Notes: Alfredo Gobbi

Era

The musicians of Gobbi’s orquesta changed frequently, but the formation was constantly 4-5 bandos/violins. Gobbi takes the arranger role on almost all occasions.

1. 1947-50. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Ernesto Romero piano, Alberto Garralda and Mario Demarco lead bandoneóns.

   • “Los Grandes del Tango Vol.18” says that in Gobbi’s primary recording era, including the 3 instrumentals, the pianist was Lalo Benítez, a pianist with a canyengue, somewhat Disarlian style. But Carlos Puente believes that it was Ernesto Romero. It is hard to distinguish by ear.

   • José María Otero’s blog article Alfredo Gobbi y Pablo Lozano mentions that in the 1948.05.12 recording session, the pianist was confirmed as Ernesto Romero, who shares traits with Orlando Goñi.

2. 1951-53. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Lalo Benítez piano, bando Cayetano Camara.

   • Mario Demarco left Gobbi at the end of 1950 and started his own OT in 1951, taking away a lot of Gobbi’s musicians, including Alberto Garralda (1st bandoñeon), Ernest Romero (pianist), and Antonio Blanco (Gobbi’s 2nd violin).

   • Ismael Spitalnik, not Gobbi himself, arranged El Andariego (1951).

3. 1954-57. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Ernesto Romero piano, Alberto Garralda and Eduardo Rovira lead bandoneóns.

   The exact time when Garralda/Romero returned and Rovira/Piro joined was uncertain, but most likely within the window between end-1953 and early-1954.

   • Ismael Spitalnik arranged Camandulaje (1956).

   • According to Tarantino’s testimony, the pianist was him in sessions in July and September 1956 when Romero was absent.

   • El Engobbiao (1957) was both composed and arranged by Rovira and dedicated to Gobbi.

4. 1957-58. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Ernesto Romero piano, Alberto Garralda and Osvaldo Piro lead bandoneóns.

   • Rovira left Gobbi and formed his own OT with singer Alfredo Del Río, replaced by Osvaldo Piro.

   • Osvaldo Tarantino replaced Romero, who left Gobbi for Pugliese at the end of 1958, when the Orquesta had already ceased to record.

Date/Genre/Singer

• Radio takes and piano solo recordings are not included.

• Two versions of Adiós Corazón (1958.04.17) with identical instrumental tracks dubbed by different singers (Landó/Del Río).

• Gobbi collaborates well with dramatic-style singers, notably Jorge Maciel.

Masters/Pitch/Speed

• The pre-tape era masters were destroyed in the early 1960s during a restructuring of Víctor Argentina.

• Víctor upgraded to R2R tapes and 442hz pitch in Sep.1953, and Gobbi was among the earliest adopters.

• Orfeo, a subsidiary brand of Columbia-CBS at the time, tuned its piano to 440hz in 1958.

• Plausibly in a faster tempo in the 1940s, Gobbi slowed down in the 1950s.