Pablo Ziegler Trio for New Tango
Read a recent review of Pablo's latest CD here.
PABLO ZIEGLER, composer/arranger/pianist
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Latin Grammy-winning pianist Pablo Ziegler artfully blends classic tango rhythms with jazz improvisations, adding a new voice to the tango lexicon. Howard Reich of The Chicago Times writes, “There’s no question that Ziegler takes the tango to levels of sophistication and refinement probably undreamed of by Piazzolla,” and Eric Salzman of Stereo Review, writing of Ziegler’s CD, Tango Romance, affirmed that the CD “solidifies his (Ziegler’s) claim to be the outstanding representative of the nuevo tango in his generation.”
In 1978, Mr. Ziegler was invited to join Astor Piazzolla’s New Tango Quintet, and for over the next ten years, he performed with this group throughout Europe, Japan and North America, at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Nice Jazz Festival, Sapporo Jazz Festival, Central Park SummerStage, and the Istanbul Festival, among many others.
Pablo Ziegler formed his own Quartet for New Tango in 1990 and has been touring extensively throughout the world with his trio, quartet and quintet. Performances in recent seasons have included Carnegie Hall (as part of the JVC Jazz Festival with guest artists Paquito D’Rivera, Joe Lovano and Gary Burton), the Savannah Music Festival, Blue Note, UCLA, the University of Texas-Austin, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in Maryland, the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the Ravinia Festival, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas with pianist Christopher O’Riley in the duo Los Tangueros, the New World Symphony in Miami, New York’s Knitting Factory with Emanuel Ax, the Cape May Music Festival in New Jersey, and the San Francisco Jazz Festival amongst many others. Ziegler’s quintet has also been performing annually at the Jazz Standard in NYC since 2002, with guest artists including Paquito D’Rivera, Stefon Harris, David Sanchez, Randy Brecker, and Kenny Garrett. Important international engagements have included the Umbria Jazz Festival (with guest artists Paquito D´Rivera, Joe Lovano and Richard Galliano), The Lapataia Jazz Festival in Punta del Este (Uruguay), and the Verbier Festival (Switzerland), as well as performances throughout Europe. He also performed at the Piano 2003 Festival in Manchester, UK, and has done 16 European tours to date.
2007 marks the release of a new Live CD, Buenos Aires Report (Saphrane) from a performance recorded at The Bimhuis in Amsterdam during his recent European tour in April 2006 as well as a live from the Jazz Standard recording with guest artist Stefon Harris, Tango Meets Jazz (Kind of Blue). Ziegler’s discography also includes Tango Romance: Music of Buenos Aires with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (BMG/RCA); Los Tangueros: the tangos of Astor Piazzolla played by Ziegler and Emmanuel Ax (with two piano arrangements by Ziegler) (SONY); Asfalto: Street Tango (BMG/RCA); Pablo Ziegler Quintet for New Tango recorded with guest artist Joe Lovano (BMG/RCA); and Bajo Cero with Quique Sinesi and Walter Castro (Zoho Music) which won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tango Album in 2005. Ziegler also appears as a guest artist on two of Gary Burton’s recordings, Piazzolla Reunion and Libertango, both on the Concord Jazz label, as well as making an appearance as arranger and accompanist on The Lost Days, a recording with renowned mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, released in 2003 on BMG/RCA. Ziegler’s compositions are performed and recorded by many musicians throughout the world.
Claudio Ragazzi, guitar
Claudio Ragazzi graduated Magna Cum Laude in Jazz Composition and Arranging from Berklee College of Music in 1984 and was the recipient of the Duke Ellington Master's Award and the Boston Music Awards that same year. After graduating from Berklee, Mr. Ragazzi recorded the top 30 Jazz CD Amazoni a with his instrumental ensemble Ananda. For the past ten years he has been scoring music for film and television, theater and ballet as well as performing both as sideman and with his own group.
Mr. Ragazzi has worked with some of Boston's most respectable and recognized film directors including Brad Anderson, for whom he scored his MIRAMAX feature film Next Stop Wonderland; Jan Egleson, scoring the soon-to-be-released The Blue Diner; and Sam Weissman. In 1998, Next Stop Wonderland's CD reached Billboard's TOP TEN list, sustaining it for more than twelve weeks. He also wrote the music for the critically acclaimed Blue Tango for The Boston Ballet and the staging of William Shakespeare's The Twelfth Night.
Ragazzi has also written numerous music scores for many other independent films as well as for the award winning series, NOVA, American Experience, Sesame Street; and has worked on many television series for the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Telemundo, and PBS.
As a world class guitarist, Ragazzi is a member of the acclaimed Pablo Ziegler Quintet for New Tango and has recently performed with jazz legends Gary Burton, Joe Lovano and Paquito D'Rivera at Carnegie Hall and with world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma on the music television series Sessions at Studio 54. Other performances and recordings include those with jazz pianist Danilo Pérez, guitarist Ralph Towner and Latin legend Mario Bauzá. Ragazzi was also featured as guest soloist with The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, directed by John Mauceri.
Héctor del Curto, bandoneon
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, bandoneon player Héctor Del Curto has traveled the world both as soloist and chamber musician, having shared the stage with Astor Piazzolla, Osvaldo Pugliese, Julio Bocca, Orquesta Sinfónica de Buenos Aires, and Teatro Colon Ballet, among many others. In April 1999 he appeared in Carnegie Hall with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, joined by world-renowned artists Gary Burton, Joe Lovano, Pablo Ziegler, and from Buenos Aires, singers Jose Angel Trelles and Maria Graña. The New York Times review included the following statement: "Hector Del Curto played wistful, piercing solos on the bandoneon."
Del Curto appears on recordings with Luis Borda Cuarteto Linea de Tango (Jazz and Fusion Records), Osvaldo Pugliese (live in concert), Pablo Ziegler Asphalt (BMG, USA), Tango Magic (Sony Music, USA in Video and DVD), and Quintet for the New Tango (BMG, USA). Also he participated as guest musician in recordings like Master Pieces with the renowned Tito Puente and others.
He won Best Bandoneon Player under 25 when he was only 17. The Italian-American Network awarded him the Golden Note Award in recognition of his artistic achievements in 1999. As a conductor he directed the show Forever Tango on Broadway as well as numerous other concerts featuring Tango music.