Barefoot Tango @MSF

March 22
9 PM
120 South Division AV #226
Grand Rapids MI 49503
10$
Barefoot Tango is a quartet specializing in authentic, gritty, intense interpretations of nuevo tango masterpieces. Marrying the soul and romance of Argentine tango music with jazz harmonies and the complexity of classical orchestrations, "nuevo tango" produces a darker, more intense, more romantic sound than listeners of tango may be accustomed to. Unlike more traditional tango music, which was intended for dancing, new tango demands the full attention of the listener and is best enjoyed in a concert setting. It is at once sweet and bitter; dark and playful; complex and simple; but always emotive. Said one observer of the new tango sound, "Never has music so controlled, sounded so liberated."

Tango has again captured the interest of musicians in recent decades and as a result arrangements have been written for a wide variety of instruments, including such surprising choices as vibraphone, saxophone, and flute. But the timbre of the new tango quintet of bandoneon, violin, piano, contrabass and electric guitar is hard to rival. Barefoot Tango combines the four most crucial of these elements to produce an authentic nuevo tango sound. The piano and contrabass carry the characteristic driving pulse of the music leaving the violin and bandoneon free to express romantic melodies and intricate counterpoint. The bandoneon—the rarer, more melancholy cousin of the accordion—is the heart and soul of the tango sound. Originally invented for sacred music, it's sad, complex voice is what makes the tango the tango for many listeners.

Barefoot tango consists of Morgan Evans-Weiler on violin, Chad Evans on piano, Jason Toth on contrabass, and Lou Blouin on bandoneon. Evans-Weiler is a senior at Western Michigan University where he is a double major in composition and violin performance. He plays in several area orchestras and chamber groups and has a passion for contemporary music. Pianist Chad Evans is a graduate of Western Michigan University where he studied composition. A talented composer in his own right, he writes contemporary music for chamber groups and orchestras and handles much of the arranging for the quartet. He now lives in Honor. Jason Toth is the newest addition to the quartet and is a senior in WMU's nationally-recognized bass program. His commanding, driving playing style immediately found a home in the quartet and is the heartbeat of the group. On bandoneon is Lou Blouin. Originally a student of the piano and accordion, Blouin began his intense study of bandoneon two years ago after a chance encounter with world-renowned bandoneon virtuoso Peter Soave. He now studies under Soave and his student Julien Labro, a fierce bandoneonist in his own right. He lives in Traverse City.