Jaco Abel

“With his electric guitar, recovers ancient melodies and harmonies. A trip to the antic flamenco, under the great influences of the maestro Pepe Habichuela”. - Acordes de Flamenco. Nº 4 2007

“With his electric guitar as a traveling saddle-bag , he has reached to the Flamenco, a virgin land for this instrument” - El correo de Andalucía. 06/07. A. Cabello

“Familiarized with flamenco from the cradle, the guitarist Jaco Abel, introduces himself in the “ arte jondo” universe, adapting to his 6 electric guitar stings, the traditional flamenco techniques”. - El Mundo 03/2007. Alfredo Grimaldos.

“With a very special “ duende” in his new work, Jaco Abel makes the CD listening clean, passionate and technically impeccable” - Revista Alma 100 - 02/2007. Antonio Valentín.

“A record that distinguishes from the usual flamenco fusions, because it searches the inspiration on the antique flamenco “ palos ” and chantings. - El Periódico – 12/2006. Roger Roca

“A piece of work that time will grant the condition of philosophical stone” - La Vanguardia – 12/2006. Mingus B. Formentor

The past 26 of November was presented at the "Sala Cardamomo" in Madrid the record "Flamenco Electrico" from the electric guitarist Jaco Abel. In his performance in Madrid, Jaco was backed up by Melon Jimenez (flamenco guitar), Bandolero and Juan Carmona "tallarin" on percussion and Joni Cortes on vocals. The night counted with the presence in the audience of Pepe Habichuela, Josemi Carmona, Paquete, etc... that wrapped up this second work of the catalan musician. An original and innovating proposal that adapts the flamenco technics to the electric guitar, and that also was successfully presented on the fist of december in the well known room "Sala Luz de Gas" in Barcelona, inside the 38th edition of the International Barcelona Jazz Festival. - Alma 100, Number 69/2006. A Escribano.

Son of Flamenco artists and a jazz heterodox musician, the guitarist Jaco Abel closes the circle. His second album "Flamenco Electrico" gets back to his origins, after a pilgrimage stopping in the jazz-rock and different forms of fusion. With a nomad spirit the catalan musician has found in Madrid the right ambient to deep in the flamenco and adapt it to his electric guitar. His maestro has been Pepe Habichuela head and leader of the famous family of "tocaores" (flamenco guitarists) from Granada. Habichuela, exquisite accompanying to the "cante" (flamenco singing) will be the special guest musician at Jaco´s CD presentation, a record that distinguishes from the usual, because finds inspiration in the old chants and ancient Gypsy melodies and rhythms. - El Periódico 28/nov/2006. Roger Roca

We are in front of a project that is as curious, as it is original. Remembering the music instruments, there are many of them -string, metal or wood- who have been added in to flamenco and its expressive capacity, reserved for many years for the singing and guitar. It comes to my mind for example the piano- already with a large tradition- the flute, the violin and even the electric bass, but the more I think I can't really remember that some one wanted to do a flamenco record, on electric guitar and sounding on top of it, flamenco.

Behind this proposal we find a "Chromatic Gypsy" (that is the name of his first CD and his record company) Jaco Abel a musician with as rich as an intensive career. In his teens he studied violin, trumpet, music composition and harmony at several music conservatories, around 19 he decided to change his Spanish guitar for an electric, then he perfection his flamenco with Pepe Habichuela (Jaco´s CD is dedicated to him).

He has traveled around the world and played with many different musicians from diverse backgrounds, now a days he lives in Madrid and he has transported the flamenco techniques to his electric guitar. Playing with a pick, he has also all the effects from the flamenco music guitar like: strums, arzapua, fast picking or hits on the guitar top, and even the sound is not usual, he can really makes his guitar sounding flamenco.

The repertory is also flamenco, with soleare, bulerias, tangos, tanguillos, alegrias, and a surprising taranta played alone on his guitar and a fret-less one. The experience calls my attention and I want to know which instrument is he playing. It is not a Fender or any of the traditional brands, he plays guitars made in Holland by the Maestro Daniel Marcovich. The record also has an important group of collaborators that contribute to the flamenco sound, that Jaco looks for, like. Ramón "el Portugués", Ana Salazar, Jorge Pardo, Paquete, Bandolero, Josemi Carmona, Manuel, Juan y Bernardo Parrilla, and of corse his maestro Pepe Habichuela with whom he plays a Malambo, an Argentinean dance that sounds here with "aire de ida y vuelta". - Diario de Cádiz. 13/nov/2006. F Lobaton.