Marisol Martinez's crew has published a new EP and it's just as lovely as the first one released just a few weeks ago.
They made two songs available on YouTube: El último café and Cristal.
Summary
This is an excellent add-on to the 100% Tango EP, which I reviewed a few days ago. All I've written about the band's style applies here as well.
As a DJ, I now have 10 songs that I can mix in tandas as everything is immediately danceable.
If they continue their release cadence, they'll reach total dominance in under a year 😎. For DJs who love to feature contemporary tangos, such as myself, there's never enough, and so please, more!
The songs
Included are five tunes, and I applaud the selection of themes.
Cristal has at least three Golden age recordings: one by Canaro / Roldán, another by Troilo / Marino, and finally by Fresedo / Serpa. I am not a huge fan of either one and if hard-pressed, I'd choose the Canaro's version.
I would say that this song was written for orchestras coming later, and indeed there are recordings by Armando Pontier and Roberto Goyeneche from the 1960s and 1970s that successfully mine this source of emotion that is Cristal.
La Auténtica has chosen regular tempos and delivered this song as a lyrical duet. As is their custom, they don't go overboard and keep it civil. It's very pleasing.
I adore El último café: it's a very masculine, celebratory theme, as evidenced by the recordings of D'Arienzo c. Jorge Valdez or Baffa-Berlingieri c. Roberto Goyeneche.
Marisol Martinez proves that you don't need a booming bass to deliver it. This cover is still celebratory, but gentle and relaxed. An instant favorite. ❤️
La madrugada can be fairly dark, such as when Pedro Láurenz recorded it with Carlos Bermúdez. It is very sharp and poignant as well on this Auténtica album, here sung by Jesus Hidalgo.
Even darker can be Nada más, made famous primarily by Juan D'Arienzo and his two versions, one with Echagüe in 1938, another with Valdez twenty years later. La Auténtica ups the tempos and keeps the character. Again, very sharp and poignant.
The last piece is very different.
I've known Por la vuelta from Lomuto's recording with Jorge Omar from 1939. A very sweet, tender song that will leave you smiling.
It is also very upbeat here. Unlike the other songs on the two EPs, however, there are many rubatos and the overall flow is reminiscent of 1950s style.
Perhaps I haven't mentioned it explicitly enough: in the other songs, La Auténtica uses very regular, predictable beats that are comforting even to the beginning dancer.
Por la vuelta as sung by Jesus Hidalgo puts higher requirements on the leader. The tempos are slower and often change - slow down for a moment to make a point, then return.
The leader must then be vigilant. On the flip side, the song will award him or her with an expanded potential of moves.
Yey, yey 👍
January 2020 has so far been a fantastic month of new releases and adventures. I am giddy in anticipation of what might be coming next. As usual, you'll read about it here as soon as it's available.
Like what you hear? Support the musicians and get the whole thing. I purchase all the music I review here.