CD Review - Pablo Aslan: Avantango

2004 Zoho Music LLC.
(See Avantango Performance Review)
with
Pablo Aslan on Bass
Leonardo Suarez-Paz on Violin
Hector Del Curto on BandoneÛn
Diego Urcola on Trumpet
Oscar Feldman on Tenor Sax
Roxana Fontan, Vocals
Dario Eskenazi on Piano
Gustavo Casenave on Piano

This is a very danceable series of Argentine Tangos, sometimes fused with jazz, composed by Pablo Aslan, Astor Piazzolla, and other Tango composers. Aslan includes strong solo bass features, which create a rare, earthy resonance for Tango music. The addition of tenor sax and trumpet adds a fused jazz dimension that enhances, rather than detracts, from the inherent sensuality of Tango.

Notable tracks:

#1 - Derviche - Composed by Pablo Aslan. This piece is over five minutes long and has performance qualities, with musical quotes from Piazzolla and an edginess and occasional, electrically charged passages.

#3 - Beto - Composed by Pablo Aslan. With Gustavo Casenave on piano, Beto has a dramatic and driven tension, which could serve for a Tango ensemble performance. Hector Del Curto's bandoneon creates moments of staccato surprises, and Casenave's keyboard chords seem faintly like Philip Glass' repetitions.

#4 - Vuelvo al Sur - Composed by Astor Piazzolla. Roxana Fontan has blossomed into a very sensual and mellifluous singer, warm and passionate. Diego Urcola's trumpet adds a melancholy, Miles Davis effect. This is a very popular Tango song for dance.

#7 - Malena - Composed by Demare-Manzi. To a duet of Ms. Fontan's vocalization and Aslan's bass, the song Malena evolves in drama and volume, in ethereal quiet followed by more emotional texture and richness. Ms. Fontan's intonations are heart-rending and exciting.