Solo Tango is back!
Well, I am a litle late to the party: Una Noche de Garufa came out in August. I did notice it then and finally found the time to review it now at the year's end.
The album is meticulously performed with a determination to never allow the band's enthusiasm to compromise their technique. Every note lands at the right time, pitch-perfect. And yet, it's never dry or, G*d forbid, boring.
The tracks are, with one exception, covers. They don't try to pretend otherwise. And to the extent that I might reach when trying to recreate the 1940s with 2020's technology, they are as veritable as they can be.
Let's see what we have here!
The music in detail
Ríe, payaso gets us in the mood, and it is a fast, sharp opener. D'Arienzo recorded this with Carlos Casares in 1940 and it's a blast. It also set an expectation regarding a singer who is missing here - the whole album is instrumental. The quartet fills in all the notes so you can let go of that expectation. I did - almost.
For an alternate take, consider one by Orquesta Silbando on the album "Mano sinistra" (you'll have to scroll manually, no direct link).
For a super alternate take, Ángel Vargas did it low-tempo in 1952, and if that doesn't defy your expectations, I don't know what else would.
Yapeyú is one of those tracks that should require a special license to play. Not all audiences can handle it with grace. Solo Tango gives it a veritable treatment - hard, fast, and not as angry as D'Arienzo's take was. You should still handle it with care, though.
Una noche de garufa continues at a very swift pace. It's not as rough as Tanturi's take - very precise but somewhat neutral and academic. I'd like it better if the band loosened up a bit here - let it rip! Like Tango Bardo did.
Don Juan is a better fit, upbeat and elegant, albeit again very fast. I suppose the arrangement draws from D'Arienzo's 1950 recording. What is lacks in novelty it compensates for in its danceability. It'll be a crowd-pleaser.
Mi natái is the first step outside of the "standard repertoire" on this album. Caló recorded it with Luis Tolosa in 1944, and that's pretty much it. It's a shame, the song is fantastic, and so is this cover! And since I've had no pre-conceived notions as to what it should sound like, I accepted the instrumental rendering without hesitation.
Tus labios me dirán reconstructs the recording of Biagi/Amor from 1945. Again, the band makes you forget that there's no singer here. I enjoyed the lyrical expression of the violin that took over the vocal lines.
El estribo is the 2nd Biagi cover, and the track could also be considered as non-standard or niche as it's not commonly covered, so a second bonus point here. The band nailed the style here: it is idiomatic Biagi through and through.
El yaguarón earns the third bonus point, and it won't be the last. Biagi recorded it in 1940, and he was the last to do so. I found Solo Tango's version 100% convincing - it made me tap my feet in anticipation.
The album concludes with two milongas.
*El latigo" shares its title with a tango recorded by Federico in 1952, but it sounds nothing like it, so I assume it's a coincidence. It's a playful, delightfully accented milonga performed with gusto. I loved the swift tempo! The track has everything that a milonga lover desires and made me take a long look at my library as I looked for possible tanda pairings.
Milonga la rotonda could be a candidate - I would probably open the tanda with this one. It starts with percussion, which made me suspect it would be a candombe, but it ain't. Once it gets going, the percussion disappears. Overall, it's a happy camper, guaranteed to loosen the facial expressions of leaders on the dancefloor.
In summary
By now we know that Solo Tango can perform any tango, vals, and milonga and if they wanted, they could recreate anything by Biagi, D'Arienzo, or Pugliese.
The question that always comes to mind is, is it worth it?
For some tracks, the answer is strongly in the affirmative. Unless you're a complete tango nerd with an extensive collection of CTA records, you're probably hearing Mi natái for the first time. So a cover gives a chance to propagate the tune into the future and helps keeping the tango canon wide and varied.
For Don Juan or Yapeyú, I'm not sure we need another take. Not on principle. A DJ might need just that, though, to complete a tanda, so there's that.
Fans of present-day tango music shouldn't (and do not) worry about these concerns. This album adds ten solid tracks that are all 100% milonga-worthy. Danceability is all that matters when couples get together and the ronda starts moving. And in this regard, Solo Tango did us all a solid - as always!