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Anibal Troilo Y Grela, Taconeando, La Cumparista - El Abrojito - Nunca Tuvo Novio

Orfeon

1. El Abrojito
2. Nunca Tuvo Novio
3. Palomita Blanca
4. Mi Refugio
5. Taconeando
6. La Cumparista
7. A La Guardia Nueva
8. Un Placer
9. Sobre El Pucho (Un Callejon En Pompeya)
10. Diablito
11. La Cachila

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Two Masters, Unplugged

This CD brings together two titans of tango who are also masters of their respective instruments, Anibal Troilo on bandoneon and Roberto Grela on guitar. Here is the sound of unplugged tango, one can almost picture Grela and Troilo playing together for a few pesos on a Buenos Aires street corner 100 years ago at the dawn of the genre as a couple or two danced in the street.
The interplay between bandoneon and guitar is intense, no other instrumentation is needed. The listener can close his eyes and feel transported to a world that no longer exists. My favorites are the romantic Palomita Blanca, Un Placer, and what is probably the world's best known tango, La Cumparsita. I never tire of that. The other cuts are good, though mostly lesser known.
I give four stars instead of five because of the non-existent liner notes, the faulty song list (see reviewer below for the correct one) and for the selection of well-presented, but mostly weaker songs. Troilo has some blockbusters in his compositional repertoire, he and Grela should have played more of them.
There are quite a few Troilo recordings available today but there are few which feature Roberto Grela. Grela was popular in the 1950s and is probably the best and most important guitarist in tango. That fact alone makes this CD essential for tango enthusiasts.

one of the most important recordings in the history of tango

For review of this CD please, see my notes for "Los hombres del tango" by Grela - Federico. Here I will only list the correct track listing for the album and the list of participants in the sessions, since the track listing on the actual CD jewel box is incorrect and besides Troilo and Grela members of the quartet are not credited.

Quarteto Tipico Troilo - Grela: Roberto Grela - Guitar; Anibal Carmelo Troilo - Bandoneon; Edmundo Zaldivar - Guitarron; Enrique "Kicho" Diaz - Contrabass;

Tracks:

El Abrojito (recorded 1955); Nunca Tuvo Novio (1955); Palomita Blanca (1953) A Pedro Maffia (1953) - a track present in the CD, but missed on the cover listing; Mi Refugio (1955); Taconeando (1955); La Cumparsita (1955); A la Guardia Nueva (1955); Un Placer (1954); Sobre el Pucho (1953); Diablito (1954); La Cachila (1953).

I hope that the second set of Troilo - Grela sessions from 1962 will some day see the light on the CD too.