The tango was born in the ghettos of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, in the late 1880s. Mestizos, Indians, and Italian and German immigrants combined the Cuban habanera and the indigenous milonga song form with African Candomble drum beats and music from a German accordion called the bandoneon to create this dance rhythm. By the 1920s, the music was the toast of Paris and New York, and it has remained one of the most elegant and enduring art forms ever to come from the New World. This CD, arranged by the Uruguayan bandoneon master Raul Jaurena, features his work with a tango chamber group consisting of another bandoneonist, a pianist, bassist, two violinists, and vocalist Washington Galli. They perform the classic tango standards of the "30s and "40s by Carlos Gardel, Anibal Triolo, and Mariano Mores. With mournful and moving bandoneon strains counterpointed by florid piano music, the group recalls the brilliance of these old songs. Galli"s manly tenor evokes pure romance on the sexy tracks "La Ultima Corda," "Whisky," and "Toda Mi Vida." The instrumental numbers, including the moving mid-tempo "Nostalgico" and the jazzy, impressionistic "Nocturna," showcase the musical and emotional range of the tango as well as the superior musicianship of Raul Jaurena and company. --Eugene Holley Jr.