Tomatito

Anyone who has every witnessed the torrential solo performances of Dominican Republic piano maestro Michel Camilo might assume there wouldn’t be much room on stage for an equal partner, but his partnership with flamenco guitarist Tomatito has been compatibly maturing for almost 20 years. On their third album, they wind discreetly around each other on romantic themes such as the octave-pinging Agua y Vinho, and dance gracefully together on willowy Spanish love songs.

Almost 30 years after their first concert together, and after the release of three superlative albums that have cemented a unique relationship, Michel Camilo & Tomatito return with a new album: SPAIN FOREVER AGAIN. A new work by the Dominican pianist and the Andalusian guitarist where the understanding between them reaches unique heights, the conversation between piano and guitar is constant, intimate and playful. A journey that we must savour with luxury, calm and voluptuousness, given that we are approaching a universe that aspires, above all, to offer an oasis of order and beauty.

Tomatito - Paseo de los Castaños (2001) {EmArcy 014313-2}
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© 2001 EmArcy / Universal Music Spain | 014313-2
Flamenco / Jazz / Nuevo Flamenco / Guitar

Tomatito is perhaps the fienst of the young breed of Flamenco masters. Starting at an early age, he is now the most sought-after guitarist from Spain. His newest effort, Paseo de los Castanos is a must have for fans of flamenco music and features guest appearances by guitar great George Benson.

With Soy Flamenco Tomatito felt free to browse an impressive variety of styles and forms that meet alternately or simultaneously, the spirit and the letter of flamenco. He is the composer from seven of ten tracks on this album which is flamenco today at its highest level.

Tomatito is one of the leaders of a movement that has been called flamenco nuevo, which combines Spanish flamenco guitar with other Latin forms. For this virtuoso Spanish guitarist/composer, elements of everything from Cuban to Brazilian music are fair game. Flamenco nuevo has been incredibly popular in Spain since the '90s, and one of its biggest sellers was Barrio Negro (which was released in Spain in 1991 and in the U.S. in 1993). This very fresh-sounding and largely instrumental CD shows that while Tomatito (who has major chops as well as plenty of soul) owes a great artistic debt to traditional flamenco, he isn't a traditionalist or a purist himself. Not at all. It is Tomatito's willingness to stretch and broaden flamenco that makes Barrio Negro the exciting album it is.

There's a simple, basic, and direct approach that pervades the duets from pianist Camilo and acoustic guitarist Tomatito. But that seemingly bottom-line approach is transcended by the brilliant musicianship of these two players, as they play ultra-melodic music to its ultimate zenith time and time again. The tone is set from the get go as they languish in the freedom of Rodrigo and Chick Corea's "Spain," played as perfectly and spirited as anyone could want. But "Besame Mucho" is changed up, interpreted in loose associations extrapolated out of strict time on this famous melody. Tomatito wrote two of the eight tracks as the pair use a combination of counterpoint and unison lines, approaching sheer telepathy on the brightly melodic "A Mi Nino Jose," while evoking more Chick Corea-isms with melodies passionately flying about on "La Vacilona."

"Spain Again" reunites Spanish flamenco guitarist Tomatito with American jazz pianist Michel Camilo. Camilo is a classically trained prodigy whose influences range from Art Tatum to Keith Jarrett, while Tomatito reigns as one of his country's brightest stars, citing Paco De Lucia as one of his key inspirations. The success of this collaboration does not lie in the differences between their musical heritages, but rather in the common ground these two masters forge within the parameters of this recording.

Por eso hablamos de Tomatito, un guitarrista que lo ha hecho todo, que consiguió el éxito internacional y el respeto de todos acompañando al que ha sido y aún hoy es la auténtica “Leyenda del flamenco” la voz irrepetible que marcó un hito en la historia de la música, Camarón. Para después de 15 años reinventarse como guitarrista solista. Pero Tomatito, no solo explora el mundo del flamenco, el del jazz, también entra en ese mundo tan complejo y alejado del flamenco como es el mundo sinfónico, y lo hace con una obra magna, “Sonanta Suite”, obra compuesta por Tomatito e interpretada por la Orquesta Nacional de España y Tomatito bajo la batuta de Josep Pons y con la que ganó su tercer premio Latin Grammy en 2013. No olvidemos que en total Tomatito lleva ganados 6 premios Latin Grammy en tres categorías diferentes (Flamenco, Jazz y Música Clásica).