To me it sounds like Tango No. 9 plays with more authentic tango feeling than any other gringos I've ever heard. This is not intended as faint praise -- they're great! Further, the trombone adds an original flavor.
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Explorations in 21-Century Tango abound in this well-crafted disc by Tango No. 9, hailing from San Francisco. The chamber ensemble was formed in 1998 by violinist Catharine Clune and also includes piano, accordion – not quite the same as Astor Piazzolla’s bandoneon – and trombone. The quasi-classical quartet approaches compositions with sincere gusto and highly accomplished musicianship. Most of the songs on this, their second CD, are the quartet’s own arrangements of time-honored tango compositions. A track such as “La Puñalada,” while relatively short (only 1:49 minutes), displays each musician’s instrumental proficiency, as well as the ensemble’s near-telepathic interplay; talk about tight! It is rare for a US-based ensemble to sound so internationally cosmopolitan; you’d swear they had honed their skills in Paris or Buenos Aires. Nonetheless it is a testament to the fact that Tango No. 9 is destined to thrill audiences for many albums and performances to come.
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Consider the red rose: the fiery hue, the intoxicating scent, the perilous thorns. It's the perfect symbol for Argentina's hot-blooded tango, an indigenous music and dance style that revels in the passion and sorrow of the heart. That such a romantic genre has found an enthusiastic audience in San Francisco is a testament to our windswept city's lust for life. On its second CD, named after the now-defunct Mission cafe where the quartet got its start in 1998, Tango No. 9 celebrates the art form's roots with evocative cover tunes dating from the first half of the 20th century. Imbued with grand dramatic gestures — weepy melodies, strapping rhythms, sweeping crescendos — the songs are black-and-white celluloid nostalgic, while the band's instrumental combo of violin, piano, trombone, and accordion couples chamber music intimacy with jazz-band punch. The sum effect? A provocative, enlivening sound that's good steamy fun.
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