In 1975, Argentina was in a crisis. The presidency of Isabel Perón was marked by economic decline, a political shift to the right and state sanctioned terror. Maybe that is why saxophonist Horacio »Chivo« Borraro claimed musical breathing spaces even more fervently. He had been at the vanguard of Argentine’s jazz scene since the 1940s. Now, Borraro surrounded himself with musicians born in the 1940s. His sextet explores different musical traditions as if the whole country was possessed by a spirit of departure. It’s no exaggeration when the promo blurb exclaims: On »Blues Para Un Cosmonauta«, no track sounds like the other.
Opener »Lineas Torcidas« combines Jazz à la Coltrane with a Craviola, a 12-string guitar from Brazil. The melancholic title track induces psychedelic visions with the (recently released) Minimoog. »Cancion de Cuna Para un Bébel del Año 2000« is woolgathering. On »La Invasion de los Monjes«, expressive singing accentuates a wild ride through the pampa. »Mi amigo Tarzan« invites us to dance to Fender Rhodes grooves. Unfortunately, this tour de force through disparate moods and influences makes the album feel long-winded at times. Its meandering songs give the impression of being two to three minutes too long. At the same time, they offer an exciting cartography of musical possibilities. 1975 turned out to be the eve of Argentine’s military dictatorship. Yet, the promise of a cosmopolite future is sounding unbroken in Borraro’s Jazz.
