TS 1.03 - Jorge Vidal 1949-50
Tags: Pugliese, Album, SingerSamples
Due to political concerns, Chanel left Pugliese’s orquesta in 1948. His replacement, Jorge Vidal "El Negro", a baritone with a magnetic and penetrating voice, was discovered in a café by two of the band’s musicians. The maestro himself shook Vidal awake from a sofa — thus began their two-year artistic journey.
Vidal would come to be regarded by some as the finest vocalist ever to work with Pugliese. His confident, narrative tone opened new expressive paths for the orquesta, enabling a broader thematic range. Though they recorded only eight pieces together, all of them (in TS 1.03), including "Puente Alsina" (1949), "Ventanita de Arrabal" and "Vieja Recova" (1950), are undeniable classics. Now, through state-of-the-art restoration, these recordings shine once again with renewed clarity and vitality.
These tracks benefit from better surviving sources, yet Vidal’s powerful voice introduces a big challenge. The experimental microphone placement during this period created a severe imbalance between vocal and instrumental input levels. Whether this was intentional or accidental is unclear, but it certainly required considerable effort to tame the vocal distortion.
Artistically, Jorge Vidal was not merely a substitute for Chanel’s baritone role — he marked a progression from the prevailing melancholic affection that characterized Pugliese (and much of tango) in the 1940s, helping to usher in the more splendid aesthetic of the 1950s.
With these newly restored versions, we sincerely hope Pugliese/Vidal tandas will find their way more frequently in the milongas and people's hearts.
Frank Jin
| Date | Track | Genre | Singer | Label | Matrix No. | Pitch | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-08-22 | Puente Alsina | Tango | Jorge Vidal | Odeón | 17396 | 440 | 3:18 |
| 1949-09-27 | La Cieguita | Tango | Jorge Vidal | Odeón | 17435 | 440 | 2:52 |
| 1949-12-07 | Testamento De Arrabal | Tango | Jorge Vidal | Odeón | 17515 | 440 | 2:42 |
| 1950-03-07 | Ventanita De Arrabal | Tango | Jorge Vidal | Odeón | 17582 | 440 | 3:11 |
| 1950-05-03 | Vieja Recova | Tango | Jorge Vidal | Odeón | 17636 | 440 | 3:09 |
| 1950-06-30 | Porque Canto El Tango | Tango | Jorge Vidal | Odeón | 17699 | 440 | 2:56 |
| 1950-11-16 | Barra Querida | Tango | Jorge Vidal | Odeón | 17891 | 440 | 3:12 |
| 1950-11-16 | Un Baile A Beneficio | Milonga | Jorge Vidal | Odeón | 17892 | 440 | 3:18 |
