01. La Cumparsita 02. Por Una Cabeza 03. Yira Yira 04. La Violetera 05. Caminito 06. Retintin 07. Chalita 08. El Choclo 09. Vida Mia 10. A Media Luz 11. El Esquinazo 12. Adios, Muchachos 13. Jalousie
William Schimmel, accordion Michael Sahl, piano Stan Kurtis, violin Richard Henrickson, violin; Russell Savakus, bass (1-3, 5, 8-12) Susan Herl-Conroy, wood block (11)
Okay, they aren't Argentinean . . . but then again, neither was Uruguayan Carlos Gardel, the tango legend who composed and popularized this song. Yet this group is one of the most widely heard tango ensembles of recent decades. This is the band and song that Al Pacino dances to in a famous scene in Scent of a Woman. And the future governor of California strutted his stuff with Jamie Lee Curtis to this same version of "Por Una Cabeza" in True Lies. In short, here is elegant parlor-room tango with just the right touch of sensuality.
But don't get too caught up in the romantic mood. If you hear the words to this song (not included in this instrumental version), you will find that it is about a horse race lost by a head (hence the title). Yes, a woman does show up too — but I put my money on the horse. Tango fans are encouraged to find and compare the great Gardel recording.
