Rodrigo y Gabriela - The Jazz EP (2021)

Grammy-winning Mexican acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela are back with their first vinyl release of the new decade. Having successfully launched their ‘Music From The Field’ Patreon platform last year, the instrumental rockers are sharing new music that was first cultivated in that subscriber-based online world.

Rodrigo y Gabriela’s first release of the new decade, the JAZZ EP includes distinctive covers of Snarky Puppy’s “Lingus", Kamasi Washington’s “Street Fighter Mas,” Astor Piazzolla's "Oblivion" (Feat Vicente Amigo) a celestial performance video is streaming now at YouTube. KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic posted the song, naming it as “Today’s Top Tune,” writing, “Guitar virtuosos Rodrigo y Gabriela have…recreated the LA jazz maestro’s ‘Street Fighter Mas’ with just two guitars. It may sound stripped down, but we don’t lose any of the song’s intricacies.”

Rod says: “It was a no-brainer for us. Kamasi is one of the most exciting jazz musicians out there and ‘Street Fighter Mas’ has such a good groove.”

Gab adds: “It was a challenge for us, recreating the instruments with just two guitars, so it became a kind of game. We had to change a few bits and pieces, especially in how I interpreted the drum parts on my guitar.”

The JAZZ EP also features covers of ‘Lingus’ by Snarky Puppy and ‘Oblivion’ by Astor Piazzolla, with a guest appearance by flamenco-guitar legend Vicente Amigo. The release will be limited to just 3,000 copies worldwide, pressed on cloudy orange vinyl and individually numbered. It will be released worldwide on 7th May 2021, and can be pre-ordered now.

Back to ‘Street Fighter Mas’ and the final word to Rod and Gab:

“When you play someone else’s music, you need to get outside your own headspace, and learn from scratch, it’s a real challenge. We layered tracks to get the groove and feel of the song, and then we did some singing - sorry! We had great fun, we hope you like it too.”