One Man's Tango: Best of Mosalini

Amazon.com
Argentine born, Paris based Juan Jose Mosalini is a master of the bandoneon, the bittersweet button squeezebox that is the quintessential tango instrument. One Man's Tango is a musically rewarding but poorly annotated compilation of Mosalini's several French albums. The set includes solo bandoneon, small groups and large ensembles and shows Mosalini as an innovator steeped in tradition (the affection on his versions of "Recuerdos de Bohemia," "Alma de Bohemia," and "Che bandoneon" is almost palpable). Unfortunately, you won't learn much about the music or the players from the sloppily put together booklet. Still, this is a nice introduction that should whet the appetite for more. --Fernando Gonzalez

One Man's Tango: Best of Mosalini,Juan-Jose Mosalini,Shanachie,Argentinean,Int'l & World Music,Pop,World Music

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Tracks:

Paris Desde Aqui
Aller Et Retour 1
Triztesas De Un Doble A
Raices Dos
Desda Agentro
Recuerdos De Bohemia
Naomi
Homenaje A Tres Amigos
Alma De Bohemia
Canal Saint Martin
Che Bandoneon

Amazon.com

Argentine born, Paris based Juan Jose Mosalini is a master of the bandoneon, the bittersweet button squeezebox that is the quintessential tango instrument. One Man's Tango is a musically rewarding but poorly annotated compilation of Mosalini's several French albums. The set includes solo bandoneon, small groups and large ensembles and shows Mosalini as an innovator steeped in tradition (the affection on his versions of "Recuerdos de Bohemia," "Alma de Bohemia," and "Che bandoneon" is almost palpable). Unfortunately, you won't learn much about the music or the players from the sloppily put together booklet. Still, this is a nice introduction that should whet the appetite for more. --Fernando Gonzalez

Customer Reviews:

crayfish will do for a fish when there is no fish.......2001-01-19

Juan Jose Mosalini is an excellent musician. I absolutely agree with the statement I have read in the booklet from some CD (I wish I remembered which one) that after the deaths of Pugliese and Piazzolla it is up to Mosalini and Dino Saluzzi to keep the flame of modern tango music alive and evolving.

Despite my love for Mosalini's music I would give this CD only two stars for a number of reasons. First, it is a very eclectic collection of very different recordings from different CDs, and sometimes these tracks do not sound right (at least to me) next to each other. There is certain slopiness not only in how the booklet is written, but also in how the musical material was compiled. In fact, Aller at Retour 1 and Raices Dos are parts of suites pulled out from initial context. The only feeling I would have had if I had no full discography of Mosalini on my shelf was to find all the original CDs as soon as I have finished listening to this one.

Since a lot of Juan Jose Mosalini's CDs are extremely hard to find (particularly those of his trio with Gustavo Beytelmann and Patricio Caratini), I am afraid that many people will get acquainted wit Mosalini through this CD. And for such a complicated master as Mosalini it is so fragmentary. Just imagine something like "Cecil Taylor's Greatest Hits", when the average composition of Cecil Taylor is half of a CD long.

As for the booklet, it is not only poorly compiled as the previous reviewer noticed, it also has very loose, flat yet pretentious liner notes with zero information, but unnecessary "Yeah." (sic! - with a period) and even an f-word added (I guess) for "bohemian type of elegance". One of those writings which ultimately tells us only about its author's enjoying himself regardless the initial subject of the article.

In other words, if it was not a CD by one of my favourite musicians, I would not have given it any stars.

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