Paco de Lucía was one of the first traditional flamenco guitarists to blend the music of his heritage with the twin galaxies of classical and jazz, sprouting a rich stem of cross-pollination that has continued ever since. Nuevo flamenco was born and here, he demonstrates its transcendent power while surrounded by his long-time collaborators: guitarist Juan Manuel Cañizares and bailador dancer Joaquín Grilo; his brothers, the singer Pepe de Lucía and guitarist Ramón de Algeciras; and a rhythm section of bassist and percussionist Carles Benavent and Rubem Dantas, plus Jorge Pardo on the sax. 

Much like bebop, or any genre that disrupts, challenges and deconstructs a series of sacred texts, this new style of flamenco included non-traditional instruments, assimilating the essence and beauty of that old, hard-won genre into a modern world that pushed the limits and blended cultures. The Spanish fusionist is wonderful here, transfixing the German crowd with a repertoire built on originals (the maestro had more than enough to choose from in his legendary back catalog).