An innovative jazz pianist, Chano Domínguez earned acclaim for his clever melding of modern jazz and the music of his home country of Spain, particularly flamenco. Born on March 29, 1960, Domínguez began playing guitar before switching to piano at an early age. He played in a progressive rock band in Spain before jazz fusion caught his ear, and he began to transition more fully into the jazz world.
In 1986, Domínguez and his band Hixcadix took first prize in Spain’s National Jazz Young Talents contest, and he followed this up in 1992 with the Muestra de Jazz designation from INJUVE, a Spanish government association that promotes youth involvement and creativity. This was the launching pad for Domínguez’ solo career, which kicked off with his self-titled album in 1992.
Domínguez’ passion for blending jazz with flamenco came to the fore on 10 de Paco, a collaboration with saxophonist Jorge Pardo that interpreted the works of iconic flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía through the lens of post-bop jazz, resulting in an album that paid tribute to a man and his sound without employing his actual instrument.
In 1997 he began to collaborate with Spanish singer and fellow jazz and flamenco enthusiast Martirio, first on her album Coplas de Madruga, which revitalized her career and sent her on a new path. Their musical partnership continued well into the next century, including the 2019 album A Bola de Nieve.
In 2000 Domínguez was featured in Calle 54, a documentary about Latin jazz. He also began to rack up Latin Grammy nominations, totalling four by 2015. His 2012 album Flamenco Sketches reimagined Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue in Domínguez’s own jazz/flamenco context, and earned a nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album at that year’s Grammy Awards. He continues to perform in various configurations, and has added “educator” to his resume by teaching at universities and music conservatories.
