Chicuelo - Marco Mezquida + Melody Gardot
Chicuelo - Marco Mezquida: Del alma
Marco Mezquida (piano), Juan Gómez "Chicuelo" (guitar), Paco de Mode (percussion)
Two colossal musicians, true stars on their own and in their own right, who met in 2016 and immediately connected, deeply. It was artistic love at first sight between two kindred musical souls: Mezquida from the world of Jazz and classical music, and Chicuelo from the world of flamenco. That union bore special fruit, in perfect equilibrium, giving us, today, a trilogy of wonderful records (Paco de Mode on percussion, with that special wood and metal touch of his) that have won the hearts of audiences on stages all over the world. Two years after their first work, Conexión (2017), came No hay dos sin tres (2019), deeper, more mature, which already clearly foreshadowed what would be their third album, Del alma (2024), which takes us back to that deep and personal space, the natural place of abode of both musicians.
Juan Gómez ‘Chicuelo’ is one of the most outstanding flamenco guitarists around today, as well as one of the most prolific and interesting composers of the last generations. His beginnings can be traced back to Cornellà de Llobgregat, at the age of 12, with guitarist and luthier, Casimiro Gonzalez. Since then, Chicuelo has not stopped creating and producing, has worked in the Tablao de Carmen, with Mario Escudero, Angelita Vargas, La Tolea, Eva Yerbabuena, Sara Baras, Adrián Galia, Belén Maya, Antonio ‘El Pipa’, Joaquín Grilo, among other artists. He has usually been the guitarist for, among others, Miguel Poveda and Duquende, Enrique Morente, Mayte Martín, Rancapino, La Susi, La Marelu, Chano Lobato, José Mercé, El Cigala, Potito and Carmen Linares. He has also worked with Jazz musicians such as Chano Domínguez, Carles Benavent, Jorge Pardo, Jordi Bonell and Raynald Colom; he has directed record productions and recorded works for artists like Ginesa Ortega, Miguel Poveda, Duquende, Mayte Martín, Joan Manuel Serrat, La Vargas Blues Band, Antonio Carmona and Jordi Bonel; he has also released the following records on his own: Cómplices (2000), Diapasión (2007) and Uña y carne (2019); he has composed music for the flamenco dance companies of the most renowned artists, such as Antonio Canales and Israel Galván, and for films such as Blancanieves, directed by Pablo Berger.
Though not yet 40, Minorcan musician Marco Mezquida is one of the most acclaimed musicians today in all of Spain. An artist who always seemed destined to triumph on any stage anywhere in the world. Eclectic and “chameleonic”, a brilliant composer, pianist, improviser and director. He has recorded over twenty albums of his own, leading the project, and participated in the recording of over forty more, as part of diverse projects, with the best musicians. He has performed in major auditoriums, concert halls and Jazz festivals in over thirty-five countries. He has worked with Jazz legends like Lee Konitz and Dave Liebman. He has formed groups with artists such as guitarist Chicuelo, singer Silvia Pérez Cruz and dancer Sol Pico. He has participated in projects such as Beethoven Collage, the Pieris trio, and the MAP trio. And his highly lauded piano solo concerts, in which he always shows his powerful gifts as a composer and his ability to improvise, are there for all to see. He has also composed and recorded the music for two successful, decorated theatre productions by Julio Manrique, among other collaborations. In his stunning musical career thus far, he has already won some ten major awards, among them the City of Barcelona Award, several Enderrock Awards for best album of the year, and musician of the year on four occasions, bestowed upon him by the Catalan Jazz and Modern Music Musicians Association (AMJM).
Melody Gardot
Every artist has a story, and Melody Gardot's is essential to understanding her music: when she was 19, she was hit by a car, and during her recovery she used music as a form of therapy, recording and releasing songs while still in hospital. Once discharged, she started playing around Philadelphia. It wasn't long before Universal Records signed her and released her first full-length album, Worrisome Heart (2006), which showcased her instinctive talent for adding a personal and inimitable touch to Jazz and blues vocal masterpieces.
Her second album, My One and Only Thrill (2009), produced by Larry Klein, sold 1.5 million copies and received three Grammy nominations. The Absence (2012), produced by Heitor Pereira, expanded her sound with more exotic rhythms. Currency of Man (2015), with R&B and pop influences. The live album, Live in Europe (2018), celebrated her most outstanding performances. The albums Sunset In The Blue (2020) and Entre eux deux (2022) followed. Her latest release is The Essential Melody Gardot (2024), an album that she will present at the 60th Jazzaldia and in which 14 years of her career are condensed into 25 songs chosen and arranged by Gardot herself.
Melody Gardot is timelessly original and uncategorised, yet she is clearly linked to an enduring vocal tradition of serene ambience and restrained intimacy, a style of minimal gesture and maximum subtlety in which her references are artists such as Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Edith Piaf, Blossom Dearie, Chris Connor, Shirley Horn, Astrud Gilberto...
Her own compositions contain compelling evocations of love, sadness and loss, as well as influences from her travels, time spent in the deserts of Morocco, the tango bars of Buenos Aires, the beaches of Brazil and the streets of Lisbon and Paris. From her beginnings in a hospital bed to her global success, her career reflects an exceptional talent with much to offer.
