Flamenco Road

Flamenco Road
Laucke, seated in half profile, playing his guitar and smiling while looking away from the camera
Studio album by
Michael Laucke
Released2001
GenreNew flamenco
Length42:35
LabelJustin-Time
ProducerMichael Laucke
Michael Laucke chronology
Michael Laucke & Fiesta Flamenco: Live Flamenco Road Michael Laucke ~ Flamenco Road 2

Flamenco Road is an album by Michael Laucke, released on September 12, 2001. The album consists mainly of his own compositions in the new flamenco style, which he also arranged. In an interview for Voir magazine, Laucke stated: "It is also very influenced by my classical background. So it's a smoother flamenco."[1] An example of this style from the album can be heard in Laucke's treatment of the well-known classical guitar transcription "Leyenda", which is given a flamenco rendition using several percussion instruments (claves, maracas, special castanets mounted on wood blocks, chimes, and a large gong), bass, and flute.[1]

Ten works were recorded at five different studios, each selected for its specific acoustics, in Montreal, Canada. The instrumentation for the recording's title piece, "Flamenco Road", required the use of a 24-track recording system; a Voir magazine article declared it to be the first recording in this style to employ 24 tracks.[2] The instrumentation comprises a combination of four types of guitars—flamenco, Spanish, classical, and electric—and all natural acoustic guitars are played the Spanish way, using all the fingers of the right hand without a pick. The rhythm section includes "bongos, four congas, and a rock drum set blended with other percussion instruments such as claves, maracas, and castanets". It further incorporates "three dancers performing typical 'palmas' (hand-clapping) in synchronization", as well as three trumpets, three pianos, and a "country-style" violinist.[3]

The enhanced CD includes two videos: one with interactive live concert footage filmed during Laucke's tenth season at Montreal's Place des Arts, and the other with the video clip of "Flamenco Road". The latter reached number one on video charts across Canada for five consecutive weeks.[4] The Journal-Pioneer opined "Flamenco Road is an absolute joy to behold".[5]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference richesse flamenco was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference good laucke was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference flamenco road CD jacket notes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bravo Network – number one on video charts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Arsenault, Raymond (20 December 2001). "Laucke presents brilliant Flamenco Road". The Journal Pioneer - Summerside Newspaper. Retrieved 22 June 2016.