One of the most seismic shifts in Latin Music was produced by the pen and bandoneon of Astor Piazzolla. These two albums take his compositions and inspiration to heart.
Julio Botti plays tenor and soprano sax with a team of Andre Baird/g, Eduardo Withrington/key-B3, Tiago Michelin/dr and guest guitarist Juampy Juarez on tunes penned by Pablo Ziegler, Piazzolla and himself. On soprano, he does an upbeat dance on “Celtic Feast” and creates longing moods with Baird on a pretty “Milongueta.” His tenor is bold, muscular on the post bopping “Upper West” and romantic during “Melodia Para Agustin” with B3 in tow, whle rich flavors abound on “Imagenes 676” and the fluid and smoky “Tango Blues.” Rich South American flavors.
Pianist Pablo Ziegler leads a chamber team of cellist Jisoo OK, bassist Pedro Giraudo and Hector Del Curto on the bandoneon for Piazzolla-inspired compositions by the leader, along with an exercise in dexterity on “Fuga Y Misterio.” Pastoral passions are soft on “Muchacha de Boedo” and festive drumming propels the high pitched bandoneon on “La Rayuela.” Dark bow-slashing on “La Connexion Portena” brings back sounds from the Gene Hackman film The French Connection, with dramatic bows on the complex title track. All throughout, the intricate interplay mixes rich textures, sophisticated harmonies and moods ranging from melancholy to merry. True Latin moments!