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July 2013

JP Jofre's Hard Tango Chamber Band at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

by Robert Leeper

JP Jofre 1

Don’t be fooled by the picture above: JP Jofre is no typical accordion player. In fact, he doesn’t even play the accordion. The Argentine musician is a young star and advocate of the bandoneón, a member of the concertina family known for being an essential part of tango ensembles in South America. Last night, Jofre and his Hard Tango Chamber Band brought a bit of their tango flair to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Balcony Bar, presenting three sets that included works by ubiquitous tango composer Astor Piazzolla, Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer, and original music by JP Jofre himself.  

Jofre roundly refutes the stereotype that his chosen instrument is strictly for buskers and raucous dancing; coaxing a tender vibrato throughout the evening, he brought a nostalgic and melancholy sound to a number of slower songs, like Astor Piazzolla’s classic “Oblivion” and the Jofre original “After the Rain.” These mellower, passionate songs showcased the talent of his group—often featuring sweetly singing violin and viola lines—as well as their ability to create intimate moments of overwhelming beauty, even while throngs of people packed into the Met’s Great Hall. 

 

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RiverRocks 2013: The Aves, Thao, and Foxygen

by Angela Sutton

Thao Riverrocks

Thursday's unseasonably cool weather started out gloomy and only became gloomier as the sun set, but RiverRocks at Pier 84 on the Hudson did its best to chase away the doldrums, presenting a lively, free show featuring The Aves, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, and Foxygen.

Australia's The Aves led off with a garage-pop set heavily indebted to the grittier side of New Wave, following the time-honored verse-chorus-bridge pattern, with the typical rock quartet setup of two guitars, bass, and drums. This is solid, well-crafted, hooky rock 'n' roll—albeit written in a relatively narrow range. The band's most unique asset is vocalist Lucy Campbell's throaty howl, which is perhaps underutilized in its music.

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