reviews

Flamenco Jazz Umbrella, Assembly Rooms

If the audience arriving in the Edinburgh Suite thought it was warm, it was about to get warmer. Ricardo Garcia soon had the Spanish sun metaphorically beating down in his deeply impressionistic solo guitar compositions.
Garcia is no stranger to the Fringe, but his previous venues, often cramped and with poor sight-lines, haven't always given him the kind of showcase his performances deserve. This was perfect for him, allowing him to be friendly and personal with the audience and very professional with his affecting and expressive guitar music.
Good though the music is – and when percussionist Guy Nicholson adds one of those rhythmical boxes that looks like he's hitting a hi-fi speaker and Emma Smith adds her cool double-bass lines, there's a threat of spontaneous combustion – the real heat arrives with Rae Bowlay's flamenco dancing.
Grabbing handfuls of her flame-red dress, Bowlay is both sensual and extraordinarily powerful, her intricate, percussive steps driving the musicians up into another, more intensive gear. The bad news is that she only dances on two numbers; the good news is, she makes the most of both of them.

ROB ADAMS