Need a reason to tango in Austin? Glover Gill and Tosca String Quartet!

Pianist Glover Gill and Tosca String Quartet are two of the best reasons to visit Austin's Argentine tango community. While Austin can boast some fantastic tango dj's at many local milongas, there's nothing like dancing to live tango music - music that Gill seems to tailor to the venue, the dancers, the mood - to create a beautifully unique experience every time.

From Glovertango.com: "Drawing on arrangements from the Golden Age of Tango, the group combines faithful renditions of early 20th century tangos, milongas, and waltzes with original compositions in the classic style.

"A self-taught accordionist, arranger, and composer, Mr. Gill has accompanied Luciano Pavarotti with The Austin Lyric Opera and provided arrangements for Ian Moore, Alejandro Escovedo, Russell Crowe, Tina Marsh, Double Trouble, Jon Dee Graham, and the Tosca String Quartet, among others."

From the Austin Chronicle: "Glover Gill is justifiably one of the best-known pianists in town, gracefully melting jazz, Western, classical, ragtime, and tango."

Gill's website, Glovertango, can be found here: http://www.glovertango.com . Scores and CD's can be found on the "Music" page of that site.

Tosca String Quartet's site is here: http://www.toscastrings.com/

Pictured: Glover Gill and Tosca String Quartet playing at a milonga at Esquina Tango in Austin.

Comments

AmpsterTango said…

I wish I knew you, and about this when I went there for a business trip. :-(

May 12, 2009 at 9:48 PM

Mari said…

AmpsterTango: then you know what you have to do. Find a reason to visit again - you'd be very welcome here! (I would skip visiting in August however - crazy-making hot down here.)

May 13, 2009 at 6:50 AM

Ganchos . . . again . . .

(Image courtesy of Emilie Boudet: http://www.emilieboudet.com) From the Facebook comments on my "Expressing the music or dancing for tables" post: "But adornments can become problematic when they interfere with something I'm trying to do. (I have enough trouble as it is). Some of these are basically harmless and don't really bother me that much. Like some ladies insist on doing a gancho whenever I lead them to step over my leg. I'm mostly amused by this. Some girls just like their ganchos and will seize any opportunity to do one." Predictably, I have several problems with the above behavior. First of all, they aren't "their ganchos" ! The gancho for the follower is led. It is my (nearly fanatical) opinion that it should never be an adornment or something the follower just decides to do on her own . As someone who is now attempting to learn to lead, the last thing I want to see, or heaven forbid feel, is a stiletto heel near my crotch ....

"Proper" Tango Shoes

Periodically someone, usually a man, will be bring up the topic of "proper tango shoes." If he's referring to the problem (and dangers) of trying to dance in flip-flops, or mules, or platform shoes etc., those are definitely valid, and very helpful points to be made. The likelihood of damaging your feet is very high without the proper support of high quality shoes. My problem comes with the idea that the *only* proper tango shoes have 4" stiletto heels on them and fetish-worthy embellishments. (Okay, I'm pretty keen on the embellishments myself.) "goofy ballroomy shoes are a turnoff... get rid of them..." - Alex Tango Fuego (granted this is from 2007), http://alextangofuego.blogspot.com/2007/10/to-dance-or-not-to-dancebrutally.html And, in the comments on a blog post, Anonymous said... " This is a controversial one. If a follower isn't wearing tango shoes then it's usually a good sign she's not particularly good." From Ms. Hedgeh...

Expressing music or dancing for tables?

Too much of a good thing? As sort of a follow-up to my thoughts on technique, I've run into a little snag I'd like some feedback. When I get compliments about my embrace, I'm absolutely elated. When someone compliments the way my walk feels, I feel accomplished. Compliments about my musicality - ditto. When I start getting lots of compliments about my foot work, however - I get worried. I shouldn't right? A compliment is a compliment, and should be taken graciously. It's certainly meant as a positive thing. It's a good thing if a dancer's feet are pretty - why else would everyone wear those silly, yet gorgeous, shoes? But like Richard Dreyfuss staring down his plate of mash potatoes in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, I can't help thinking it means something. Something not good. I don't mean like a backhanded compliment - but more like a fear that my priorities have unintentionally shifted. Maybe it's a community thing. Online I very often r...

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