A sweet but sublime session of guitarist Oscar Penas teams him in a diverse collection of environs with guests ranging from Paquito D’Rivera/cl and Gil Goldstein/acc to Esperanza Spalding/voc. The regular team of Sara Caswell/v, Moto Fukushima/b and Richie Barshay/dr-perc deliver gracefully swinging sounds on a “Paco” that has a dancing bass as well as a “The Everyday Struggle” that features a yearning tango. D’Rivera’s clarinet is rhythmic on the South American percussive “Paquito’s CHoro” while Spalding’s sensuous voice caresses the guitar on “Rabo de Nube.” On electric guitar Penas delivers an “Etude No. 1” with some marvelous drapery supplied by Caswell and Fukushima, with a ruminating “Canco Numero 6” closing the album in a dreamy mood. Sounds and scenes that evoke gentle strolls through the market place.
Musikoz Records