PACO PENA: “Azahara.”

Paco Pena and Tito Losada, guitars. Nimbus Records (NI 5116, compact disc). Pena’s compositions combine a respect for and deep knowledge of flamenco traditions with strong individual identity and a willingness to experiment, if not quite to the extent of Paco de Lucia and his followers. This disc gathers a dozen fresh efforts, including three backed by longtime colleague Tito Losada. The performances are characteristically clean and unforced, and wide-ranging in spirit--a sophisticated joy to experience. The intelligent, informative notes are an unexpected bonus.