TS 6.06 - Caló & Rufino + Instrumental 1966

Tags: Miguel Caló, Singer, Instrumental
Category: Album
 

Samples

 
 
“Rufino sings tango like nobody else.” — TangoSparks 2015

Back in Argentina, the year 1966 found Miguel Caló still in full creative momentum. This time his partner was the legendary Roberto Rufino, one of the most distinctive voices in tango history. At only sixteen, Rufino became the signature vocalist of Carlos Di Sarli, and developed a lifelong “artistic rivalry” later with Alberto Podestá, two contrasting styles that helped define an entire generation.

After his years with Di Sarli, Rufino worked with Francini, Pontier, Miguel and Roberto Caló, etc. Between 1963 and 1965 he sang with Aníbal Troilo. In 1966, just after leaving Troilo, Rufino was approaching the end of his prime, yet his signature free fraseo remained intact, slightly restrained here within Caló’s steady and traditional rhythmic framework, but still filled with tension and emotional nuance.

TS 6.06 features twelve recordings made between September and November 1966. With the exception of the instrumental Elegante Papirusa, the eleven vocals were meticulously selected for Rufino, including six classics (Duelo Criollo, Marión, Verdemar…) and five contemporary pieces such as Racconto, and El Mundo de los Dos, Rufino’s own creation, where he sings the word “amor” twenty-two times, as if tracing every shade of love.

As always, TangoSparks restores these performances and presents them in unprecedented sound quality.

Except for Marión, all vocal tracks follow the stereo image: L: violins / R: bandoneóns (the instrumental track is reversed); Marión has been corrected accordingly. Compared with Caló’s 1964 stereo recordings, this 1966 series shows clear improvement and the left-right balance feels more natural. Piano pitch is precisely tuned at 442 Hz.

Only three or four of these takes had previously appeared on scattered CD compilations, often in mediocre transfers. This neglect is rather hard to understand, since these sessions (and several from the same period) rank among Caló’s finest in both artistry and performance. It may well have reflected the particular taste and aesthetics of Buenos Aires in the 1960s.

This album (TS 6.06) presents the complete recordings from the late-1966 sessions as a whole. Mastered with great care, this album aims to bring renewed attention to this great reunion, one of the almost-forgotten gems of tango’s recorded history.

Frank Jin

Date Track Genre Singer Label Matrix No. Pitch Length
1966-09-05Elegante PapirusaTangoInstrumentalOdeón3273944202:35
1966-09-08MariónTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3274044203:13
1966-09-20Nido GauchoTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3279144202:43
1966-09-20Yuyo VerdeTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3279244202:25
1966-09-27VerdemarTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3281344202:56
1966-09-27Fatalmente NadaTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3281444202:39
1966-10-03Duelo CriolloTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3282444202:18
1966-10-03Canción De RangoTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3282544202:12
1966-10-27Y Te Necesito TantoTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3293744202:30
1966-10-27Para SiempreTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3293844203:08
1966-11-17El Mundo De Los DosTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3301844202:25
1966-11-17RaccontoTangoRoberto RufinoOdeón3301944202:48
 
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TS 6.02 - Caló & Fujisawa + Instrumental 1964