Founded in 1978 by Andrés Olaegui and Luis Cobo, two veteran guitarists and long-time friends with a huge experience in the Flamenco folk and fusion scene, GUADALQUIVIR was one of the most prominent jazz-fusion bands to come out from Southern Spain. The band took its name from the largest river in that area of Spain. Its overtly Flamenco-tinged sound was delivered with class and passion, something that is mostly due to the candour of the compositions and the inventive interplaying between all musicians. Unlike other contemporary bands from that same area, such as CAI, IMÁN or MEZQUITA, GUADALQUIVIR chose to stick closer to the realms of jazz and a bit away from the influence of symphonic prog; that’s why their musical offering sounds, in comparison, more obviously influenced by Di Meola-era RETURN TO FOREVER, HERBIE HANCOCK, and Pastorius-era WEATHER REPORT. In many occasions they played as opening acts for TRIANA or shared the stage with other existing Spanish prog bands of that time.
Even though the two aforementioned guitarists were in charge of writing the band’s material, GUADALQUIVIR was not a guitar-dominated ensemble: the solid presence of the rhythm section and the melodic adornments delivered by flute/sax player Pedro Ontiveros turn out to be as important sonic factors as Olaegui and Cobo’s alternating leads. The original line-up recorded the band’s first two albums. After Cobo and Ontiveros left, the band went through a phase of slow activity; one more album was recorded eventually by the remaining members plus guests, though, in memory of the then recently departed Jesús de la Rosa (from TRIANA). After that, the band just split up officially and for good. Until this day, all ex-members keep themselves busy as session musicians, and some of them even launched prolific solo careers.
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