Jorge Pardo

Jorge Pardo is possibly the best arranger in the flamenco nuevo movement as well as being a superlative saxophonist and flautist. He has an instantly identifiable soaring sound and the range of music on the second Coleccion reviewed is quite flabbergasting…funk, jazz, Brazilian, flamenco, latino…from soulful introspection to wild jazzy workouts. It's a beguiling combination of accessibility, sophistication, earthiness and challenging sounds, with Jorge's jazz credentials well exhibited on Bird's bebop classic Donna Lee and squalling sax improvisations over flamenco beats on Duke Ellington's Caravan.