The French guitarist Patrice Larose met Senegalese-French singer Julia Sarr at a concert in Paris in 2003 when both were struggling backup musicians. Though they didn't anticipate working together at the time, within the space of two years they would bow to applause as a magnetic duo at Carnegie Hall. For that, and for their acclaimed debut recording, Set Luna, released in January 2006, they have producer Laurent Bizot to thank. Bizot, long an admirer of Sarr, a singer known for her depth and ingenuity with African rhythms, dreamed one night of pairing her transformative vocals with the grace of organic flamenco. In need of a multi-dimensional player with the goods to help shape his dream, he turned to Larose. Despite his French background, Larose was raised on a musical tradition stemming from a different part of the world: when he was 15, his Spanish grandfather introduced him to the sounds of flamenco and the attending rhythms of duende and buleria. As an adult, Larose transferred his passion for that music to gigs with several jazz and Brazilian players, most notably Márcio Faraco. On Set Luna, Larose's dexterity within his genre is evident. He also displays a playful and curious side, though: despite his mastery of traditional sounds, Larose, with Sarr at his side, seems eager to merge old sensibilities with surprising new ones. ~ Tammy La Gorce, Rovi