Mirta Insaurralde & Ruben Ferrero - De Igual a igual

Argentine vocalist Mirte Insauralde alongside pianist Ruben Ferrero, with various groups.

All recorded at T.N.T. Studios, Buenos Aires in 1994, except track 7 in El Comedor De Los Bucaneros, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Although she incorporates some jazz phrasing, Mirta Insaurralde does not strike me as a jazz singer. She seems steeped in folk tradition. She sings these melodies in a rich, sensuous voice that makes effective and at times exaggerated use of vibrato which gives the music a very sentimental flavour. Ruben Ferrero couches her vocals in arrangements that, to these ears, provide continual surprise. There's all manner of intriguing touches: a crimped, fuzzed-out guitar in tandem with a soprano sax on Duerme Negrito; an explosive piano solo on tango master Gardel's El Dia Que Me Quieras; a riff played by George Haslam on La Vieja that's reminiscent of Sun Ra's Space is The Place riff. It's a tasty package. The ballads are rich and emotive and the rhythm tracks soar with grace. This is further evidence that there's some strong creative music coming from the Southern Hemisphere. - Cadence