Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Richard Galliano: Tangaria

Richard Galliano: Tangaria

By Chris May
April 9, 2010
View read count

A little accordion can go a long way. Its sound is a knife edge away from a dolorous monotone, and stubbornly resists modulation. It is no accident that Argentinian tango, the style indelibly associated with the instrument, typically deals with loss and bad luck. Few accordionists are able to cast off this baggage, but Richard Galliano is one who can.

An inventive, virtuoso performer with solid jazz chops, Galliano is at home with a variety of atmospheres, including the happy and the carefree. Tangaria, recorded with his Tangaria Quartet and guest mandolinist Hamilton de Holanda—and previously released, without the closing "Tango Pour Claude" and "New York Tango," as Luz Negra (Milan, 2007)—finds Galliano roving widely across the emotional spectrum.

Despite the band's name, tango takes a back seat here—a third of the tracks plough the familiar furrow—and it's outnumbered by valse musettes, tunes derived from Italian and Brazilian popular song, and globally imagined originals whose provenance is harder to pin down. Some of the tunes are sorrowful, but just as often they are upbeat and gutsy. Most of the tracks, even the fairy tale-like arrangement of Erik Satie's "Gnossienne No.3," are driven forward by Philippe Aerts' energised bass. Higher up the register, violinist Alexis Cardenas is another visceral pleasure. An attacking player, whether in bowed or plucked mode, his improvisations, like Galliano's, strike a fine balance between muscle and melodicism.

De Holanda's inclusion is spot on. The combination of accordion and mandolin is a perfect marriage of opposites, in which the mandolin's percussive, non-sustained sonorities set off the langorous, drawn-out notes of the accordion. Galliano's and De Holanda's counterpoints add a splendid shimmer to "Tangaria" and the tenderly romantic "Sanfona," and the two duel fiercely on "Fou Rire" and "Sertao."

One small gripe: most of the tracks last less than four minutes, allowing only brief solos. Sometimes the tunes sound like postcards, when a discursive letter would be welcome.

Track Listing

Tangaria; Luz Negra; Guarda Che Luna; Chat Pitre; Fou Rire; Gnossienne No.3; Escualo; Indifference; Sanfona; Des Volliers; Barbara; Sertao; Flambee Montalbanaise; Les Forains; Tango Pour Claude.

Personnel

Richard Galliano

accordion

Richard Galliano: accordion; Hamilton De Holanda: mandolin (2, 5, 9, 12, 15, 16); Alexis Cardenas: violin (1, 3-12, 15, 16); Philippe Aerts: bass (1-13, 15, 16); Raphael Meijas: percussion (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 15, 16); Amoy Ribas: percussion (2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13).

Album information

Title: Tangaria | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Warner Bros.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Come and Get It
< Previous

Turnaround: The Music of Ornette Col...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.