Scherzo Flamenco by Diego Amador is an unusual crossover between Flamenco piano and classical composers like Bizet, Borodin and Mussorgsky whose works are recognizably quoted in cuts dedicated to them though made over with Iberian stylings including cante jondo and palmas. This concept is vaguely related to how Jacques Loussier gave Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Mozart and Ravel the Jazz makeover. That the piano is a fully 'Flamenco certified' instrument we already knew from David Peña Dorantes and Pablo Rubén Maldonado, never mind the various Cuban and Tango piano settings exploited by celebrated Flamenco singer Diego El Cigala. Still, the unsuspecting listener entering Scherzo will be very surprised to encounter the classical music quotes; intrigued to place them correctly (the "Old Castle" of Mussorgsky is the most obvious); then delighted by how cleverly Diego develops them for his new concept. To those who'd complain of limited repertoires or lacking musical inventiveness, Scherzo Flamenco is lovely proof to the contrary.
