Armik's lifelong love affair with the flamenco guitar began on his first visit to Spain at age 20, when he saw the legendary Paco de Lucia perform. Driven by a fire for the tradition that has defined his musical life ever since, the young musician immediately switched from his electric Gibson CS175, trading his Wes Montgomery licks for an in-depth journey to the heart of Spanish music. Launching his solo career with 1994's Rain Dancer -- a Top Ten Billboard New Age hit, like his five subsequent releases -- he drew upon his jazz roots and flamenco passions to create a revolutionary twist on the emerging nouveau flamenco sound. Armik's Bolero Records debut, Lost in Paradise, paints a lush landscape of a unique style he calls "gypsy jazz," joyfully blending classic elements of rhumba, cha-cha, bolero, jazz, and, taking a rhythmic sojourn down to Brazil, a bit of bossa nova. The bold, percussive opening rhumba track "Barcelona Sunsets" thrusts the listener full throttle into the raw, emotional power of the Armik experience; his powerful fingerstyling is enhanced by a lively piano harmony. This is balanced by the gentle intimacy of the title track, a slow rhumba featuring a dreamy, seductive guitar line. The snappy cha-cha-cha piece, "Golden Rule," features Armik's plucky strains over a spirited, rolling groove. After the romantic sizzle of "Bolero Passion" (parts of which feature a harp like guitar sound), the fast rhumba "Almeria" brings back the fire for an aggressive, percussion-dense jam session. The Fender Rhodes-enhanced "Gypsy Love" demonstrates the true fusion that defines Armik's style, a soul-jazz meets flamenco jam that almost singlehandedly creates a new genre.