melchor de Marchena. Each guitarist is represented by a selection of
live cuts that demonstrates his prodigious talent. Even casual
listeners will be able to draw differences between each musician, since
each has a unique style - Sabicas was both a songwriter and a player,
Ricardo was often regarded as the finest accompanying guitarist in
flamenco, de Huelva specialized in bulerías, and de Marchena was a
gypsy accompanist. The beauty of Masters of Flamenco Guitar is how it
allows even casual listeners to hear the differences between such
styles, and as it does, it offers a good introduction to the entire
genre.
