Tango No. 9

Explorations in 21-Century Tango abound in this well-crafted disc by Tango No. 9, hailing from San Francisco. The chamber ensemble was formed in 1998 by violinist Catharine Clune and also includes piano, accordion – not quite the same as Astor Piazzolla’s bandoneon – and trombone. The quasi-classical quartet approaches compositions with sincere gusto and highly accomplished musicianship. Most of the songs on this, their second CD, are the quartet’s own arrangements of time-honored tango compositions. A track such as “La Puñalada,” while relatively short (only 1:49 minutes), displays each musician’s instrumental proficiency, as well as the ensemble’s near-telepathic interplay; talk about tight! It is rare for a US-based ensemble to sound so internationally cosmopolitan; you’d swear they had honed their skills in Paris or Buenos Aires. Nonetheless it is a testament to the fact that Tango No. 9 is destined to thrill audiences for many albums and performances to come.
— Robert Kaye
- Global Rhythms

Consider the red rose: the fiery hue, the intoxicating scent, the perilous thorns. It’s the perfect symbol for Argentina’s hot-blooded tango, an indigenous music and dance style that revels in the passion and sorrow of the heart. That such a romantic genre has found an enthusiastic audience in San Francisco is a testament to our windswept city’s lust for life. On its second CD, named after the now-defunct Mission cafe where the quartet got its start in 1998, Tango No. 9 celebrates the art form’s roots with evocative cover tunes dating from the first half of the 20th century. Imbued with grand dramatic gestures — weepy melodies, strapping rhythms, sweeping crescendos — the songs are black-and-white celluloid nostalgic, while the band’s instrumental combo of violin, piano, trombone, and accordion couples chamber music intimacy with jazz-band punch. The sum effect? A provocative, enlivening sound that’s good steamy fun.
— San Prestianni - SF Weekly

Is the Conga Room a good venue for a tango concert? Friday at the popular salsa club, San Francisco’s Tango No. 9 ensemble did its best to woo its scarce audience with a repertoire composed mostly of tunes by Astor Piazzolla, the genre’s undisputed master. Problem is, every time a new patron came into the room, the opening of the door broke the mood by ushering in the seductive sound of Afro-Cuban music coming from the venue’s other room.

And because there’s a tendency with American audiences to think of tango as a cliche of Latin exotica — music meant to be heard in a restaurant setting while consuming expensive entrees - most of the patrons Friday talked noisily while the quartet attempted to conjure up the dead-serious spirit of the real thing.

Listening to Tango No. 9 tackling Piazzolla classics such as “Adios Nonino” and “Marron y Azul,” it was easy to see that this ensemble has indeed fallen head over heels in love with tango.

Ironically, the group’s playing is a bit too polished and elegant to capture the essence of Piazzolla, who happens to be the darkest and rawest of tango composers, embracing tragedy and death with unflinching determination.

Yet the ensemble shone on more conventional fare such as Anibal Troilo’s “La Ultima Curda.” And its decision to incorporate the unusual sound of a trombone to its lineup is brilliant.
— Ernesto Lechner - Los Angeles Times

Legend has it that back in 1998, Catharine Clune, a veteran of the U.S. band Clubfoot Orchestra, started to think about a new project, which brought her to exploring the works of Astor Piazzolla, a renowned Argentine tango composer of the 20th century. Now, nine years and three albums later, Tango No. 9 has evolved into a critically acclaimed ensemble performing at various festivals across the U.S. and elsewhere. With its unique instrumentation of violin, trombone, piano and accordion/bandoneon, Tango No. 9 embraces both a reverence to tango's traditional past and an innovative vision of the music's possible future. The vast majority of tracks on Here Live No Fish date back to the period between 1916 to 1955, although there are a few recent ones, written by Greg Stephens, namely the title song and one more track, entitled "Syncopath."

By Vladimir Kozlov
- Moscow News