chris wong in sync

About three years ago I interviewed Tango Paradiso's founding members - bandoneón player Douglas Schmidt, guitarist Budge Schachte and double bassist Patricia Hutter - in a cozy suite on the second floor of an East Vancouver house. Last week we met again, also in a second-storey suite, but this time in Kitsilano.

Truth be told, I only spoke face-to-face with Schachte and Hutter in Kits. Schmidt is currently living in Victoria and couldn't make it. But Schachte called Schmidt, whose voice projected through a speaker. The guitarist put a hat on top of the phone/fax machine in honour of his disembodied bandmate.

Even in this unorthodox interview, spanning the Strait of Georgia, the musicians sounded completely in sync with each other. Clearly the group members, including violinist Antonio Bernal, have a solid musical bond. Above all, the players share a deep passion for tango, which they've learned to effectively translate into songs that respect tradition and express an original style. Tango Paradiso confidently takes both approaches on the group's new self-titled CD. The album's music, which the quartet will feature in a May 3 CD release concert at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, shows the band has made great strides in understanding and imparting the seductive nuances of tango.

As described in the CD's liner notes by Jorge Katz, taking a private class in 1998 with the great Argentinian bandoneónist Nestor Marconi was key to Tango Paradiso's development. Last year the band also had a session with Daniel Binelli, another master bandoneón player from Argentina. The group as a whole benefited from the classes and Schmidt, in particular, learned valuable tips about the technique and feeling required for playing tango on the extremely difficult bandoneón (button accordion).

The fruits of those lessons, along with each player's extensive studies and experience outside of pure tango in classical, jazz and new music, are apparent throughout Tango Paradiso's debut release. The quartet conveys the old world elegance of danceable tango standards like "Canaro en Paris" and "Nueve de Julio". With expressive vocals from Katz, the band does a creditable job of playing tango nuevo (new tango) on "Vuelvo al Sur", co-written by Astor Piazzolla.

While sometimes sounding too Piazzolla-like, Tango Paradiso's originals incorporate compelling melodies and harmonies. Schachte contributes two songs to the CD, including the gorgeous "Tango Sin Nombre". Schmidt's three compositions, including "Milonga", harmonically and rhythmically engage. As for the individual playing on originals and classics, Schmidt strikes the right melancholic tone. ("It's pretty hard to play happy stuff on a bandoneón," he notes.) Schachte offers a guitar style, influenced by swing and other forms, that's relatively unique to hear in tango. Hutter anchors the ensemble and comes up with the kind of percussive effects that are integral to modern tango. Finally, the three violinists who play on the album - Jesse Zubot, Rebecca Whitling and Bernal - hold their own in ensemble passages and solo sections.

At the Cultch, dancers Semiral Tuncer and Elaine Carson will perform with the group. Look for Tango Paradiso at David Lam Park during the jazz festival. Whatever you do, don't miss hearing the quartet's heartfelt and dynamic take on tango, a musical language that's rarely heard around here.

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Orquesta Goma Dura doesn't perform often simply because the Latin big band, led by John Korsrud, consists of 20 high-level musicians. They include some of the best horn players, rhythm section members and Latino singers in town. As Korsrud puts it, "They don't come cheap."

That said, Goma Dura will play May 11 (9 p.m.) at the WISE Hall. Expect to hear the undiluted salsa that the orchestra specializes in, with some twists. Mike Braverman has composed a "Bulgarian salsa" tune that will surely energize the Latin dance party. Tickets are $12 at the door.

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It's already time to start looking ahead to the jazz festival. In fact Coastal Jazz & Blues Society has released its Vogue Theatre line-up for the 16th annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival (June 22 - July 1). I'm happy to report that it's a strong line-up with unequivocal appeal for fans of straight ahead jazz.

The Vogue series will start with a bang June 22 when "legends of the bandstand" - Hank Jones, Curtis Fuller, Gary Bartz, Ray Drummond and Louis Hayes - perform. Other highlights include shows by trumpeters Roy Hargrove (June 27), Terence Blanchard (June 28, double - billed with Kenny Werner) and Dave Douglas (June 30, double - billed with Chris Potter). Kenny Colman and Dee Daniels will sing June 25. The Vogue shows will also include two exciting Cuban/Brazilian double - bills: Barbarito Torres and Márcio Faraco (June 23) plus Irakere and Olodum (June 26).

Coastal will release the complete festival line-up May 2, but here are some scoops from the Internet: John Scofield, Sex Mob and Steve Lacy will perform at the jazz fest. Meanwhile the Cellar will present Seamus Blake's Bloomdaddies and Mark Turner with Kurt Rosenwinkel. Rossini's Gastown will bring back Ray Brown.