I have the Paco cd and had forgot it was also called Flamenco de la Frontera same as Steve's. Yeah, I overlooked the electric bass as Paco is a great player. That is the cd with the 8 minute Solea and over 8 minute Alegrias and a Bulerias just under 8 minutes. Paco is considered by many the best of the living del Gastors. I really like Juan and also Augstin Rios Amaya http://users.california.com/~agustin/index1.html I wish I could study with them, but my inability to travel (vestibular disorder) even to San Francisco puts the quietus on that.

Hi Sam

Sorry to hear you have problems getting around. Does Juan visit SF much?

I actually met him back in 2003 when I first found flamenco. Its a bit of a story so I'll try and make it short. We (the wife and I) had a summer vacation planned to drive arround Spain and Portugal in our camper van for 4 weeks. I had taken Pohrens 'A way of life' for bedtime reading so of course after we got to Sevilla I just had to head for Morón. I headed straight up the hill to try and find Pepe's bar etc. and walk the alleys and soak up the atmosphere. It was the middle of the afternoon and especially hot that year with max daily temps hitting 130 F. I asked a couple of older women whom we met in a public garden in my bad Spanish where the garden with Diego del Gastor's bust was? anyhow they smiled and gestured me to follow them not 50 yards to a front door on which they knocked, it turned out to be the house of a woman called Barbara who told me she was Diegos sister (or at least I think that is what she said, but my Spanish was about as good as her English so the phrase book was out constantly), her and her husband Rafael invited us in and told us that Paco was playing at the gazpacho andaluz coming up in a weeks time at Moróns Plaza de Toros and we should return for it. So we did and we treated them to tickets, got to sit with the gitano families and I was even introduced to Juan by his English wife (whos name now escapes me), unfortunately he spoke no English and I very little Spanish so it was a short conversation. A night of flamenco I will never forget in sweltering heat that lasted til after 5am with the locals dancing and singing in the streets after the main event. Great stuff

garyo

Manos Lentas wrote:Carlos, I have the CD "Cante Gitano" with del Gastor's. It is great. Let me recommend you purchase Steve Kahns CD Flamenco de la Frontera with Marysol. If you like cante then Marysol is a must listen. http://www.stevekahn.com/guitarist/index.html

I didn't know about Marysol until I read your post, took the link to Steve Kahn's website, and listened to the samples. You are right that she is "a must listen." Who is Marysol? Where is she from? Where does she live now? Does she perform with other guitarists or only with Steven Kahn? Are other CD's available?

Mendoza

Mendoza, Marysol lives in San Diego, Ca. The CD was recorded in 2000 at the annual fiesta they have in California, Fin de Verano. Marysol works as psychotherapist and sings at fiestas, juergas, or wherever she can. She has sung with many guitarist. A few videos of her singing on utube. Don't confuse her with Marisol Fuentes of Cadiz. Last video is very modern sounding, but has closeup of her singing at 1:40 or so.