Dave Holland & Pepe Habichuela – Hands

To capture the true essence of flamenco, renowned bassist Dave Holland who accompanied Miles Davis in his electric period knows that he needs to get inside the music. In learning from and collaborating with guitarist Pepe Habichuela, the master of the flamenco, Holland accomplished his mission: bringing his own voice to the music but with a deeper understanding of the flamenco’s language. Hands is a result of Holland’s appreciation for the music and the mutual respect between Holland and Habichuela.

“Bailaor (Seguiriya Cabal),” the longest and most captivating piece on the album, showcases Holland’s profound rhythmic and melodic sensibility and Habichuela’s effortless, expressive techniques that one can tell the man lives and breathes the flamenco. The intensity and connectivity in the way the two men complement each other on “Camaron (Taranta)” sound as if two Gypsies were in the house. Aside from Holland’s tuneful Latin-jazz flavors (“The Whirling Dervish” and “Joyride”), which accompanied by the Carmona clan, the eight masterpieces written by Habichuela are pure traditional flamenco masterpieces.