Their third UK tour and their second visit to the Jazz Coop's main theatre of operations, the Sotavento Big Band from Argentina once again put on a show.
It's an intriguing concept, jazz played over a mainly, but not always, tango rhythm. It's also a dangerous one - would the jazz audience accept the tango and would the dancers take to the jazz?
The question was answered by the jazz folk in the crowded downstairs bar with muchas solicitudes de encore whereas only one couple danced, admittedly gracefully and with the unconscious sensual element the tango inevitably evokes - so much so that, had there been a tango tutor to hand, I myself would have been doing a new-fangled tango - however, it does take two...
From a jazz point of view, 7 saxes, 1 trumpet and no trombones doesn't offer the tonal variations of the standard big band line-up even though some of the saxes were taking on the role of trombone and 2nd/3rd trumpet. Nevertheless, once the intonation had been adjusted, it was a good sound.
Leader Firmenich is the outstanding soloist blowing blistering baritone. I'd have liked to have heard him in a small group setting. The other two tenor soloists had their moments, one of whom blew tasty clarinet. Pianist Calderon who, it was pointed out, looked uncannily like Newcastle's recently departed manager Benitez, took the occasional chorus and, likewise, trumpet hombre Vargas and la Senorita Crnko on alto also had moments of glory.
Drummer Crespo drove Caravan like a man possessed but it was bass guitarist Cor who caused the bass guitarist who was sharing our table to utter "cor!" after his solo on the same number.
On Sotavento's previous visit, Patricia Leguizamon was sensational this time the balance did her no favours and she wasn't heard to best advantage on numbers such as More and Lady is a Tramp.
An enjoyable evening nevertheless.
Lance
PS: As most of the numbers had Spanish titles I made no attempt to make a note of them!
PHOTOS (link)
Gustavo Firmenich (MD, baritone sax); Andrés Veltri, Miguel Bensadón, Horacio Baldassarre, Duilio Giri (tenor saxes); Sergio Cisneros (clarinet, tenor sax); Florencio Crnko (clarinet, alto sax); Emanuel Vargas (trumpet); Enrique Gallo Calderon (piano); Cristian Cor (bass guitar); Fernando Crespo (drums); Patricia Leguizamon (vocals).
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