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Enrique Rodriguez - Tangos con Armando Moreno Vol.2

Reliquias 541707

More dancing hits from Enrique Rodríguez with his most popular singer, Armando Moreno. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but Marinero and Iré are very often on my playlist when I'm DJ-ing. Aquel silbido is pretty good too, whilst the optimistic Que lo sepa el mundo entero elevates Rodríguez above the level of popular music - I can't believe that no other orchestra recorded this. Essential for dancers everywhere.

Track list

1. Como se pianta la vida
2. No te quiero más
3. Al mal tiempo buena cara
4. Contigo pan y cebolla
5. El huérfano
6. Sólo tú
7. Yo no sé por qué razón
8. Iré
9. Marinero
10. Aquel silbido
11. Que lento corre el tren
12. Que lo sepa el mundo entero
13. Por eso canto yo
14. Ya no cantás chingolo
15. Los muñequitos
16. Motivo sentimental
17. Traje de novia
18. Soledad la de Barracas
19. Giuseppe el zapatero
20. Este es tu tango

Ariel Ramírez - Recordando Valses

Polygram 5332532

Pianist Ariel Ramírez is a folklore musician, so this CD of tango valses, performed in a light jazz style that's perfect for dancing, comes as a real surprise. Ramírez plays with the accompaniment of a jazz drummer. The whole thing is delightful.

This CD was first printed back in 1996 and if I know anything about this label, the last and final printing was some years ago. Once stocks run out, it won't be reprinted.

Track list

1. Desde el alma
2. Amor y celo
3. Ilusión de mi vida
4. Lagrimas y sonrisas
5. Pulpera de Santa Lucia
6. Noche de verano
7. Palomita blanca
8. Francia
9. Santiago del Estero
10. Olga
11. Aeroplano
12. Nelly
13. Uruguaya
14. A su memoria

Juan D'Arienzo - Sus priméros éxitos vol.2

BMG 63342

This is not a bad D'Arienzo CD but it's hard to recommend. On the one hand, D'Arienzo didn;t put a foot wrong in the 1930s. Everything he recorded was wonderful. On the other hand, the public played those records a lot and it's sometimes been hard to find good quality masters. This cd suffers a little from the fidelity of the 78 rpm discs used for the transfers. La mariposa is particularly badly affected, which is a pity: it's a great arrangement! In addition - unusually for this label - no filtering has been applied at all, and so there's a fair bit of surface noise. This is sometimes intrusive, for instance on Desde el alma - I believe the only place you can hear D'Arienzo's great arrangement of this famous vals.

However once (if) you get over these disappointments are some fantastic tracks here that I listen to and use a lot: The killer vals Mentias, and the tangos Charamusca and Lelia stand out. A number of other good tracks are now available in better fidelity in the series Homenage en Sony BMG. Others are not, and both collectors and D'Arienzo fans will definitely have this CD in their library depite its shortcomings.

Track list

1. El choclo
2. La payanca
3. La catrera
4. El porteñito
5. Desde el alma vals
6. De pura cepa milonga
7. Comme il faut
8. Maipo
9. Ataniche
10. El esquinazo milonga
11. El apronte
12. La mariposa
13. Charamusca
14. Lelia
15. Valsecito criollo vals
16. El triunfo
17. Yunta brava
18. Pico blanco
19. El cencerro
20. Mentias vals