De Alcohol y Desamor

A supergroup eminently deserving of that title, Tablao de Tango bring together three greats of Argentinian music: Franco Luciani on harmonica, whose style embraces tango, classical, blues and jazz; virtuoso guitarist Rudi Flores, and the highly popular crossover artist, singer Walter ‘Chino’ Laborde. Special guests for this set include esteemed vocalist Sandra Rumolino, plus guitarists Moscato Luna and Raul Kioko. Individually, these are among the most respected tango players around. Throwing talent together doesn’t always work, but De Alcohol y Desamor makes for a beguiling listen. The contrasting elements provided by the core trio are striking. Laborde’s deep, rounded voice, full of pathos, is the glue which binds the songs. Flores’ ringing guitar, urgent and dramatic one instant, softly rhythmic the next, does a wonderful job of fleshing out the mood, with ornate finger-picked runs and dreamy cadences. Luciani’s mouth organ provides flashes of colour, dashing as a cavalier, yet also earthy and rooted. De Alcohol y Desamor is an album worthy of repeated listens in order to pick out the nuance and subtlety of each artist. One for connoisseurs of classic tango.