Spanish Guitar


My wife loves Spanish Guitar, but we know little about musicians in this genre. I'd like to add some of this music to our collection and learn more about the music itself. Does anyone have recommendations for good quality Spanish Guitar recordings and/or artists?
johnrob
lest I forget: Bebo & Cigala "LLagrimas Negras"
which isn't a flamenco album per se but a flamenco singer paired with a Cuban jazz pianist doing classic love songs from the 'golden era' of popular latin love songs. This will give you an idea of what a flamenco singer sounds like.
Bebo at 80+ is truly tremendous (he is chucho valdes' father).
All good suggestions, although covering a range from older, classical Spanish through Latin American to Noveau Flamenco, three quite different flavor mixes. I second Swklein's suggestion that Naxos label is a great, economical place to look.

Consider the 4 CD set on Deutsche Grammophon by Narcisco Yepes, entitled 'Guitarra Espanola'.

Liona Boyd's 'El Camino Latino' has to be one of the sunniest in a sort of cheerful noveau Latin American way.

Paco de Lucia 'Entre Dos Aguas' (Philips)

John Williams, 'The Seville Concert', featuring 'Concerto de Aranjuez'
Yes, there is a real difference between the neo flamenco people like Jesse Cook, Ottmar, etc. [which I do like] and the REAL guys like Montoya. Some might say it's like comparing Kenny G to John Coltrane, although I think that's an insult to the neo flamenco artists and not completely fair either. But there is a difference.

Real flamenco people also get pissed if you associate the Gypsy Kings with them. Maybe because they're actually from France or because of their worldwide pop appeal. I like them too. But then again some of these people don't think anything is true flamenco unless it comes from the caves of The Sacramonte. Suffering seems to be a big part of flamenco.

There's also a lot of great non-flamenco Spanish guitar work.

Amazon.com has a lot of nice neo flamenco compilation discs such as Flamenco Fire and Flamenco Passion with artists like Ruben Romero, Strunz & Farah, Jesse Cook, Ottmar Leibert, etc... I'll definitely have to check out the Gino D'Auri XRCD.

The thing I like about music from Spain is that it has so many great Gypsy [Middle East & Indian] and North African influences. Rich and passionate!
Yes; Gino D'Auri's 'Flamenco Mystico' has a stunning version of the classic Recuerdos de la Alhambra.
Jlamb has a good list there but I believe Paco Pena should also be a must listen as the world's first Professor of Flamenco Guitar and one of the all time great Flamenco Masters.