DUENDE is Nando Michelin’s new album. For this, his seventh release – the first one for Fresh Sound New Talent -, Nando is joined by two of the most impressive musicians of their generation: Richie Barshay on drums and Esperanza Spalding on bass and vocals. This is a truly eclectic Jazz group that uses a wide variety of styles ranging from Brazilian and Latin to Indian music as a vehicle for a highly interactive performance. Esperanza’s haunting voice, Richie’s unconventional set including tablas and cajon, and the stress placed on original compositions – including two songs by Esperanza -, makes this Trio’s live performance a unique musical experience.
“Duende” refers to the word used by Spaniard poet Garcia Lorca to describe the"... mysterious power that all may feel and no philosophy can explain."
Of it, he said: "…there are no maps nor disciplines to help us find the duende. We only know that he burns the blood like a poultice of broken glass, that he exhausts, that he rejects all the sweet geometry we have learned…”
The Duende never repeats himself, any more than the forms of the sea repeat themselves in a storm. (F. Garcia Lorca)
Featuring Nando Michelin (p) with Esperanza Spalding (b, vcl) and Richie Barshay (d)
11 Tracks. Recorded in February 24 & 25, 2006, in Boston, MA.