Here's one for DJs (or anyone). The arrival of a couple of new CDs has led me to reappraise my D'Agostino tandas, and to try and find couplings for the 1955 recording of Cafe Dominguez, with the unusual glosa from Victor Braña. It cries out to be the first song in a tanda: or was that last? There aren't many instrumentals, but I have La Sonambula, 1954 as a possible, and was wondering about a couple of the late vocals with Roberto Alvar from 1959: Ángel Vargas and La Violetera. Antii Suniala has a very different grouping, but I dont think it works: http://tandaoftheweek.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Ángel D'Agostino Any other ideas?
Here something that could help from the http://www.tejastango.com/tandas.html : Angel D'Agostino y Angel Vargas – A Pan y Agua (The fourth track is the playful "A Pan y Agua," but its opening will remind some of "Café Domínguez.") Pero Yo Sé – from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 1 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA) Una Pena – from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 1 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA) Tres Esquinas – from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 1 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA) A Pan y Agua – from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 2 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA) Angel D'Agostino y Angel Vargas – Café Domínguez (This tanda closes with the classic "Café Domínguez.") Me Llaman Tango Caricias Mi Viejo Barrio Café Domínguez – all from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 4 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA)
Here something that could help from the http://www.tejastango.com/tandas.html : Angel D'Agostino y Angel Vargas – A Pan y Agua (The fourth track is the playful "A Pan y Agua," but its opening will remind some of "Café Domínguez.") Pero Yo Sé – from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 1 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA) Una Pena – from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 1 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA) Tres Esquinas – from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 1 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA) A Pan y Agua – from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 2 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA) Angel D'Agostino y Angel Vargas – Café Domínguez (This tanda closes with the classic "Café Domínguez.") Me Llaman Tango Caricias Mi Viejo Barrio Café Domínguez – all from Tangos de los Angeles, Vol. 4 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA)
Thanks for the suggestions: I haven't looked at www.tejastango.com for a while, but the suggested tanda, there, has three lovely and well matched D'Agostino/Vargas songs from 1943-45 and then suddenly LEAPS to 1955, and the changes of gear just don't work for me. I've a few D'Agostino/García songs too, and wondered about La Barranca or Corazon Cobarde, both from 1959.
I agree that it's jarring when the music suddenly leaps ten years forward. It's not just that the fidelity is very different - the orchestras are playing in a very different style by the mid '50s. I think you can get a good tanda here by ignoring the convention that tracks should come from the same orchestra & singer and just sneak some Vargas into the tanda. I'd do something like: Café Dominguez - Julían Centeya with Ángel D'Agostino, 1955 Corrientes Y Esmeralda - Ángel Vargas with Armando Lacava, 1954 El Adios - Ángel Vargas with Armando Lacava, 1954 Then either: Carnaval De Mi Barrio - Rubén Cané with Ángel D'Agostino, 1954 if you want to emphasise the D'Agostino sound or Carnaval De Mi Barrio - Ángel Vargas with Edelmiro D'Amario, 1956 if you want to continue with Vargas.
If Cafe Dominguez is the starting point, then I see no reason to include contemporary Vargas accompanied by another orchestra. His connection with D'Agostino had ended in 1946, but I like the D'Agostino/Cane version of Carnaval de mi Barrio, though, and it might go with No Aflojes. Incidentally, Michael Lavocah says (in his recent book: Tango Stories - Musical Secrets) that the glosa on Cafe Dominguez was written by poet Julian Centeya, but not performed by him, but by the orchestra's announcer, Victor Braña.
For now, I've settled on: Café Dominguez, Ángel D'Agostino (Victor Braña), 1955 Carnaval de mi Barrio, Ángel D'Agostino (Rubén Cané), 1954 El Cocherito, Ángel D'Agostino (Rubén Cané), 1953 La Sonambula, Ángel D'Agostino (Instrumental), 1954 But I'm not sure about #3.
De gustibus non est disputandum - to my ear, Café Dominguez and Carnaval de mi Barrio both have great drive, coming principally from the combination of bandoneon and double bass. El Cocherito is all strings and lushness like a 50s Di Sarli, so doesn't fit at all. La Sonambula has moments of drive but it's the tinkly piano that really defines the piece. I think it works as a third track in a tanda, to give the dancers a brief reprieve after two intense songs, but I wouldn't finish with this one.
Agreed, but the whole middle section of Cafe Dominguez, itself, is all lush strings and tinkly piano too. Compare Cafe Dominguez from 0:49 (for a few bars) and the opening of La Sonambula: this is much the same sound world. I agree that El Cocherito is weaker, and there was a real shift in the recording quality between 1953 & 1954 too, which makes the step back obvious. Perhaps one of my original thoughts was better, after all: Ángel Vargas. At times, it has much the same strong contributions from bass and bandoneon that give the first two their drive. Listening again, I agree that El Cocherito has to go, and moving La Sonambula up to #3, adding Ángel Vargas as #4 works for me. There isn't a lot of material from this period to consider, but ironically, the tanda is supposed to be about D'Agostino without Vargas. So: Café Dominguez, Ángel D'Agostino (Victor Braña), 1955 Carnaval de mi Barrio, Ángel D'Agostino (Rubén Cané), 1954 La Sonambula, Ángel D'Agostino (Instrumental), 1954 Ángel Vargas, Ángel D'Agostino (Roberto Alvar), 1959 The post-Vargas move towards the style of Di Sarli is very interesting. I think it's a shame that there isn't more of it, when for my taste there is rather too much of the earlier material.
No, it isn't, and it has nothing of milonga in it to my ears: it's very clearly in four and with big, lush, long phrases. Are we talking about the same piece? Postscript: But goodness, isn't the much earlier Quinteto Pirincho version different, in feel?
Thanks for sharing, UKD! Seems that I have overlooked d'Agostino. Knowing only his 40s works I ranked him under the poor orchestras. Too big actually is the number of really good works by other interprets out that period. Never missed d'Agostino. But now with your help I´ve discovered his 50s works and actually I like them and bought all titles of your tanda. Even a tough of polyrhythmics can be traced. I only would change the order to bring forth a cadenza. No milonga but a tendency towards tango de fantasia.
