Flamenco: A Windham Hill Guitar Collection

One could argue that flamenco music, with its delicate acoustic guitar and husky vocals, is the sexiest, most seductive music in the world. Just watching flamenco dancers in action is proof enough, but one can also enjoy simply listening to the music. On this release, Windham Hill collects six classic catalog tracks and adds two new ones each from highly regarded musician Adam del Monte and New Age artist Sean Harkness. Flamenco is inarguably the music of Spain, but this collection also highlights influences from the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. Vicente Amigo's "Three Notes to Say I Love You" is a bit on the schmaltzy side, but it's nicely balanced by the intense fretwork on del Monte's "Sombra del Paraiso." Mostly instrumental and fairly subdued, Flamenco is a broad-ranging collection that will hip the curious to some of the best names in the business while also providing ample proof that flamenco is not music with a singular sound. --Tad Hendrickson