Tantor - Tantor / Mágico Y Natural (Reissue) (1979-82/1998)

TANTOR is a big name among Argentina's collectors, and quite rightly so, since this mostly instrumental outfit was back in the late 70s a major asset in the areas of jazz-fusion and art-rock that were developing in Argentina's musical scene. Even though the band lacked the commercial repercussion it clearly deserved (mainly due to the predominant presence of instrumental items in its repertoire), the musical press and its enthusiastic fan base openly received the energetic music created and performed by this ensemble of AQUELARRE and INVISIBLE alumni. The band started as the power-trio of lead guitarist Héctor Starc, bassist Carlos Alberto Rufino and drummer Rodolfo García. Starc and Rufino were already working together on instrumental material written by the former even before the demise of AQUELARRE (which occurred in 1977), so by the end of 1978 (the time of the band's official presentation), audiences were widely and instantly aware of TANTOR's tightness and virtuosity. The next year saw the release of the band's eponymous debut album, whereby the trio was alternately aided by special guests Lito Vitale and Leo Sujatovich on the keyboardist's role. The album was fresh and intense, somehow related to the vibrant energy we can also find in albums by CRUCIS, but with its own direction perfectly traced for anyone to hear. The lack of support for the album by the big industry and the constant absence of García, committed to recording and touring with a reformed ALMENDRA, soon led to the band's lack of activity and the momentum that it had started to achieve waned quite fast. The remaining duo ultimately recruited bassist Marcelo Torres and Babú Cerviño as a permanent keyboardist. Concerts became more recurrent once again and new material was being written, which ended up in the sophomore album "Mágico Y Natural", released in 1982. The refurbished band offered a new direction, more melodic and closer to the sort of symphonic progressive sound that bands like PABLO "EL ENTERRADOR" were also doing at the time, but still there was some ample room for the delivery of the fusion-centered stamina that had made the best of the debut release. All things come to an end, sooner or later: the presentation of this album as part of festival de la Falda '83 was to be TANTOR?S the final gig.