SLAMCD509 Jorge Daniel Szajko & Orquesta Salvaje – Penas Argentinas

‘Penas Argentinas’ is Argentine multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Jorge Szajko’s second album released on SLAM (following ‘Orquestra Salvaje’). The title is loosely interpreted as “Argentine Blues” and some of the music (the Milonga and the Zamba) reflect the problems of the country’s problems during the past 3 years – but life goes on with the irrepressible Chacarera and Carnavalito.

His first CD attracted some of the best critiques of any SLAM release “I’m sorry, Jorge, but I cannot afford a genius grant for you. I would if I could, but at least I can let the world know what I think of this astonishing disc” Fred Barrett, Beyond Coltrane. “Szajko clearly has a unique musical vision that stretches beyond words” Francois Couture, All Music Guide. Jazz Views voted it in the top ten ‘non British’ CDs of 2002.

Jorge Daniel Szajko: strings orchestra, piano, Spanish guitar, tenor & soprano saxophone, oboe, moxeño
Bernardo Baraj: tenor & soprano saxophone, flute
Laura Loiacono: alto & soprano saxophone
Enrique Bonetto, George Haslam: baritone saxophone
Daniel Harari: tenor saxophone
Ariel Passadore: bass
Pablo Rodriguez: percussion
Patricio Cavanagh: drums

“Just another 21st century tango album? Well, Jorge D Szaiko sounds like an all-round master-musician (he plays most of the string, wind and keyboard instruments credited on this album), and is no mean composer and arranger to boot. So, far from the Piazzola resuscitation you might have been dreading…Szajko explores a variety of wonderfully intricate native Argentine rhythms like the chacarera, milonga and zamba in a cosmopolitan jazz context…this is a must-buy for those who love the variety of traditional Argentine music in a modern jazz-fusion context. And the multi-talented Szajko, who seems to be a virtuoso pianist, is a bright new name to watch.” – Jennifer Laurie, Jazz Review

“Szajko just might be the greatest multi-instrumentalist in the world: who else plays melodica, violin, piano, Spanish gutiar, oboe, moxeno, tenor sax, soprano sax, cello AND bass? He even plays all the instruments in the string section of Orquestra Savaje (overdubbed of course) on the tunes which feature a string section. Penas Argentinas itself sides toward the post-1960 avant-garde style, though not as “outside” as some jazz musicians have chosen. Surprisingly, two of nine compositions are solo piano pieces. All the tunes were composed by Szajko: all are instrumentals, and powerful jazz/folk arrangements.” – WorldDiscoveries.net

All songs composed and arragned by Jorge Szajko.
Recorded June 2003 at Solar Estudio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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