I was first introduced to the music of Astor Piazzolla on a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, back in 2005. Almost instantly, I realized that I had stumbled upon something incredibly powerful. Filled with melancholy, and while rooted firmly in the traditional Argentine tango genre, Piazzolla’s work is at the same time intensely influenced by North-American jazz and modern classical music. As with Frank Zappa, Astor Piazzolla’s music defies categorization.
But don’t take my word for it. To follow are some of my favorite Piazzolla tracks. There are close to no Piazzolla “field recordings”, so the tracks you’re about to hear have admittedly been culled from a variety of official releases.
Primavera Porteña
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Divertimento 9
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
En Las Sombras
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Loca Bohemia
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Verano Porteño
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Fuga 9
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Deus Xango
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Aire de Buenos Aires
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Mi Refugio
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
If you liked anything of what you just heard, may I suggest you have a look at what the iTunes store has to offer. Also be sure to check out the official Piazzolla homepage.
Sunday Big Note — Listening Session #20 is a blogpost from killuglyradio.com.
