A Rare Treat
Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 08/10/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For those who love the tango style of the Guardia Vieja and of the Golden Age, those days often seem to be alive only in the thankfully widely available recordings of the day. Tango Nuevo is now ascendant and the heirs of Tango Nuevo genius/prophet Astor Piazzolla are today taking tango in directions unimagineable just ten years ago! But wait, many of the old guard are still with us and still making great music today.
Cafe de los Maestros is a compilation in loving tribute to all those who continue maintain the traditions in the face of the mass-market touristic glitz that is the only face of the old guard of which most tango dilettantes are aware. In this set, each featured musician puts his/her own mark on an old composition using a base orchestra (Orquesta Tipica de los Maestros) and suitable chamber formations comprised of some of the best tango musicians of the day.
When I first saw this box advertised, I saw the song list and the list of artists. Some I knew, and some I didn't, but the idea behind its issue intrigued me, so I ordered it. What a rare treat! Not only were some of my favorite musicians here, but some of my favorite compositions as well. The rarity of the treat is in that the arrangements and the players of those arrangements are mostly new to me.
Let's look at the set one CD at a time.
On the first CD, I expected to enjoy mostly the work of Atilio Stampone, Osvaldo Berlingieri, Leopoldo Federico, and Mariano Mores.
As it turned out, my favorites on the disc were those numbers featuring Berlingieri, Federico, and Mores. The surprise is Alberto Podesta who belts out a memorable rendition of Percal.
On the second CD, I expected my favorites would be the works of Leopoldo Federico, Horacio Salgan, Osvaldo Berlingieri, Atilio Stampone and Mariano Mores again. While I did enjoy their contributions as I did the ones on the first disc, the surprise cuts turned out to be Un Cielo Para Los Dos, a guitar-based duet featuring Lagrima Rios and Gustavo Santaolalla, Carlos Lazzari's rendition of the famed La Punalada, and the magnificent interpretation of Chique by Ernesto Baffa and Ubaldo de Lio.
You might wonder why the box set costs considerably more than the two volumes bought separately. The reason is that with the box you get an elegant hard cover booklet containing photos, biographies and lyrics in Spanish and English. If that appeals to you, then the extra few dollars you spend is well worth it.
Whether you are one who prefers to listen to tango or are an avid dancer, this box set is right for you. This set is already getting heavy action in my CD rotation.
"
Superb.
Here in the Trench | Barcelona. Spain | 07/27/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The real thing. Thrilling. This IS tango. The one where it all started.
Ignore reviews without an historic base, and approach it as a brilliant orchestral arrangements
and a very uncommon re-recording sometimes by the original creators.
Tango is so passionate that, (if luckily you catch the soul of it) you vibrate very, very deeply.
If you get to know Buenos Aires you will understand it even further.
"
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1