Burton Meets the Tango Pioneer's Legacy
Gary Burton's vibraphone finds a natural home in Piazzolla's tango world, reuniting for a fresh take on a shared musical language.
This project reunites Gary Burton with the music of Astor Piazzolla, the Argentine composer who reshaped tango by bringing in jazz harmony and a more aggressive, modern sensibility. Burton, a vibraphonist known for his four-mallet technique and his pioneering role in jazz fusion, brings a clear, singing tone to material that rewards that kind of melodic clarity.
The album's character comes largely from its personnel. Pablo Ziegler on piano and Héctor Console on double bass anchor the rhythm with a grounded, idiomatic feel, and the bandoneón work of Daniel Binelli and Marcelo Nisinman supplies the instrument most associated with tango's sound. Fernando Suárez Paz's violin adds the lyrical and sometimes sharp edge that Piazzolla's writing depends on. Burton's role is to sit inside this ensemble rather than dominate it, letting the vibraphone blend with the bandoneón's breathy textures.
By this point in Burton's career he had long since proven himself as a bandleader and collaborator, so the record is less a statement of stylistic ambition than a meeting of two traditions that already share a lot of common ground. Listeners new to Burton might start with his earlier small-group recordings to hear his own voice more fully, while those interested in Piazzolla's music will find this a respectful and engaging entry point. It is a solid, enjoyable album rather than a landmark, and it is best appreciated by listeners already drawn to either jazz vibraphone or tango.
Who's playing
Héctor Consoledouble bass
Pablo Zieglerpiano
Nicolás Ledesmapiano
小曽根真piano
Horacio Malvicinoguitar
Gary Burtonvibraphone
Daniel Binellibandoneón
Fernando Suárez Pazviolin
Marcelo Nisinmanbandoneón
