Post Description

Acoustic, flamenco, latin

Voor de liefhebber van Paco de Lucía een document om te bewaren. 

Such musings are sparked by listening to Pepito y Paquito, an astonishing document seemingly beamed across time from 1959 to our 21st century ears with little wear to show for the journey. The late Spanish master flamenco and jazz guitarist Paco de Lucia will need little introduction to many AAJ readers, but it can safely be said that none have ever heard him like this before. These flamenco performances by Paco, age 11, and his vocalist brother Pepe, age 13, were captured in 1959 on a small Grundig tape recorder by the boys’ father, Antonio Sánchez Pecino, and family friend Reyes Benítez, at home. 

While their existence had long been known, their whereabouts were not, until Benítez’s son Quique discovered them in 2022. The tapes have been restored using AI, though it is unclear precisely what that means. The recording still sounds mono, so it would not appear that de-mixing technology has been used extensively. However, the remarkable clarity and ambiance suggests noise reduction and perhaps the application of subtle reverb to add some air to the sound. In any case, the album is a relaxing and enjoyable listen, a true time machine evoking a sunny day in the coastal town of Algeciras with two great innate musical talents, seemingly fully-formed even at such a young age. The LP edition is well-pressed, though not entirely devoid of surface noise, and presented in an attractive gatefold cover with bespoke inner sleeves containing the Spanish lyrics.

Fans of flamenco music and its many traditional styles will rejoice at this 21-song survey, which includes bulerías, soleares, cuplés, rumbas, fandangos, tangos, seguiriyas, alegrías and villancicos. Paco’s immense ability is already on display here, as he agilely navigates a wide variety of tunes, including three guitar solos based on his main early influence, Niño Ricardo. As impressive as Paco’s nylon-string guitar playing is, elder brother Pepe’s singing is its equal. Impassioned, mature and accurate, it is hard to connect such vocal technique to a 13-year old. This unearthed set of recordings represents the first documentation of a musical partnership that continued for over 20 years, with Pepe contributing both singing and songwriting to many of Paco’s albums. Pepe’s legacy also continues through his daughter, the Spanish pop singer Malú, and his son José, a flamenco guitarist like his uncle.

Seldom do we have the ability to chart the earliest flowering of our greatest virtuosos’ talent. This welcome archaeological release from BMG and the Paco de Lucia Foundation offers us that gift, and it is one that many fans of the guitarist are sure to enjoy. And for jazz listeners unaccustomed to flamenco music, Pepito y Paquito may serve as a characterful primer.

Tracks:
01 - Me Falta La Resistencia - Tangos De La Pirula De Málaga
02 - Al Pilarico Por Agua - Bulerías Por Soleá
03 - Romance De Juan Osuna - Seguiriyas Tientos
04 - Aunque Pongan En Tu Puerta - Alegrías
05 - Se Comerá Mi Dolor - Soleares
06 - La Corales - Cuplé por Bulerías
07 - Que Viene El Coco - Rumba
08 - Bulerías Niño Ricardo - Solo de Guitarra
09 - De Alfombra De Rosas - Liviana
10 - Con Su Rebaño - Serrana
11 - Que El Viento Se La Llevó - Polo
12 - Voy A Tener Que Dejarte - Fandangos Naturales
13 - Escucha Lo Que Te Digo - Bulerías
14 - Con Una Rosa En El Pico - Fandango Santa Eulalia
15 - Las Estrellitas Del Cielo - Villancico Por Bulerías
16 - Zapateado Niño Ricardo - Solo De Guitarra
17 - Entre Compás Y Desplantes - Soleares De Cádiz
18 - Amante De Abril Y Mayo - Cuplé Por Bulerías
19 - Lo Que Pasó En Veracruz - Soleares De Triana_Apolás
20 - Caminito De Alcalá - Bulerías
21 - Soleá Niño Ricardo - Solo De Guitarra

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.