Miles 100: NDR Bigband »Two Sketches of Spain«

When Miles Davis first heard a recording of Joaquín Rodrigo’s »Concierto de Aranjuez«, he was overwhelmed by the emotional power of the music and immediately contacted arranger Gil Evans, with whom he had already recorded two successful jazz albums with a smaller line-up. »I knew right away I had to make a record out of it,« Davis later recalled, »because that theme just wouldn’t leave my head. The ›Concierto‹ appealed to Gil too, but he said we’d need a few more pieces to fill an album.« They found inspiration in works by Manuel de Falla and flamenco forms such as saeta and soleá. »Every time I hear flamenco, I fall to my knees,« Davis confessed. Together with Evans, he created the LP »Sketches of Spain« in 1959/60 – a bold, entirely new encounter between Spanish music and jazz. For this concert, the NDR Bigband revisits this milestone in jazz history, performing from the original arrangements of »Sketches of Spain«.
Miles Davis and Gil Evans fused orchestral jazz and flamenco in a truly groundbreaking way. Their perspective on Spanish culture came through the lens of jazz. But what happens when that perspective shifts – when cultures meet as equals and begin to truly intermingle? That’s the path Pablo Martín Caminero takes with the NDR Bigband. Caminero is one of Spain’s most celebrated jazz soloists, bandleaders and composers, and his greatest passion lies in flamenco. On his bowed double bass, he evokes the intensity of flamenco singers like Camarón de la Isla and Enrique Morente, while rhythmically recalling guitar legends such as Paco de Lucía and Gerardo Núñez, with whom he toured for many years. The NDR Bigband embraces this adventure – one that, for Caminero, is no mere stylistic device: »Jazz is more than just music. It’s a concept rooted in freedom, improvisation and creativity. That opens up entirely new possibilities for other genres.«

PERFORMERS

NDR Bigband jazz ensemble

Claus Stötter trumpet, flugelhorn

Pablo Martín Caminero bass

Moisés P. Sánchez piano

Borja Barrueta drums

Jörg Achim Keller director

PROGRAM

Miles Davis / Gil Evans
»Sketches of Spain«

Pablo Martín Caminero / Geir Lysne
»New Flamenco Sketches«