Tomatito, Sadler's Wells

It's nice to see a review of a cultural event mostly ignored by the media.... but what did we actually hear? He opened with Taranta moving into Minera, we heard a reworked version of the Alegrias "La Ardila", the beautiful "Two Much-Love Theme" with second guitar replacing Michel Camilo's piano, Tangos, Solea por Bulerias, and of course Bulerias, for Tomatito has been dubbed "The Pope of the Bulerias" (by fellow guitarist Juan Habichuela. I have to take exception to a number of points made in the above review though: "He recorded a fine solo album, Aguadulce, in 2004" Actually he recorded a fine solo album, Rosas Del Amor, in 1987, another fine solo album in 1991, Barrio Negro, another in 1996, Guitarra Gitana, and yet another, Paseo de los castaños in 2001. And two albums with Michel Camilo in the noughties. Not to mention guesting as accompanist on the recordings of countless flamenco singers. He also has a new solo album on release spring 2013. "Tomatito’s musicianship is undoubted, just not very inventive." To consistently compose new variations on flamenco's modal themes and endlessly circling rhythms requires a superb level of inventiveness, which Tomatito has repeatedly demonstrated (see above list of recordings). "Tellingly, the show only came alive when Paloma Fantova danced" For the audience who understand neither the cante nor the guitar, only the spectacle of the dance is able to move them, but this concert came alive the moment the maestro Tomatito walked onstage.... which is not to say the dancer wasn't very good too. "That’s because Tomatito is an accompanist." Yes, and a fine one, but Tomatito is also a superb and highly expressive soloist, who does not merely bludgeon the listener with technique. In fact his super-advanced technical abilities go almost unnoticed (except to anyone who has tried to actually play his compositions) while the musicality of his playing shines through. "Book Paco de Lucía." London Jazz Festival has been booking Paco de Lucia on his most recent tours. Tomatito would be the first to defer to Paco's greatness. Tomatito is not Paco de Lucia. But to find every other guitarist lacking in comparison with the greatest of all is like finding all classical composers lacking in comparison to Bach. Pointless.