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Paquito D'Rivera: Tango Jazz: Live at Lincoln Center
ByCuban-born/US-based reed man Paquito D'Rivera has been known for his interminable dalliance with tango, with Tango Jazz: Live at Lincoln Center a culmination of sorts and a tribute to his role in the affair. D'Rivera brings his pliant ingenuity to this project, displaying every bit of his mastery on the alto saxophone as well as on the dreamy, woody tones of his clarinet, which seems born for the romance of the tango. His phrasing is immaculate, and undulates with the rhythm of his heart. Lines and phrases slide into one another with mighty glissandi, sometimes beginning with a shrill cry of delight, then swirling and pirouetting as they soar and float on their way to their inevitable denouement. On this album, he plays off the wonderful brassiness of trumpeter Gustavo Bergalli's burnished horn and the bandoneóns of Michael Zisman and Raul Juarena.
The tantalizing brilliance of "Viejo Smocking" is memorable, as is the sweeping indolence of "Milonguinha" and "Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind." The dark romance of "Bandoneón" is one of the high points of the program, just as the hypnotic swirl of "Verano Porteño" is another. In like manner, the creativity of "Tanguajira" is one where D'Rivera marries the Cuban with the Argentineanand the Uruguayan as well. And just as "Beto" does, so also does "Goodbye" mix various idioms with the all-pervasive tango. It is almost impossible to stop the feet from sliding and tapping to the music as they prepare to glide and guide the body into the queen of all Latin American dances.
Make no mistake; however, as this is almost as much Pablo Aslan's journey as it is Paquito D'Rivera's. The bassist is a towering figure in the world of modern tango, and music as well. His complete mastery of his instrument and virtually all forms of music and dance is legion. Here, his spirit is all over the music even guiding the mighty work of Michael Zisman and drummer Daniel Piazzolla throughout this memorable album.
Track Listing
Viejo Smocking; Beto; Bandoneón; Milonguinha; Close Encounter of the Fourth Kind; Verano Porteño; Tanguajira; Goodbye.
Personnel
Paquito D'Rivera
clarinetPaquito D'Rivera: alto saxophone and clarinet; Gustavo Bergalli: trumpet; Pablo Agri: violin (6); Nicholas Danielson: violin (7); Michael Zisman: bandoneón; Raul Juarena: bandoneón (7); Abel Rogantini: piano; Pablo Aslan: bass; Daniel Piazzolla: drums.
Album information
Title: Tango Jazz: Live at Lincoln Center | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records
Comments
About Paquito D'Rivera
Instrument: Clarinet
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