Jazz Tango

A member of Astor Piazzolla's last quintet, Buenos Aires-born pianist Pablo Ziegler shared the innovator's liking for both classical and jazz music. There are three magisterial arrangements of Piazzolla's on this sublime live album: ‘Michelangelo 70’, ‘Fuga y Misterio’ and ‘Libertango’. Ziegler's fast, fluid piano-playing and Claudio Ragazzi's light touch on the guitar sneak new notes into the bars and tease out engagingly rhythmic riffs, while HÉctor del Curto's bandoneón is poised and precise. What's sometimes lacking is drive, gusto and passion, perhaps. The seven other, self-penned tracks are unashamedly Piazzollean, featuring dissonant harmonies, sudden shifts in tone and tempo, and the lilting lyricism. ‘La Fundición’, ‘Buenos Aires Report’ and ‘Blues Porteño’ powerfully evoke his home city.

I'm not sure this album offers much that is novel; but, for artistry, craft and an intimate understanding of nuevo tango, this is peerless. Previously a one-off Latin Grammy winner and four-time nominee, this release finally won Ziegler a well-deserved Grammy for best Latin jazz album.