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We are very happy and proud to announce the signing of Spanish pianist Chano Dominguez (born March 29, 1960) for exclusive worldwide management and agency representation.
Blue Note Records (US) have also signed a multi-album deal with Chano Dominguez, and will release an all-new album of Chano’s in early 2012 entitled “Flamenco Sketches”. The album features Chano’s flamenco-styled version of the most famous jazz album ever: Miles Davis “Kind of Blue”. It was originally commissioned by artistic director Joan Anton Cararach for the Barcelona Jazz Festival and was recorded live at the Jazz Standard in New York City. More details will follow on this album a bit later.
Chano Dominguez is a highly unique artist that over a recording career of 18 albums as a leader has established himself as one of the very few artists (we don’t know of any other) who can play jazz totally authentically, and who can also play Spain’s native music artform of Flamenco totally authentically. And who successfully fuses the 2. As a matter of fact the flamenco guitar was Chano’s first instrument (he picked it up 8 years old) prior to him switching to piano at age 12.
To hear an example of how jazz & flamenco works together click here and then listen to Thelonious Monk’s classic “Well You Needn’t” from Chano’s album simply titled “Chano”.
And in a group of 4 videos from the August 2009 edition of Keyboard Magazine, you can see Chano demonstrate to interviewer Jon Regen exactly how he applies his blistering Flamenco-rhythms to “Well You Needn’t”, as well as how he switches between swing and flamenco. To go straight to the demonstration click on video 3. In video 4 he further discusses how this is done. Click here to watch those videos.
Aside from Flamenco music, progressive rock bands such as Yes and King Crimson were an early inspiration to Chano. And already in his early teens Chano co-founded a very popular (in Spain) group called CAI – a group performing a style known as “Andalusian Rock” – that recorded 3 albums for CBS. The band disbanded in 1981 and Chano’s musical styles started gravitating stronger and stronger toward the sound of jazz.
Subsequently Chano was a finalist and/or winner of multiple Spanish and international awards, such as the Martial Solal International Piano Competition in France, and in 1992 Chano formed his trio and released his first solo album entitled “Chano” on Nuba Records.
In 2001 Chano was invited by Wynton Marsalis to perform his original music at Jazz At Lincoln Center with the Lincoln Center Orchestra, and Wynton Marsalis has subsequently collaborated with Chano on numerous occasions. His 2003 album “Con Alma” features bass-great George Mraz and drummer Jeff Ballard (Chano’s great straight-ahead non-flamenco jazz playing is well demonstrated on that album – there’s a great version of Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance” for instance – check out that album by clicking here), and on his 2009 album entitled “Quartier Latin” Chano teams up with legendary Paquito D’Rivera.
Presently Chano is touring a project of his entitled “Piano Iberico” that was released by EMI Spain in 2010, and which features music by classic Spanish composers such as Albeniz, Granados, Falla and Mompou. This album is not currently distributed in the US, but Chano has performed the music from this album in the US – in New York, Chicago and elsewhere. To read Chicago Tribune music critic Howard Reich’s impression please click here.
Please contact us if you are interested in more information about Chano.
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