Tango Legends in Bloomington, MN

Uruguayan
tango
singer
Vayo Raimondo
, performing simply as
Vayo
, dedicates his third album to the memory of the bandoneon master
Toto Damario
, one of the three musicians, along with guitarist
Mario Nunez
and double bassist
Miguel Pose
, who accompanies him on the disc. The bandoneon, an accordion-like instrument, provides the basic sound of
, especially the Montevideo-bred version followed by
. Although there are originals here, including the singer's own
"Yo Soy un Tango"
(I Am a
Tango
), this is a
traditional
collection, and
's insistence on emphasizing the music and the playing of
Damario
over himself leads him, in an odd gesture, to absent himself from seven of the 19 tracks, leaving them to be played instrumentally by the trio of musicians. When he does step in,
displays a powerful, clear baritone voice and a good sense of rhythm, an important element in
. Although it perhaps should be co-credited to
,
Tango Legends
is an excellent expression of
music. ~ William Ruhlmann