Jesse Cook - Nomad (2003)

Popular Canadian flamenco phenomena Jesse Cook toured the world putting together the aptly titled Nomad, his fifth album. As with past efforts, Cook's lightning runs and strong flamenco rhythms are fused with Arabic and Indian rhythms and textures, Western pop vocals, and hip ambient production values not unlike a Buddha Bar collection. He also again gets some nice turns from an impressive list of guest musicians: Nomad's guests include Flora Purim, Afro Celts, the BoDeans, Hossam Ramzy, who each add their own touch. While this kind of cross-genre pollination will not endear Cook to the flamenco purists (even if there is a fair amount of flamenco's classic handclapping rhythms), there are some real strengths to the album. Cook's knowledge of his music allows him to step in out of the tradition, knowing what works without trying to force the issue. Moreover, Cooks solos bristle with the kind of energy one doesn't hear every day, even in the fiery field of flamenco.