Mark Weinstein – Todo Corazon, The Tango Album – JazzheadsJulio Botti – Tango Nostalgias – Zoho

by | Apr 13, 2013 | Jazz CD Reviews

Mark Weinstein – Todo Corazon, The Tango Album [TrackList follows] – Jazzheads JH1198 ****:

Julio Botti – Tango Nostalgias (Pablo Ziegler, producer) [TrackList follows] – Zoho ZM 201305 ****:

(Mark Weinstein, flutes; Abel Rogantini, piano; Raul Jaurena. bandoneon; Francisco Navarro, guitar; Pablo Aslan, bass)

(Julio Botti, sop. & tenor sax; Pablo Ziegler, piano & arr.; Quique Sinesi, guitar; Walter Castro, bandoneon; Horacio Hurtado, bass; Quintino Cinalli, percussion & drums; string quartet and doublebass)

Flutist Mark Weinstein has been exploring the sounds of South America and Africa, and now Argentina is added to his list. His quintet is the best, with a great pianist in Rogantini and a leader in the jazz tango area on doublebass: Pablo Aslan. Only one of the nine tracks is a Piazzolla original, but all the arrangements are by Aslan, and they do a fine job of mating jazz feelings with the basic tango form. Weinstein has become a real virtuoso on concert flute as well as alto and bass flutes. In the past he’s been a college teacher and a salsa trombonist, but his current return to performing is much appreciated. This album combines two of my favorite things in music: flute jazz and tango.

TrackList:

La Viruta; Los Mareados; Mi Refugio; Onda Nueve; Cristal; Nostalgias; Todo Corazon; Grisel; El Lloron.

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The glorious soprano sax of Julio Botti is a welcome new voice in the nuevo tango movement.  Pablo Ziegler, Piazzolla’s longtime pianist—who is also a composer and producer—used his own trio on this album and five of the ten tracks are his own—including one shared with Piazzolla. Four of them are from Piazzolla. It turns out that Botti started out in Argentina and attended a classical conservatory in Havana, but he eventually has settled on a jazz-influenced tango genre. Meeting Pablo Ziegler had a major effect on converting Botti to playing the music of his country.

The lightly swinging waltz “El Vals del Duende” comes from a composer and broadcaster who grew up in the same neighborhood of Buenos Aires as Ziegler. “Elegia Sobre Adios Nonino” is Ziegler’s variation on Piazzolla’s gorgeous “Adios Nonino,” composed as a tribute to his departed father. Three of the tracks, leaning into a more classical style, feature the string quartet.

TrackList:

1. CELTIC FEAST 6:072. MILONGUETA 7:503. INTRODUCCION AL ANGEL 6:284. IMAGENES 676 4:16

5. NOSTALGIAS 5:23

6. TANGUEDIA 4:517. EL VALS DEL DUENDE 3:468. MILONGA DEL ADIOS 5:229. SANDUNGA 4:08

10. ELEGIA SOBRE ADIOS NONINO 5:05

—John Henry

 

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