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.

   • 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. (“Los Grandes del Tango Vol. 18” states that Lalo Benítez was the pianist in Gobbi’s primary recording era, including the 3 instrumentals, which is quite misleading.)

2. 1950-53. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Lalo Benítez piano, bando Cayetano Camara, etc.

   • Mario Demarco left Gobbi in the middle of 1950 and started his own OT, taking many of Gobbi’s musicians, including Alberto Garralda (1st bandoñeon), Ernest Romero (pianist), and Antonio Blanco (Gobbi’s 2nd violin). Gobbi’s new OT debuted in 1950 Sep.

   • Ismael Spitalnik 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 recording 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 (who never left a recording) 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.