We are excited to present our new album Latin Connections which has been some six years in the making! Originally conceived as a collaborative project with multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer (and good friend) Clarice Assad, global Covid restrictions unfortunately forced us to postpone the project. By the time restrictions were lifted, Clarice’s family life and work commitments meant she was no longer able to take part in the project. Although we were understandably disappointed not to be working with Clarice as planned, we were delighted to form a new and exciting partnership with award-winning jazz singer, cellist, pianist and composer Sara Dowling.

Latin music lends itself so well to the guitar quartet medium, and on this album, we really wanted to encompass the huge variety the genre has to offer, from its infectious, percussive rhythms to the beautifully rich, lyrical textures of sound.

A collection of works with Latin origins and inspirations, this album features some wonderful arrangements of beloved Latin classics, Clarice Assad’s truly unique interpretation of the Beatles timeless ‘Blackbird’ and a brand new haunting work ‘Adios’ which Sara composed especially for this project.

Latin composers on this disc reads like a who’s who – Egberto Gismonti, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Ismael Ledesma, Hermeto Pascoal, Ariel Ramirez, Luis Bonfà, Chick Corea, Pixinguinha, Benedito Lacerda, Vinicius de Moraes and Clarice Assad. We have contributed our own arrangements alongside some by friend and colleague James Girling, Brazilian guitarist Marcus Tardelli and the legendary Roland Dyens.

Sara Dowling features on the album as vocalist, pianist, cellist and composer, adding an extra dimension to the already diverse sound-scape of the quartet.

A Mi Pueblo is a beautifully haunting piece of music written by the Paraguayan harpist Ismael Ledesma. This arrangement for guitar quartet and voice is by quartet member, Mike Baker.