Paco De Lucia Cositas Buenas CD

This is a rounded and polished album that is, above all, loyal to Flaminco. Eight tracks as regards both his own music and music in general. Three Bulerias blaze the trail "Patio Custodio", "Volar" and "Que Venga El Alba". On the last of these, De Lucia reaches back in time to rescue his inner voicec, Camaron de la Isla, and plays alongside the third of the holy trinity, Tomatito.

Personnel: Paco De Lucia (bouzouki, lute, mandolin, guitar); Pirana (percussion); Guadiana, Antonio El Negro, Montse Cortes, Tana, Potito, Angela Bautista (background vocals).
Personnel: Paco de Lucia (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, lute, mandolin, palmas); Angela Bautista, El Potito, Montse Cortés (vocals, palmas); Tomatito (guitar); Alejandro Sanz (tres); Pirana (percussion); Guadiana (palmas).
Audio Mixer: Pepe Loeches.
Recording information: Musiquina.
On his first outing in five years, and the first of the new century, flamenco guitarist Paco De Lucia has given us one of the most sublime recordings in his long career. This collection of "Good Little Things" (Cositas Buenas) is a step away from Nuevo flamenco, and back to the grain of the source music itself. It is a record full of handclapped rhythms, organic spare percussion, and burning, passionate songwriting and singing. The various singers -- including Paco himself -- wail, chant, moan, and ecstatically intone his new songs to the sheer rough-hewn grace of his playing. Most tracks are done in the canonical style of guitar, and voice with handclap accompaniment, but there are two -- the smoking, burning black soul of "El Dengue" and "Que Venga el Alba," on which he is accompanied by another guitarist. On the album's final cut, "Cassa Bernardo," a rumba, Jerry Gonzalez adds his mariachi trumpet to the proceedings. Cositas Buenas is an album that careens across the history of flamenco. While rooted in antiquity, it nonetheless points the way to a new music, one that extrapolates rhythm and harmony and adds syncopation, texture, depth, and multi-layered harmonics to the original framework. It is transcendentally beautiful if overwhelming in its passion and the sheer joy of performance. Indeed, Cositas Buenas sets a new standard for modern flamenco music and acts as the true bridge between the ancient and the future. No one but a master who cares nothing for his laurels could have articulated such a work. ~ Thom Jurek
Long known for his forward-looking approach to flamenco music, Paco De Lucia has had a distinguished career as a guitarist, songwriter, collaborator, and frontrunner in the old and new guards of flamenco. After 40 years of putting his personal spin on Spain's musical tradition, De Lucia leans more toward his roots on 2004's COSITA BUENAS. Intense, passionate, and filled with stunning grace and precision, the album is threaded through with virtuoso guitar playing, handclaps, and percussion that evoke native costumes, brightly lit Spanish cafes, and dusty Andalusian plains.
De Lucia plays bouzouki, mandolin, and lute, as well as guitar, on the record, while guest vocalists and the occasional second guitarist keep the sound fresh and varied. Though De Lucia's allegiance to tradition is clear, this is undoubtedly a modern release, with the guitarist's expressive phrasing, nimble articulations, and knack for recurrent melody evident throughout. The result is an intricate, deeply felt album that will transport the listener to a world of beauty.

Dirty Linen (p.59) - "[H]e moves the music into very new areas melodically and harmonically....COSITAS BUENAS is a significant landmark in a great career..."