Personnel:
Jorge Casal, Roberto Chanel, Rodolfo Galé
Reference: EBCD 105
Bar code: 8427328131056
"Sassone's very first recordings in the years 1947 - 1953. In sharp contrast to his later work (presented on two discs on Reliquias) which very much resembles late Di Sarli and even Fresedo, his tangos from this period have a much stronger rhythmic element and are nearly all vocal numbers. It's hard to believe that this is the same orchestra.
You could make a case that this is not work of the very highest quality. It was a modest group made up of young newcomers, whom Sassone nurtured and trained. This is most clear with the vocalist: the majority of the tracks here are sung by Jorge Casal, yet they don't really stand comparison with the two tracks sung by Roberto Chanel, who joined Sassone from Pugliese's orchestra before disappearing into obscurity, except in the earth-shattering Rencor (Rancour).
El Relampago (The lightning bolt) sounds for all the world like an arrangement of Alfredo Gobbi, another innovator of the period, but this is actually Sassone's own composition. Other pieces, most notably La Trilla are given arrangements very reminiscent of Di Sarli, whose style Sassone would come to resemble much more closely in later years. However Sassone comes much closer to establishing a unique voice here than he does in his later work. Recommended."
- Mike Lavocah
