Triangulating Barcelona (where he lives), Buenos Aires (where he’s from), and New York (where he now performs just one week a year), Klein’s compositions “hum with the lustrous elegance of Ellington at his haughtiest” (JazzTimes): thick bop grooves drive Argentine tangos and chacareras while smoky voices round out the swirling, “stunning” sound (All Music Guide). This exclusive Duke Performances’ presentation represents the first time the astonishing 11-piece has ever played in the southeast, a rare U.S. date for Klein and his famed Guachos, who cut from their short run at NYC’s Village Vanguard for this single Durham show.
Guillermo Klein Y Los Guachos:
Guillermo Klein — piano solo, guitar, voice, keyboards
Diego Urcola — trumpet, fluegelhorn
Taylor Haskins — trumpet, fluegelhorn
Chris Cheek — tenor sax, soprano sax
Bill McHenry — tenor sax
Miguel Zenon — alto sax, flute
Sandro Tomassi — trombone
Ben Monder — electric guitar
Fernando Huergo — electric bass
Jeff Ballard — drums, percussion
Richard Nant — percussion
“Klein…is a complete original.”
—Downbeat
“Klein’s Los Guachos…are making unnamable music at the Village Vanguard…rich and sticky in rhythm and harmony. It doesn’t have much to do with current trends in the rest of jazz, but only jazz musicians could be making it. It is not the only way or the true way; it is just one excellent, original way.”
—New York Times