It has been days since I was in the ‘Tabanco‘ of Granada, in the neighborhood of the Albaincín that so well hosted Chino & the Big Bet… I still savor the exquisite combination of the essence of the arab quarter with the stale taste of its blues.

Today we are going to tell you about a group that comes from the Catalan capital and that a few fortunate ones had the opportunity to witness it in a small cultural bar that gathers great essence of the andalusian patio and the american and flamenco music. The visual category was already noticeable before the start of the concert, not only by the magician Tabanco, but also by the elegance with which the three musicians arrived, impregnating the place with the 20s style of his music that made the How much less exquisite scene.

Chino (Hernán Senra) has established himself as a key figure in the swing and blues scene in Barcelona. It achieves nuances of an original variety possessing in addition a net attack and spirited thanks to the instrument father of this guitarist, the resophonic guitar. This slide guitar is seconded by The Big Bet: bassist Rod Deville and Giggs Nother on drums. They both use the guitar in their bluestly character.

They sounded like nightclubs that habituated great african-american musicians in a completely acoustic set. Topics like Bad Boy Blues or Your Love is Dynamite invited you to dance in more than one moment. Buona Sera by Louis Prima, Louis Jordan’s Caldonia, Rollin’ ‘n Tumblin’ by Muddy Waters, They’re Red Hot by the honoree Robert Johnson or Violent love by Willie Dixon were their overflowing versions of accurate styling of the original theme material.

The originality with which they exercised on Hush or I’m on the road again, which came directly to the emotional roots of the viewer was clearly influenced by the hawaiian style of tearful and melancholic sounds of the slide of Chino.

The contrabass and drums, like improvisers of an authentic inspiration, possessed a fast vibrato, skillfully controlled. The incessant rhythmic figures designed by Rod and Giggs took the fixity and the matte tonality, rhythms that made parade in rapid and captivating succession. They picked the native juice of the blues and the swing, exhibiting it at the top of their art.

Their tuning and their attack made them owners of a sober style in extreme, of great inner strength, continuing with the most solid tradition of the blues. The sparkling and synthetic style, and its fluid and lively intonation, are an irresistible attraction.

The magic continued, but this time in ‘La Tertulia‘. Minutes later, insatiable at night, we headed towards the cradle of tango and Granada culture. The peculiar night fecundó when Chino showed us its traditional argentine influences. The ‘porteño‘ gave us a repertoire in its majority Gardeliano like Ché papusa oí, Yira yira one of the songs that best expresses the solitude in the city, Garufa or Silbando. He did not forget one of the greats of the tango, Edmundo Rivero, with Pucherito de Gallina or one of the great poets of this genre Enrique Santos Discépolo where he shows in Cambalache the corruption with which he lived in the crisis of the 30, describing a World without exit whose letter would be well interpreted today.
Chino & The Big Bet was born in 2010 motivated by the father of the blues, the great Robert Johnson, who honored him for the centenary of his birth. The success that captivated both the critics and the audience of this album tribute to the grandfather of rock and roll “100 years” motivated the band to launch in July 2012 the first installment of “SIX” a trilogy composed of 6 themes each one. In February 2013 they released the second, this time with a furious section of winds formed by Arthem Zhuliev, Pol Prats and Big Dani Pérez. This month they recorded the third installment that will have a more crude sound and unlike the previous ones, this one presents / displays with an acoustic format recorded in only one night. These six new songs, which will be released shortly, will enter the album that closes this trilogy.
They have already left a mark in halls and festivals throughout Spain and Europe. After being selected as the band representative of Spain, they won the second place of the competition European Blues Challenge 2013 formed by 20 European countries that took place in the French city of Toulouse last March.
This summer we can find them at festivals in Cahors (FR), Luxenburg or Italy. Every Tuesday they direct the Blues Jam Session of the Harlem Jazz Club of Barcelona and they make two monthly performances in the Campari Milano Cocktail Bar, referring club for the blues and the jazz of Barcelona.

For lovers of african-american music, do not miss the opportunity to attend any of the direct of this magnificent trio that with firmness, vigor and plasticity combine their style with the highest findings of instrumental virtuosity, with a disciplined melodic structure and a spontaneous emotional expression.

Elen Armonía – NoRockSolo