Libertango

When I saw the lineup of musicians Burton assembled for this album, I had to buy it. These are guys who play for the love and honor of the great master, not a bunch of egomaniacs eager to show what each can do alone. The technical brilliance of this album makes it seem like these musicians have been playing together for years, which in many instances is exactly the case. I was originally skeptical about how vibes would sound playing music as intricate as Piazzolla's, but I'm here to tell you it worked. Burton's playing does not overshadow the others, rather it complements their playing working particularly well on Fuga Y Misterio and Escualo. I am pleased to see the inclusion of Libertango which has become almost de rigeur for those seeking to interpret Astor's music. This music here is of a quality that you will be reaching for this CD for years to come. If you love Piazzolla, buy this CD today!

Now that Gary Burton brought his influential vibraphone-oriented magic well into the 21st Century in stunning force, he had decided to release his time-honoured CD that paid tribute to Astor Piazolla, the daring and outspoken Argentine virtuoso who helped revolutionized the tango and Latin jazz alike (the second time around in slick timing. Libertango—The Music Of Astor Piazolla is dedicated with love and respect to the innovative tango composer and master bandoneon player, who truly remains the ‘one towering artist who defined the entire genre of this wonderful dance music’ and was a friend of Burton (they made a couple duet sessions together when Astor was alive. Beginning with the solid title track, the passionate track set proceed with other classic works like Inverno Porteno, Escualo, Buenos Aires Horo Cero, Fuga Y Misterioso, Molonga Del Angel, Fugata, Milongo Loca and also the final track Adios Nonino, in which Burton heads a first rate Latin band with pizzazz and striking merit. Billed as an official follow-up to Astor Piazolla Reunion: A Tango Excursion just two earlier, the great jazz vibraphonist continues to build up on Piazolla’s rich legacy on Libertango- The Music Or Astor Piazolla he does in passionate timing performed by an expert combo-based ensemble featuring a cast of Piazolla alumni in new perfor- mances of pieces, some written by several Latin composers, of pieces he create in specific order. A Grammy Award-winner for Best Latin Jazz Album of 2000, the CD is also well dedicated to the memory of Burton and Piazolla’s dear friend, Fernando Basabru, as it keeps the eternal flame of Piazolla’s rich legacy alive for the ages.

Take that, clown.

The music featured on this disc is sophisticated, cosmopolitan and international in scope; mind you, this is not to say I am but it appeals to those non-existent sensibilities. The merging of jazz and tango is a perfect marriage of musical styles. The structure of tango, with it's classical and jazz overtones coupled with the free-form improvistaion of jazz may seem to be at odds for some people but under the guidance of knowledgeable musicians the results can be breathtaking. The ferocity, passion and fire of tango mixed with the coolness of jazz creates a unique musical experience, a juxtaposition of sorts that reveals the common patterns of both worlds. This disc by Gary Burton is nothing short of excellent. Burton loved the music of the late, great Astor Piazzola, studied the tango and even played with him. This disc is a tribute of sorts. He assembled a group of tango expert musicians, some of whom played with Astor and created a near perfect set of interpretations of some of his most famous compositions, plus new compositions created especially for this recording. The featured bandoneonist is Marcelo Nisinman who was a protege of Piazzolla and plays an authentic style reminiscent of his mentor. The music is exciting, mysterious, dark and lively, it is full of musical peaks and valley's; part dance music , part listening music, it is one of the most beautiful interpretations of the tango recorded. The outstanding tracks include "Buenos Aires Cero Hora," that begins with a haunting bass line, followed by a creeping introduction of the vibes, slowly integrating the other instruments to create the air of pervasive enigmatic music, the melancholy "Invierno Porteno" that meets or exceeds the original Piazzolla compostion with it's daring instrumentation, the lovely Piazzolla signature song, "Libertango" that begins with a vibraphone introduction followed by flights of fancy on the bandoneon, and "Contrabajissimo" a song written for the number one tango bassist in the world, Hector Console, who is featured here as he demonstrates his versatility and mastery of the bass on this extended(11:07) song. If you are a tango purist you may want to stay away from this one as you may find it almost sacreligious to incorporate the vibraphone with the tango. However, if you are a jazz or tango lover with adventurous tastes ,you will find this disc very worthwhile as a further exploration of the tango. Great stuff and highly recommended for ballroom dancing or your listening pleasure.

I love just about all music, but right now my favorite is jazz. I dance ballroom and Latin. This CD caught my eye on a feature display at a store. I previewed it and had to have it! With Gary Burton vibes and Argetinian tango music played by Piazzolla alumni musicians, it's a mesh of jazz and tango. Percussive, passinate, explosive, and progessive, it will make you want to turn up the volume and dance. This music is captivating and this CD will make you a devoted fan. It is lush and filled with ornamentation. There are feature solo spots in each piece. I particularly like Burton's vibe intro on 'Libertine' and the Pablos Ziegler piano solo on 'Adios Nonino'. I like that Burton allows this collection to be about the music and not just a vehicle for him to display vibe solos with backup musicians. Buy this CD! You will be mesmerized!

このアルバム１２曲目の「アディオス・ノニーノ」が、フィンランドのフィギュア・スケーター、ラウラ・レピストのフリーの曲として使用されていました。若き浅田真央やキム・ヨナとは違う大人の“気品”を感じさせる素晴らしい演技にとてもマッチする演奏です。ラウラはこの演技で２０１０年のバンクーバー五輪で６位、世界選手権で３位となっています。機会があればYouTubeなどで探してみてください。

欲しかった一枚，でも輸入盤だから解説もすべて日本語でなく読めません。残念です。せっかく買ったのに。曲はどっぷりとピアソロの世界を楽しめますが。