„LA HISTORIA DE TANGO“
CONCERT OF TANGO JAZZ QUARTET (Argentina)
Martín Rao de Vita, on bass
Santiago Villalba, on piano
Mauricio Pasculli, on drums
Gustavo Firmenich, on tenor sax & clarinet
Guest at the concert:
Belgrade Youth Orchestra
Vuk Wolkov Popović, conductor
Sofija Živić, first violin
Grigorije Devrnja and Anita Dobrić, second violin
Jelisaveta Jaredić and Đurđa Tomić, viola
Petar Lipanović, cello
Boris Zivanović, double bass
The concert will take place on
Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 20 h in
Art Centre GUARNERIUS
Entrance Free
Reservations are mandatory due to limited capacity : info@guarnerius.rs or 066/8028-368
Tango Jazz Quartet from Argentina, mixes the melodic and rhythmic patterns of Tango with the harmonies and improvisation of Jazz. This new approach to Tango and Jazz has received an enthusiastic reaction both in Argentina as well as internationally. The music of Tango Jazz Quartet goes from the traditional tango to the music of Astor Piazzola without ever abandoning the territory of jazz.
With 23 international tours performed and more than 30 countries visited, Tango Jazz Quartet performed in the most prestigious venues around the world such as San José Summer Jazz Festival, San José California, Shanghai Jazz Festival, Nisville International Jazz, Festival, Serbia; Tango & Jazz Festival, Tomsk, Russia, Hong Kong Jazz Festival, Joy of Jazz Festival, Johannesburg; Sunset-Sunside, Paris; Porgy & Bess, Vienna, The Music Village, Brussels; Snug Harbor, New Orleans, BFlat, Berlin, among many more.
Saxophonist and clarinetist Gustavo Firmenich, leader of TJQ recreated with this band the dancing evenings that were common in the golden era of the tango in Buenos Aires, where Tango and Jazz lived together although playing separately. Tango Jazz Quartet proposed a fusion of how much both songs had in common and adding something distinctive of the jazz that the tango lacked: Improvisation. This musical concept has a great reception of the very different publics around the world. “It is the first time that I hear a fusion of Jazz and Tango that works and makes sense”, said about Tango Jazz Quartet the world‐renowned French accordionist Richard Galliano.
After more than 10 years of uninterrupted tours, Tango Jazz Quartet has consolidated its presence in the world as the group performed throughout Europe, the United States, Brazil, Africa, Russia and China and performed for 8 consecutive years at Sunset -Sundside Jazz Club in Paris, for the fifth time in a row at the Porgy & Bess Jazz Club in Vienna, for the second time in a row at the prestigious Guarnerius Institute in Belgrade and for the third time in a row at the Nisville International Jazz Festival in Serbia. There TJQ directed the “Nisville Tango Big Band”, a joint project with the festival, formed by TJQ and young Serbian musicians, who were trained and directed by Gustavo Firmenich, the leader of TJQ.
The group also consolidated its presence in the United Kingdom, performing in London at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in London, and for the second time at the Black Mountin Jazz Festival in Avergavenny Wales, The Verdict Jazz Club, in Brighton, The Bear Jazz Club, in Luton, the Saltburn Art Center and The Globe Jazz Club in Newcastle Upon Tyne, where TJQ is the sponsor of “Newcastle Tango Milonga”, which started from their performance there in 2016. The group also played at the Hamstead Jazz Club of London, the Matt & Phreds Jazz Club of Manchester, the Hot Club of Cardiff Wales, among others. In addition the group produced 2 films: the documentary “Tango meets Jazz” which was presented at the 2020 Black Mountian Jazz Festival in Avergavenny Wales and “Celebraton of the Centenary of Composer & Muscian Astor Piazzolla” which was premiered in 2021 Brecon Jazz Festival.
Tango Jazz Quartet is also a regular visitor to Eastern Europe. There he performed in jazz clubs in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania and Poland, in the latter country, the group has already played for two consecutive years at the prestigious Harris Piano Jazz Club in Krakow, cataloged by the English newspaper “The Guardian” among the 10 most important jazz clubs in Europe. An important milestone was the symphonic concert in tribute to Astor Piazzolla peeformed on the Main Stage of the 2021 Nisville Jazz Festival in Serbia together with the Serbian Naissus Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.
On the other hand, Gustavo Firmenich made European tours in 2017 and 2019 with other projects he leads: the Cañuelas Orchestra, Monte Orchestra and Sotavento Big Band. These last two bands participated in the 2017 and 2019 editions of the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and Leeward Big Band was presented in 2015 and 2019 at the Main Stage of the Nisville International Jazz Festival, in Serbia.