Radiotango
Zoho, 2019
8/10
An Argentine composer, arranger and pianist who now calls New York City home, Pablo Ziegler tosses classical and jazz ideas into his tango template here, with an all star cast on hand to help flesh out the 9 originals and 1 reworking.
The title track gets the album off to a graceful yet playful start of cinematic, lush sounds, and “Maria Ciudad” follows with an intricate, contemplative approach with much skill present between the instruments.
Further along, “El Empredado” recruits very cultured rhythm on the retro tango that is one of the album’s best, while “Desde Otros Tiempos” manipulates mood well with glorious precision.
Near the end, “La Rayuela” offers a darker spirit running through vibrant melody, and “Fuga y Misterio”, the lone cover, ends the album with some of best interplay between the cello, bass, keys and bandoneon.
It’s no surprise that Ziegler is a Grammy winner, as he brings his rich history to the listening experience here with plenty of soul, precision and timelessness, successfully putting a new spin on early sounds.
Travels well with: Astor Piazzolla- Summit;Paquito D’Rivera- Blowin’