The title of this joyful historical exploration says it all, as veteran Latin, jazz and classical composer/pianist
Roger Davidson and Buenos Aires born bassist and tango scholar
Pablo Aslan mine the vast riches of the tango tradition. The concept is both retro and modern, blending six of
Davidson's recently written compositions with new interpretations of classics by tango masters
Astor Piazzolla (the jumpy, jubilant romance "Triunfal"), Ricardo Luis Brignolo (the dramatic and ultra-chic "Chique") and
Enrique Delfino (the wistful and lyrical "Griseta"). There's also a cool trio centerpiece of
Cole Porter tunes interpreted with sly tango twists -- proving that Americans can compose music ripe for the form as well as natives. As strong and buoyant as
Davidson's keys and
Aslan's sly and seductive rhythms are, the real stars here are the magnificent bandeon players who split the fourteen tracks eight to six --
Hector del Curto and
David Alsina. The liner notes offer sketches of the history of tango in English and Spanish, which will prompt musical historians to dig deep to further investigate the sources of this very exciting classic material.