Who better to perpetuate the new tango pulse than one of its architects? Pianist Pablo Ziegler played with Piazzolla for a decade, in the ’80s, and carries the legacy forward on his own, as heard on Pablo Ziegler and His Quintet for New Tango, Asfalto-Street Tango (RCA 0902663266; 67:42). Ziegler himself demonstrates improvisational flair to justify his nickname “jazzero,” while bandoneon player Hector del Curto plays the Piazzolla role boldly. Fittingly enough, the album closes with “Elegy to Adios Ninos,” a theme penned by Piazzolla, rearranged by Ziegler. Ziegler’s music here adheres to the central traits that make new tango so powerful, fitted with bravura, swagger, and also, along the way, elegance.
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