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The Masters of Tango - Juan D'Arienzo - El simpático

LCDM 2742312

We shouldn't need this - aren't these D'Arienzo instrumentals all published elsewhere? What about the D'Arienzo albums on Euro Records Colección 78 RPM, for instance?

There's just one problem - those CDs are deleted. If you are looking for D'Arienzo's instrumentals, this is now one of the best places to look. Letting down the side for the dancer are the last four tracks from 1960-1961. Ignore these, however, and you have a very useful 40s/50s compilation album.

Excellent liner notes as always in this series.

Track list

1. El resero
2. Vea vea
3. El romántico
4. Don Alfonso
5. La maleva
6. Canaro en París
7. Tucumán
8. Don Juan
9. La cumparsita (1951)
10. El simpático
11. Yapeyu
12. Luis Alberto
13. El pollo Ricardo
14. Julie
15. Don Goyo
16. El embrollo
17. Criollo de ley
18. Don Alejandro
19. Barrio Belgrano
20. Mas grande que nunca
21. Tapado gris
22. Mi viejo Montevideo
23. Puro tango
24. Gran señor
25. Poco y bueno

The Masters of Tango - Quinteto Pirincho - Champagne Tango

LCDM 2742303

Don't be fooled: it says Francisco Canaro, but this is actually a compilation of Canaro's Quinteto Pirincho, the old-style quintet he formed in 1937 when D'Arienzo had made up-tango music fashionable again.

Very much an album of two halves, tracks 1-12 present recordings from 1937-1938 when the quintet was still called the Quinteto Don Pancho. The disc then zooms forward to the early 50s, with the final track being from 1961.

Track list

1. El choclo
2. Derecho viejo
3. Don Esteban
4. El pollo Ricardo
5. Champagne tango
6. El Garrón
7. El alacrán
8. La viruta
9. El flete
10. El ciruja
11. Gloria
12. Quejas de bandoneón
13. El chamuyo
14. Charamusca
15. La maleva
16. La quebrada
17. El internado
18. Alfredo
19. Una noche de garufa
20. A su majestad
21. Pimienta
22. El apache argentino
23. El once
24. Tana linda
25. El triunfo

RCA Victor 100 Años - Julio De Caro

BMG 88173

This album of the late 1920s recordings of Julio De Caro is definitely the place to start listening to this great innovator.

The sound fidelity is excellent and so are the selections. Flores negras is the tango which more than any other defined - created - the idea of the long phrase in tango music. Also included is El taita (Raza criolla) which would later be immortalised by Pugliese. Comparing the two versions is fascinating.

Track list

1. Boedo (1928)
2. Tierra querida (1927)
3. El taita (Raza criolla)
4. Flores negras (1927)
5. Derecho viejo (1926)
6. Color de rosa
7. Copacabana (Nido de amor) (1927)
8. El monito (1928)
9. Guardia vieja (1926)
10. Desvelo
11. Ivette
12. La rayuela (1926)
13. Parlamento
14. Mal de amores
15. Mala junta (1927)
16. Vengan muchachos
17. Maipo (1928)
18. La última cita
19. Loca bohemia (1928)
20. Vayan saliendo

Tango Collection - Mercedes Simone

RGS 1646

The best female voice in tango? You decide, but Simone's rich and noble alto does it for me every time. Her darker tones suited an orchestra better than the sopranos and she sang a couple of tracks with Adolfo Carabelli, including her signature tune, Cantando.

Track list

1. Cantando
2. Carnaval de mi barrio
3. Será una noche
4. Náufrago
5. Vieja amiga
6. Cuando silba el viento
7. Pena mulata
8. Claudinette
9. Abandono
10. Negra María
11. Caricias
12. Incertidumbre
13. El tamboril
14. Ave sin rumbo
15. Quedate tranquilo
16. Tu nombre
17. Milonga triste
18. Media vida
19. Amargura
20. El viejito del acordeón