Pulso By Marcelo Yakko, a review by Raul Amador

Argentina, I’ve never been there but I hope to visit someday!

Nonetheless, I have some Argentine friends that have shared with me some of the unique gifts that come from their country. Yierba Mate (which I drink daily), Churrazcos, Chimichurri, Alforjas, and but of course…. The Tango. The Argentine Tango is both a dance and a musical genre. Illustrious names like Carlos Gardel, Mariano Mores, Osvaldo Pugilese, and Astor Piazola race to the front of my mind in an instant.

So, imagine how surprised I was when I received “Pulso” and listened to it in it’s entirety and guess what…? Not a Single Tango! Now, this is not a bad thing. This CD presents a departure from the traditional and gives us insight into what I believe is a contemporary Argentine music scene.

We are treated to a great variety of tunes and each one has it’s own special flare. The bass playing is solid and quite respectable. Marcelo demonstrates a mastery of both technique and feel. It doesn’t hurt that there is a guest appearance by his teacher Stu Hamm either.

I can tell that Marcelo had some fun with this CD, as there are added “Sound Bits” from TV shows or movies, a polka and even a few bars of the theme from Indiana Jones. I do get many CD’s from all around the world that embed these spoken “Bits”, many of which are in English. Although these “Bits’ are often entertaining, in this instance, I felt that Marcelo’s’ performance is eloquent enough that they aren’t necessary; I wonder if the intent is to create more of a “World” appeal.

Some of my favorite tracks include:
“Pulso” with its nice Funk groove.
“Multitecnica” displays some serious energy.
“Arpegius love” for a soothing waltz.
“Vampiro Argentino” with it’s edgy Vampire motif!

So, I enjoyed this CD from Marcelo Yakko with its upbeat feel and unexpected sample of the music scene in Argentina today.

Gracias Pibe!

Visit online at:

www.marceloyakko.com.ar/pulso.htm
www.myspace.com/marceloyakkoband