Fiery, intricate and electrically upbeat, this is music that could make a tree dance. The result is as powerful and hypnotically addictive as staring at Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. April will bring an evening of flamenco with wave-making guitarist Paco de Lucia. Lucia will bring a septet of other musicians, singers and dancers to present his innovative style of flamenco fusion. The last time the Anchorage Concert Association presented flamenco, Paco Pena and crew, there was neither a dull moment nor flamboyance for its own sake.
Good flamenco is ingenious, diverse and a revelation.
So is good jazz, which is what audiences can expect when violinist Mark O'Connor presents ''A Tribute to Stephane Grappelli'' in late April. Grappelli is among the most enduring and contradictory jazz icons of all time - a Parisian with Italian roots, a violinist and a master of swing. American fiddler O'Connor has played with Nashville bands and symphony orchestras but revels in the improvisational possibilities in his instrument, possibilities so marvelously released by the legendary Grappelli and revisited in the April concert. Please tell us your thoughts about this topic. It is not a private communication, and your e-mail address will be included with your post.