The Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company performed A Compás, at the Berklee Performance Center last night. It was a fantasic show! A warm, wonderful fall evening brought out a diverse crowd who waited patiently in line, then ambled politely inside.

Flamenco is true multicultural music, blending Indian, Greek, Roman, Persian, Jewish, Arabic, gypsy, etc., into another unique form, distinctive in and of itself. You can check out its history here: http://www.centroflamenco.com/history.html.

Have you ever seen a guitarist and a dancer perform a duet in perfect ensemble? Consider the dancer as a musical instrument! Beautiful to behold, rhythms locked in tight, each graceful gesture of the duo was perfectly coordinated. We were treated to solo work and ample full ensemble pieces. The latter is multimedia, compelling music with gripping visuals. No need for technology; it's an amazing demonstration of what can be done with only some bodies and a few musical instruments.

Pianists will be thrilled to witness the many ways hands can be used to create music, from the intricate movements of Paco's deft hands at his guitar, to the clapping of hands and snapping of singers' and dancers' fingers. And the dancers' hands! More on that later. Entertain the concept of simply using clapping as a musical instrument; here it's elevated to a high art. We heard clapping solos. Paco performed a fantastic duet with Charo, who played castanets. Chamber music players should have such effective eye contact! There was no piano in their instrumentation, however, pianists will be tantalized with the musical texture of the guitars. Their complex rhythm and rich harmony is similar to that which is possible to produce on a keyboard.

The dramatic singing style, with a notable Arabic influence, incorporates microtones, another special treat to my pianists' ear. I loved hearing what I could recognize as the b2 and Major 3rd of a type of phyrygian scale, which many of us remember fondly from Chick Corea's La Fiesta (one of my favorite pieces to teach). Flamenco uses intriguing modes which also have a fascinating history. As a jazz pianist, I couldn't help noticing that the root, b2, 4, 5, and b7 of the synthetic scale known as "in sen" (derived from a Japanese koto mode, and heard on recordings by McCoy Tyner and John Coltrane), could go right through it!

You'll also love the "bulería" rhythm and foot-tapping polyrhythms. The meters, constantly switching, are never boring. Think: tap dancing on steroids.  Here's one (say this as steady as you can): one two three one two three one a two a three a ( it adds up to twelve, but the accents change). But here's the kicker: when you said "one," that is really the twelfth pulse of the pattern, or compas, in another formula. Find a better explanation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulerias.

Dancer Ramón Martinez was so completely ON last night. During the first half, he knocked our socks off with a spell-binding solo piece in which he successfully involved the audience. Dancer and instrument truly became one. Charo Espino had us in tears, artfully using her dress as an expressive prop. Her hand movements were reminiscent of Indian, almost Balinese, dances in their fluid, swirly arabesques. We all spoke animatedly about the concert afterwards. Last time I was in the Berklee Performance Center, it was to hear Brazilian Milton Nascimento, also a terrific show. Now Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company's performance will stand out as a memorable event, one of the best concerts ever. Go see them if you have a chance!