Some of the world's most beautiful music can not exist in the hands of a singular performer. It must come to life in the conversation between two. It is that mysterious entity of community that the gypsies call "duende". Few performing teams are as graced with that magical property as Craig Alden Dell and AnnaMaria Cardinalli in this, their debut album. It spans a range from the most formal classical repertoire, to sweeping operatic vocals, to passionate flamenco - each consistent in the spirit of duende which pervades.

Traditional flamenco with an edge! Flamenco Steel's brutal performances are exectuted on steel strings guitars. Steel strings bring a brilliance to the depth of the expression of duende. This is the album that has already stunned the guitar world prior to its release. El Duo Duende (Craig Alden Dell and AnnaMaria Cardinalli) has created and introduced a no-holds-barred, do-not-try-this-at-home technique of executing of true Andalusian gypsy flamenco on steel strings. El Duo Duende alone performs with the passion and discipline required to endure such guitaristic brutality to achieve the purity of tone that "Flamenco Steel" allows.

Four of the greatest composers of music in the Spanish style are represented on this CD; Antonio Ruiz-Pipo (1933-), Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909), Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), and Augustin Castellon Sabicas (1917-1990). Although all but Albeniz wrote for the guitar, it is a point well taken that each of their music is extremely guitar in nature.

Few musical sets you will hear in life serve as great of emotional timestamps as this amazing collection of latin masterpieces.  From the swaying drama of Enrique Granados' Oriental (Danza Espanola #2) the CD takes us on a journey through times and places we all have either dreamed of, or even more, long to revisit. For most first time listeners, this CD warrants pressing the 'repeat all' button and taking the scenic route home after work - a classic collection to cherish.