Review Courtesy AllAboutJazz.com
By Samuel Chell, November 15, 2006

Despite the title, this album is not necessarily limited to lovers of tango. Nor should it be dismissed by listeners who normally prefer music emphasizing improvisation. Raúl Jaurena, regarded as one of the best of the bandoneon players, is likely to win more than a few converts to the tango with this richly expressive, expertly produced session.

Joined by a string quintet from his native Uruguay, along with pianist Octavo Brunetti and vocalist Marga Mitchell, Jaurena is listed not only as musical director on the date but also as arranger for all fourteen compositions, eleven of which are his own. Listeners familiar with the dazzling variety and brilliant compression of a Jelly Roll Morton or Raymond Scott three-minute miniature masterpiece are likely to recognize many of the same characteristics in the ensemble cohesion and collaborative interplay on each of the tracks.

Not that it's music of great intricacy or even sophistication. The constant contrasts in tempo, texture and dynamics, while undeniably affecting, are also extreme. But what the music lacks in complexity and urbanity, it makes up for in highly charged drama or--taking seriously the definition of the word as “music with drama”--irresistible and compelling melodrama.

The melodic burden is shared by the three primary musical sources--string quintet, piano, and bandoneon (Mitchell’s contributions on four of the tracks are less vocal “features” than a fourth melodic voice). Even when the melody is being relayed from one source to the next, another motive is usually occurring, producing a richly-textured polyphony. As a result, the sections during which a single instrument is featured, unaccompanied by countermelodies or chords, acquire special intensity. Nothing is more spellbinding than the moment on “Guruyense” when Jaurena's naked instrument hands off a sustained melody note to solo violin so seamlessly and imperceptibly that the listener is momentarily uncertain about which instrument is being played.

The ensemble sound, even when full, is varied, ranging from hushed, ethereal interludes to passages played with all-out passionate intensity, occasionally the maelstrom of separate melodic currents yielding to the forceful stream of all instruments sounding in unison as the flood of emotions, especially on “Espera,” builds to a feverish pitch. The variety extends to the rubato sections and the double-time pizzicato passages that spell the otherwise relentless tango rhythm. Finally, the incisive punctuations to the rhythm--whether produced by the slappings and scratchings of bows or by Brunetti's left hand (elbow?) on the detuned bass of the piano--are a constant reminder of the essentially physical, sensuous nature of the music.

The recording, which was made in the Thalia Spanish Theater in Queens, New York, is state of the art in terms of audio fidelity, so “present,” in fact, that the listener is enveloped within the ensemble. And that's the key to listening to this music, with its three interrelated narratives from the three primary melodic sources: the first is the male dancer, the second the female, and the third is the listener, seduced and summoned to participate in a dance of life that will not, simply can not, be denied.

 

O's Place Jazz Newsletter
Sept. 26, 2006
O's Notes: It is time for the pomp and circumstance of tango when you engage this CD. The dynamics and expression are very dramatic and help the listener visualize an energetic and daring performance. There are also beautiful Spanish vocals from Marga Mitchell on several of the songs. The performance is animated and easy to engage in.
D. Oscar Groomes 

Roberta on The Arts
This CD is a remarkable selection of mostly original compositions for listening to or dancing Argentine Tango. Raúl Jaurena is a renowned bandoneonist in the international, mainly New York tango community, and he has created edgy, enticing music that allows for the most simple or complex tango dance ornamentations currently in vogue. Marga Mitchell’s searing vocals add depth and drama to several tracks.

Notable tracks:

#2 – Danza Para un Bandoneón /Bandoneón Arrabalero – Composed by R. Jaurena and Deambroggio-Contursi. This slow, surreal tango is led by Jaurena’s passionate, percussive bandoneón. The quintet of strings is obviously live, so refreshing to hear. Brunetti creates a waterfall of piano notes, and Marga Mitchell enters mid-track, with her rich, resonant voice, a seasoned performer.

#4 – La Pirulita – Composed by R. Jaurena. This “milonga”, a fast tango, with its upbeat, sassy mood, as compared to the melancholia of the tango, is charming and characteristic of Jaurena’s extensive experience playing for the tango community. The strings add an ethereal texture, as an ensemble, or solo, and the slapping of the bass is a signature percussive effect.

#9 – Espera – Composed by R. Jaurena. The melody of this song is heart-rending and romantic. Jaurena captures the essence of the tangueros and provides a catharsis for listening or dancing, with inherent drama in Espera, or waiting.

#14 – New York Gotan – Composed by R. Jaurena. Contemporary tangos include those composed by the Gotan Project, European tango composers. This track, by Jaurena, has the atonal electricity found in more recent tangos, as well as hints of Piazzolla. The solo violin at once evokes sorrow and beauty. Brunetti adds powerful chords as a pulsating backdrop in emphatic tango rhythms.

 

Global rhythm jan 2007
No Tango record would be complete without a rendition of "La Cumparista," which is probably the genre's best-known tune. Listeners, however are advised to look beyond that song. This Uruguayan bandoleón player has a lot more to offer, as he wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on this disc. Particularly worthy of attention is "Danza Para Un Bandoleón/Bandoleón Arrabalero," a suite in which the strings, piano and orchestra engage in ann extremely dramatic exchange that serves as an introduction to the beautiful vocals of Marga Mitchell, who urges the player to cure her heartbreak with some sad, sad music. "Tatoneando" showcases violinist Lya Perez's talents in a beautiful solo that becomes a duet with Jaurena. Equally impressive is the closing Tune, "New York Gotan," an upbeat ode to the city where the musician now lives and serves as musical director of the Thalia Theater in Queens. -Ernest Barteldes.

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Tango Reporter Oct 2006
El bandoneonista uruguayo radicado en los EE. UU., Raúl Jaurena, por su trayectoria, calidad y solidez instrumental es uno de los bandoneonistas de mayor demanda en el país, ya sea para integrar conjuntos tanto de tango como de jazz, clásicos, e en secciones de grabacíon comosolista. Los temas de este compacto fueron grabados durante una actuacíon en el Thalia Spanish Theatre de New York respaldado por el quinteto uraguayo de cuerdas Sinopus, el pianista Octavio Brunetti y la cantante Marga Mitchell. Presentando un programa, en su mayoría con composciones del mismo Laurena, se destacan sus temas Tatoneando, Guruyense, Prometedora, y Con el corazón al Sur de Eladia
Blazquez.

 

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