 Dino Saluzzi This is one of the most interesting and rewarding CDs I've heard in the past couple years, a disc I can honestly say sounds almost nothing like anything else you've heard. A jazz album with unusual instrumentation always hooks me, and this is as unusual as it gets: Dino Saluzzi plays bandoneon, Marc Johnson on doubl-bass, and Jose M. Saluzzi plays acoustic guitar. The music is by no means straight ahead jazz, and is closer to the tangos of Astor Piazzolla, but with much more atmosphere. In fact, the compositions seem to be entirely about atmosphere and space, never getting much above a lilt, while remaining totally engaging. Saluzzi plays imagistically, conjuring very smoky, noirish Parisian scenes with his very romantic sound. The bandoneon, if you haven't heard it, is somewhat like an organ-grinder or accordion, and is capable of expressing incredible depths of emotion (listen to Piazzolla sometime for a more classical demonstration of its power). In this recording, it is utilized wistfully, projecting a very minor-key mood but not an oppressive one. The first track (title track) features a dazzling interplay between the instruments, particularly the guitar and bandoneon. The music is so pure, it is somewhat disorienting because our ears are not accustomed to this level of genuine expression. It makes me wonder how people go their whole lives listening to classic rock, or "modern rock" or what have you. Hearing a CD like this restores my faith that even as music becomes more rigidly segmented, the good stuff will always shine through. Years after The Verve have established themselves as permanent residents of the used CD bins, music like this will continue to provide freshness and vitality. "Introduccion y Milonga del Ausente" builds its foundation on some dissonances that never get annoying, creating a myserious air that is resolved by the accompaniment. "El Rio y el Abuelo" showcases Marc Johnson's inventive bass work. "Zurdo" returns to the darker underpinnings of "Introduccion" without repeating what had already been done; some nice bowed bass by Johnson on this one. Other highlights include "Romance" and "Winter," each evocative of what their titles represent, and a haunting version of "How My Heart Sings" (the only non-original on the album). Cite de la Musique is a special work, one that I listen to frequently and never tire of. Great at 2am when the liquor has not yet knocked you out cold, or any time when a little relaxation is called for. As with most ECM recordings, this one is absolutely pristine sonically … altogether a beautiful record, brilliant, and original. Buy without fear.
Review by Whumpam Tworlo |