Los Changos Trio: Nann

With his blend of classical music, Argentinian folk music, and jazz, Julio A. Santillán brings a nice sensibility to his compositions. The emphasis is on his native music from Argentina, and with the undeniable empathy among the members of the trio, they succeed in getting the message across quite succinctly.

Santillán has an open style of playing. His notes are eloquent and speak intimately to the listener. He flits into "Ajonjoli, the melody pirouetting, his chords adding gentle emphasis. The knit between the musicians is close as they draw from the nectar of this chacarera, Huergo feeding the spaces with his bass, Pinna's drums nicely understated. Santillán says that he never writes fast music, though "La Gallina Cueca is an exception.

The cueca is the dance of Chile, and Santillán gets off to a jubilant start and then slows down the tempo as Huergo takes over, his bass adding some strong texture and colour. The tune develops in an interesting way as Santillán chimes in and the body becomes dense without becoming suffocating. The entwining of the bass and the guitar resonate on "La Gran Manzana and bring to the fore the bustle of New York City (the title translates to "The Big Apple") in an imaginative tribute.