Sabicas With Joe Beck - Rock Encounter (Reissue, Remastered) (1969/2006)

The circumstances in the recording studio were not easy: it was hard to communicate between the Spanish guitarist and the English musicians and its still very difficult to amplify an acoustic guitar and also quickly overshadowed rock instruments like the drums, bass, guitar and organ. Sabicas was not really satisfied about the result (I did it for my brother) but in my opinion this album contains lots of captivating and exciting musical moments. And especially from the song Flamenco Rock the musicians seem to have reached a kind of chemistry, it sounds like embryonal Prog Andaluz. Highly recommended to all Prog Andaluz aficionados, fans of progressive folk music and adventurous progheads! "

"Hard to believe that this strange rarity was reissued on CD and reissued legitimately, but here it is on the Long Hair label, who do these things well! Sabicas was a famous Spanish flamenco guitarist who lived in the USA for a number of years. In 1966, under pressure from his brother, he recorded this fusion of Spanish music with psychedelic rock and jazz in a band that features US guitarist Joe Beck, Tony Levin on bass, Warren Bernhardt on piano and organ and Donald McDonald on drums. It's a surprisingly solid progressive album, especially for how early this is and considering the meeting of Spanish traditionalist with NY rockers, it could have been a mess, but it compares very well with Spanish bands doing a similar thing several years later. "This album shows a fantastic mixture of authentic traditional flamenco, progressive and psychedelic rock by Spanish legend Sabicas and extraordinary electric jazzrock guitar by Joe Beck with congenial backing band among others Donald MacDonald on drums, Warren Bernhardt organ and Tony Levin on bass. This is an album for those who are willing to look over the edges of their progressive and psychedelic horizon. Great guitar playing (lots of electric and acoustic guitars) all over. Unique and hypnotizing! Originally released in 1970 and for the first time on CD. Digitally remastered from the mastertape."