Thanks to the very talented Rodrigo and Gabriela, there has been a resurgence of interest in flamenco-derived guitar. Whilst their own style displays much stronger influences from the rock world (indeed, their cover of Metallica's "Orion" is a thing of a wonder), this is a good opportunity to discover a hitherto unsung major exponent of the instrument, Catalonian Toti Soler. Soler started making a name for himself as guitarist with the Spanish pop band Pic Nic in the 60's, featuring the vocal talents of English-born Janette Anne Dimech (later to gain international fame, as Jeanette, with "Porque Te Vas") and future Soler collaborator Jordi Sabatés on drums. The band topped the Spanish charts in 1967 with "Cállate Niña", a delightful slice of what would later be termed "sunshine pop". The guitarist then started a solo career in 1971 with "Liebeslied", followed by duo album with Sabatés (this time on piano). But it was with his second effort, "El Gat Blanc", that Soler really came into his own, every track equally strong on melody and improvisational flair. And his third, "El Cant Monjo" improved on that by including one of the most beguiling examples ever of flamenco and jazz fusion, the 8-minute (it could have lasted even longer) "Ovidi", presumably dedicated to Catalan singer Ovidi Montllor, where the spirit of "In A Silent Way" permeates proceedings, thanks to Sabatés's electric keyboards (indeed, Soler had already covered the title track of Miles Davis' milestone LP in his own inimitable manner on "El Gat Blanc"). Further recordings are also worthy of your attention, but if you must start anywhere with this musician's impressive portfolio, just grab a copy of "El Cant Monjo" whenever you can: it's my favourite acoustic guitar album of all-time, regardless of category.