Because Dino Saluzzi is an Argentine who plays the bandoneon, it is inevitable to compare him to Astor Piazolla. This comparison is unfair, however, because if Saluzzi is playing tango, it is so abstracted and transformed that we may as well just call it jazz. If a better comparison is sought it would be to another international jazz musician like Renaud Garcia-Fons.
On Rios, Saluzzi plays with American bassist Anthony Cox and American vibist and arranger David Friedman, a musician who's run the gamut from Yoko Ono to Disney soundtracks. Together they play an assortment of tunes by members of the group, about half of them Saluzzi's, plus the one cover "My One and Only Love." The numbers are thoughtful but not flashy. Friedman's "Penta y Uno" is largely a deconstruction of bossa nova and tango, featuring percussion as well as vibes. Cox's "Jad" uses weird effects from the instruments and the occasional Arabic motif to build up to a subdued bop frenzy. Other tracks are more straight-ahead combinations of the primary instruments. - Kurt Keefner
On Rios, Saluzzi plays with American bassist Anthony Cox and American vibist and arranger David Friedman, a musician who's run the gamut from Yoko Ono to Disney soundtracks. Together they play an assortment of tunes by members of the group, about half of them Saluzzi's, plus the one cover "My One and Only Love." The numbers are thoughtful but not flashy. Friedman's "Penta y Uno" is largely a deconstruction of bossa nova and tango, featuring percussion as well as vibes. Cox's "Jad" uses weird effects from the instruments and the occasional Arabic motif to build up to a subdued bop frenzy. Other tracks are more straight-ahead combinations of the primary instruments. - Kurt Keefner
01. Los Them (friedman)
02. Minguito (Saluzzi)
03. Fulano de Tal (Saluzzi)
04. Sketch # 1 (Cox)
05. And He Loved His Brother til the End (Saluzzi)
06. Penta y Uno (Friedman)
07. Jad (Cox)
08. Lunch with Pancho Villa (Friedman)
09. My One and Only Love (Wood & Mellin)
10. Rios (Saluzzi/Cox/Friedman)
DINO SALUZZI bandoneon, voice, percussion
DAVID FRIEDMAN marimba, vibraphone, percussion
ANTHONY COX acoustic bass, electric bass
Recorded at Principal Studios, Münster, Germany
veraBra Records vBr 2156 2
--> 02. Minguito (Saluzzi)
03. Fulano de Tal (Saluzzi)
04. Sketch # 1 (Cox)
05. And He Loved His Brother til the End (Saluzzi)
06. Penta y Uno (Friedman)
07. Jad (Cox)
08. Lunch with Pancho Villa (Friedman)
09. My One and Only Love (Wood & Mellin)
10. Rios (Saluzzi/Cox/Friedman)
DINO SALUZZI bandoneon, voice, percussion
DAVID FRIEDMAN marimba, vibraphone, percussion
ANTHONY COX acoustic bass, electric bass
Recorded at Principal Studios, Münster, Germany
veraBra Records vBr 2156 2