In the 2010s, Spanish pianist
Chano Dominguez has investigated the music of
Miles Davis, as he did on 2012's large ensemble album
Sketches of Miles, and paired with like-minded guitarist
Nino Josele on 2014's
Chano & Josele. Both of those albums showcased his adept gift for bridging the gap between traditional flamenco music and jazz. On 2017's
Over the Rainbow,
Dominguez continues this approach, moving to a solo piano format and focusing on a set of some of his most-beloved cover songs and strongly identified original compositions. Hoping to achieve the drama and energy of a live performance,
Dominguez chose to forgo a studio setting and instead record at Barcelona's Palau Falguera. Captured in October 2012 and culled from both pre-show and in-concert performances,
Over the Rainbow is a sophisticated, intimate, and deeply felt album. Beginning with
John Lewis' elegant "Django,"
Dominguez steadily works his way into the song, leading the listener through the melody with a ballroom dancer's assured grace before launching into spiral of virtuosic improvisational swirls. He applies a similarly dance-like technique throughout the album, evincing a fractured, tap-dancing kineticism on
Thelonious Monk's "Evidence," a sweeping balletic intensity on
Violeta Parra's "Gracias a la Vida," and a modern dancer's yearning, muscular grace on
Marta Valdes' ballad "Hacia Donde." Elsewhere, he delivers a kinetically ornate version of his own "Mantreria," and moves from spare, heavy-browed balladry to swinging, sprightly
Fred Astaire twirls on his "Marcel." Ultimately,
Dominguez brings all of his dancer-esque skills to bear on the title track, a gorgeous, poignantly rendered version of the
Harold Arlen classic. ~ Matt Collar
