Carrera (with Los Guachos)

The underrated Argentinean pianist/composer Guillermo Klein creates complex and inviting pieces for medium and large ensembles. His rich harmonies, delightful timbres, and intriguing rhythms evoke European prog and Latin American popular song. Carrera—a 2012 release by his group Los Guachos—is superb. The 11-piece band turns in a top-notch performance, and the soloists are outstanding. The melancholy opener, “Burrito Hill,” features off-kilter rhythms and spare, super-subtle trombone work from Sandro Tomasi. Tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry plays one of the album’s best solos on “ArteSano,” which is marked by syncopated handclaps and Fender Rhodes. Klein also sings on a number of tracks, including “Globo,” where he and alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon turn in pleasing vocal performances. The album includes a few striking covers: “Los Mareados,” a classic tango written by Juan Carlos Cobian and Enrique Cadicamo, and an arrangement of the first movement of Alberto Ginastera’s Piano Sonata Op. 22. The former is quietly focused, while the latter artfully moves through several moody passages.