VAYO – “Tango Legends”
Pantaleón, 2006

TANGO – These (mostly) vocal renditions of classic tango melodies are "over the top," but in a good way. Tango has to be over the top: it's all about total exposure – hold anything back, and the music is diminished. Vayo seizes these songs with both hands and squeezes the emotion from them, making them as fresh and vibrant as they must have sounded 60 years ago. It won’t suit everybody, but I love it.

Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 17

1. 2:46 - deliberate tempo, romantic melody, forceful vocal
2. 3:54 – happy instrumental w/delicate guitar & bandoneon
3. 2:44 – flowing, with dramatic vocals, nearly a sob
4. 4:13 – slow, heavy heartbreaker: I need a drink.
5. 3:04 – slow intro, then a lively instrumental
6. 2:25 – breezy waltz with an Italian touch
7. 2:09 – medium tempo, more aggressive delivery
8. 3:11 – another excellent instrumental: finely nuanced
9. 2:03 – airy wrapping with a tender center
10. 3:25 – a good showcase for Vayo’s voice, lots of changes
11. 1:19 – very short but upbeat instrumental
12. 2:39 – relaxed & romantic, bittersweet sound
13. 2:18 – striding instrumental w/a sweet guitar solo
14. 3:27 – heart on the sleeve vocals, sweet guitar, big chorus
15. 2:38 – nice waltzing rhythm sweeps vocals along
16. 2:53 – cute, bouncy instrumental
17. 4:30 – long intro, strong vocal with the band locked in
18. 2:53 – instrumental with folksy flair
19. 3:05 – slow, tender vocal, the tune rises & falls

[ Fo ] 6-Nov-06