Oscar Peñas: From Now On

Hailing from Barcelona and currently living in Brooklyn, guitarist Oscar Peñas weaves engaging melodies with touches of traditional Spanish rhythms and jazz on his third outing as a leader. His primary voice throughout is nylon-string acoustic guitar, which blends nicely with Dan Blake’s tenor sax on the buoyant, Brazilian-flavored “Choro N. 1,” and with Gil Goldstein’s accordion on the flamenco-flavored title track. He delves into Argentine tango on “Samuel Smith,” which features Goldstein on piano, and summons up a soulful bolero on the sentimental “Julia.” His lone tune performed on electric guitar, “Continuum,” is actually less distinctive and affecting than his nylon-string work. This winning album is also notable for introducing six-string electric bassist Moto Fukushima, whose remarkably facile, singing solos enliven several tracks.

Originally Published March 29, 2012